Now, you need to know that I am a person who very rarely steps on the scale. I don't base my self-worth on my weight, although it doesn't hurt to generally keep track of it and take a look-see now and then. So imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale for the first time in two weeks and noticed I had dropped five pounds. Score!
Keep in mind that weight is not the best measure of health, not by a long shot. If you're stepping up your fitness by changing your diet, increasing cardio and doing exercises to increase your muscle mass, weight will be the least effective way to measure your progress. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it takes up a lot less space. A better way to keep track of how you're doing is to take your measurements when you start your regimen and take new measurements every month (at the bust, waist and hips). This is where you'll notice a real difference. When I was at my most fit back in high school, I weighed 150lbs and I can't tell you how many people scoffed at me in disbelief when I told them my weight. I was solid muscle, and increasing lean muscle mass should be our goal instead of just being a certain size or weight. When your body is at its most healthy, it will settle into its natural shape, which we should accept and love unconditionally. (I just read a great article on this topic by @SophiaTripp: http://wp.me/p2H1ay-6D ) Here is a list of the recent changes I've made in my diet.
Protein
Increasing protein is essential for overall health, as well as any successful healthy diet (by the way, diet just means "what you eat" not "a restricted eating regimen" in my books). Protein helps you to feel fuller for longer, especially when combined with fiber and carbohydrates in your stomach. And when you're satisfied for longer, you're less tempted to snack later on. Have you ever eaten a whole meal and then felt hungry not even an hour later? Yeah. That's pretty annoying, and you end up eating more to quell that hunger, which is counter-intuitive to your goal of overall eating less calories. You don't want to eat a meal twice. Do it right the first time. Start your day with a protein-rich breakfast but don't be afraid to include carbohydrates -- you'll end up eating a complex meal that will give you energy to start your day. I picked eggs for this role. Cook them however you like, I prefer hard-boiled (with the yolks just a little bit soft still, mm perfection). I chose to skip the toast and pair them with a smoothie chock full of fruits and veggies. Which brings my to my next health element...
Fiber
There are two kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibers are those that dissolve in water and are found in foods like barley, legumes, fruits, oats and vegetables. Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water and are found in things like the outer layers of whole grains, celery strings, and the hulls of seeds. The human body can't actually digest fiber, but it helps to move food through the digestive system (I know, gross) so you kind of need it to digest food properly and also to live. These fibers help regulate blood sugar and can significantly lower cholesterol levels. Regulating blood sugar levels is super important. Lastly, fiber makes you feel fuller since it absorbs water from the digestive juices in your stomach. So eating complex meals with lots of protein and fiber will increase satiety and contribute massively to your health.
A note on Carbohydrates
It bothers me to no end when people lambaste carbs as if they were the devil incarnate. Let's set the record straight here: you need carbohydrates to live, so eliminating them from your diet completely is a bad idea. Glucose is a critical source of energy for the body's nerve cells, and that includes the brain. Instead of avoiding carbohydrates altogether, we should be reducing our refined sugar intake. It has a huge amount of calories and absolutely no nutritional value, which is really what we should be focusing on. Carbohydrates are not the enemy; in fact carbs have 4 calories per gram while fat has 9 calories per gram. Make small changes like switching out regular white pasta to those high-fibre versions. This will prevent your blood sugar from spiking like it would with regular pasta, and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Choose bakery bread that has lots of whole grains in it. Switch your white rice to brown rice, or long grain rice. Or even better yet, change up some of your favourite recipes to use quinoa instead of rice. It's higher in protein and more nutritious.
The general rule of thumb for better eating is to choose foods that have a high nutritional value. Eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods will ensure you're getting all the essential stuff like vitamins, minerals and other good things your body needs. Instead of regular potatoes, use sweet potatoes or squash. Instead of chips for a snack, choose popcorn since it's much lower in fat and has a high fiber content. Instead of candy, eat dried cranberries or mangoes for something sweet. Whenever possible, pick fruits and veggies for your snacks. And increase your water intake! If you use a refillable water bottle, aim to empty it twice a day. Water helps every single one of the cells in your body to do the things it needs to do. Stay away from juice and pop, since it's just sugar water. You can still have it, just make it once in a while instead of all the time. With that in mind, here are some meal ideas you can add into your rotation. Basically, with every meal or snack I eat, I'm thinking about how I can make it more filling and nutritious. Many good choices over time add up to a healthy body and mind, just like many bad choices over time lead to health problems. People that are overweight and unhealthy didn't get that way overnight, and you won't lose body fat overnight either -- so stick with it and remember your ultimate goal of becoming healthier. You can do it!
Meal Ideas:
Breakfast
2 hard-boiled eggs + a smoothie (berries, baby spinach, water or juice, with a few goodies thrown in like hemp hearts, ground flax seed or chia seeds)
Greek yogurt topped with honey, berries, almonds/granola
Oatmeal (not the instant kind) topped with cinnamon, honey, flax seed, sliced almonds
Lunch
Tuna salad on toast, with an apple or some other fruit
Baked salmon with a spinach salad
Vegetable soup (with good stuff like lentils and beans. Here's where a home-made soup would be best, but Campbell's makes a really great hearty vegetable soup with lentils, carrots and barley)
Dinner
Whole wheat pasta with lean ground beef in tomato sauce
Chicken fingers (I get mine from the Poultry Place, they are so freaking tasty as well as all-natural, home-made and hormone free) with a spinach salad
Roasted chicken with long grain rice & lentils and roasted sweet potatoes
Snacks
Dried cranberries
Dried mangoes (amazing)
Nuts, unsalted (sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds; avoid peanuts because they totally suck)
Popcorn
Pretzels
