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Weight-loss series: Finding Balance

I have listed down what to eat and what to ditch in a previous post click here to check it out.I have also pointed out some common mistakes and how to overcome click here to check that.
Today we'll chat about how to balance it all,how to make sure that we are eating enough,not too much,not too little,how to include all the macronutrients and how to incorporate micronutrients into everyday meals.

CALORIE COUNTING
In order to figure out how much is our daily recommended calorie requirement ,it is a good idea to use any google calorie calculator.Here is a link to a good one that I use.It will inquire about your age,gender,height,weight,activity level, then it will calculate your BMI/BMR ( BMI under 18 is considered underweight, between 18-25 is normal, between 25-30 is overweight, above 30 is obese).This calculator will recommend you the amount of calorie/day, it will also calculate the daily recommended percentage of carbohydrate/fat/protein.
A lot of people like to use apps on their phones (My fitness pal is popular for all good reasons) where they enter whatever they eat throughout the day and it calculates the calories/macros.That is also a good way to keep a check and balance.
In order to lose weight we generally need to create a deficit of 400-500 calorie from our daily calorie intake either by reducing the intake or by burning it through exercise.
I do not calculate it precisely everyday at all but its just good to know as a reference so that we have an idea that we are not eating too much or too little.


MEAL PLAN 
  • Plan ahead, plan meals weekly and accordingly bring grocery and pre-prep.
  • Never let yourself hungry without knowing what to eat next!
  • Say NO to food if needed
  • Also say YES if needed


Number of meals:
3 main meals + 2 small snacks
 Eating small meals frequently keeps the metabolism going and also keeps the energy level adequate.
Timings:
  • Breakfast must be eaten within an hour of waking up.Eating most of the carbs in early hours of the day works good because those are the busy hours when most of the work is being done(schools/offices/house chores) so those cal/carbs get burnt.
  • Eating dinner 2-3 hours before sleeping is also recommended.So kitchen closes around 7 pm! That is how naturally human body is designed ( circadian rhythm)
PORTION SIZE


This is the best way to balance portion size,
  • 50% of the plate filled with veggies ( raw veggies/salads in lunches and steamed/stew/soup/saute' for dinners) Vegetables cover the fiber and vitamins/minerals that we need.
  • 25% of the plate filled with protein (chicken/fish/egg/lentil/legumes/mushrooms)
  • 25% of the plate filled with carbs (oats/quinoa/brown rice/barley/whole wheat/buckwheat)

BALANCE IS KEY

Balance and moderation is the answer we all are looking for! Life is busy and we need to prioritize healthy lifestyle on the top of the list to cope up.There is no other way out.It is a slow process that involves making best possible health choices and making strategy and developing habits.But hey, Life is short too so eat that cake if you crave for it.Remember that 80:20 rule? 80% healthy eating and 20% indulging in favourite foods 😉 


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