Meal and Diet Tips for Weight Loss

Diet and Nurition Tips for Weight Loss

Weight loss can be hard enough, the least we can do is make the "diet" part of our plan a little simpler. ​Use these tips to help on stay on track with your weight loss plan!

Breakfast Tips for Weight Loss​

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This meal will determine how the rest of your day will go. When deciding on the best foods to eat, be sure to avoid refined carbohydrates and sugary cereals.

Instead pair proteins with healthy fats and make breakfast your heaviest meal of the day. Balanced meal examples include scrambled eggs with sautéed veggies or whole wheat toast with avocado.

I would eat at least 400-500 calories and include at least 10 grams of protein, healthy fat, or fiber. A example of a well balanced breakfast plate includes 20% protein, 40% fruit, 40% whole grains.

Avoid: processed foods, refined sugars, cereals, muffins, bagels, donuts, breakfast bars​

Eat: Whole grains, oats, fruit, peanut butter, greek yogurt ​

Lunch Tips for Weight Loss​

Plan ahead and pack your lunch to avoid being temped with bad choices at cafes or restaurants. ​Choose complex carbs that are balanced with healthy proteins. Since you pack your lunch this is also a good opportunity to reuse leftovers creatively and save money. Try to keep lunch around 300-400 calories.

Veggies are a great example of complex carbohydrates and should make up 50% of your meal. As with other meals, avoid processed foods and refined sugars.

It would also be a good idea to include 5 grams of fiber in your lunch. A well balanced plate would look something like this: 50% veggies, 30% protein, 30% grains.

Dinner Tips for Weight Loss​

Dinner is also a good meal to add a variety of veggies and as for protein aim for eating lean meats like fish, turkey, or chicken. Have your dinner before 7pm, eating too late can cause your body to store more of it as fat and the digestive process can also cause you to have a difficult time getting to sleep.

Dinner meal ideas include salmon with a side of steamed broccoli and whole grain rice. Another idea is a grilled chicken breast with grilled veggies. Keep dinner no more than 500 calories. As with other meals avoid eating processed foods and refined sugars. ​

A well balanced dinner plate would have 50% veggies 25% lean protein and an optional 20% whole grains. ​

Snack Tips for Weight Loss​

Feel free to snack throughout your day. In fact, rather than eating three large meals, consider eating light snacks in between, eating 100-200 calories whenever meals are spaced more than 3 hours apart.

Avoid processed foods and refined sugars and try to include 4 grams of healthy fat, fiber, or protein.

We all know that craving can attack and you don't have to totally cut out treats from your diet. it's ok to allow yourself one treat a day but try to limit it to 200 calories. It would also be smart to choose treats that have less than 15 grams of sugar per serving. ​

Correct Portions

Figuring out the right portion sizes for your meal doesn't have to be a complicated process. Here are easy ways to determine portion sizes: ​

• Cupped Hand: Is about half a cup and this is one portion of pretzels, crackers, and cooked veggies
• Palm: The palm of your hand is one portion of meat, fish, poulty, pasta, or potatos
• Finger Tip: A figure tip is the correct portion size for healthy fats like butter, mayonnaise, and healthy oils
• Fist: Is one cup (serving) of fresh fruits and veggies
• Thumb: 1-2 TBSP of peanut butter, cheese, and salad dress

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