Start your meals with vegetables and greens before moving onto more calorically dense foods like proteins and carbohydrates. That way, you’ll feel fuller on fewer calories.
Some red meats are lean because they’ve had the fat removed. Look for these at the grocery store. Non-meat sources of protein that support muscle growth your muscles are tofu, tempeh, and seitan. You can also add protein powders to smoothies or drinks in order to ensure you get enough protein in your diet as a vegan or vegetarian.
It’s recommended to eat 300 grams of carbohydrates per day for a 2,000 calorie diet (45% to 65% of your total caloric intake), but to lose more weight in less time, cut it down to around 50 to 150 grams per day. In the coming weeks, substitute sandwich breads with lettuce wraps]] and pastas with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash to lower your carbohydrate intake.
Healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, flax seeds, chia seeds, nuts, and nut butters all have omega 3 fatty acids. Since fats are not low in calories, limit your intake to 2 tablespoons (6. 0 tsp) of oil or nut butter a day (about 2 servings).
1 piece of fruit (large apple, banana, or 2 small oranges) 15-19 whole almonds 13-14 whole cashews 10 pecan halves 28 shelled pistachios
Calories from alcohol count! Try not to drink at all while you’re trying to lose weight. [9] X Expert Source Pouya Shafipour, MD, MSBoard Certified Family Medicine Specialist Expert Interview. 8 May 2020. If you are going to drink, stick to low-calorie options like light beer, spirits on the rocks, or wine. And remember to drink in moderation—that means one drink per day for women and two drinks for men. [10] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source Coffee has been shown to boost your metabolism, so feel free to sip on black coffee in the mornings or before workouts to power you up. Just don’t go over 4 cups a day (400mg of caffeine) to avoid the risk of anxiety, insomnia, and digestive issues. [11] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Frozen meals (even “healthy” ones), snack foods, soups, and condiments all have lots of sodium. Eat around 1,500 milligrams (1. 5 g) of sodium per day and be sure to check nutrition labels!
Enjoy a square of dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) once a week (maximum) for a boost of antioxidants and healthy minerals. Satisfy your sugar craving with frozen fruit (like blueberries or bananas) instead of cake, cookies, or pie. You can even make banana ice cream that is far healthier than regular ice cream. Plus, you’ll get some extra fiber!
Alternate between low-intensity (fat burning) exercise and vigorous exercise from day to day. For example: running on Monday, long-distance jogging on Tuesday, high-intensity aerobics on Wednesday, and so on. Do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to blast more calories in less time. For instance, when you’re jogging, do a 60 second sprint every 3 to 5 minutes.
Choose lighter weights and do more reps if you don’t want to bulk up (adding muscle weight). Train your arms and legs on alternating days. For example: train your lower body on Mondays, your upper body and core on Tuesdays, and rest on Wednesdays before training your lower body again on Thursdays. You can also do both upper and lower body strength training on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (resting on Tuesdays and Thursdays).
Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Stand up when working on your computer instead of sitting. Do crunches while watching TV or waiting for dinner to cook.
Take a long walk outside (choose a path with hills if you can) or follow a 30-minute online yoga]routine.
Classes vary from 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the intensity and the gym). Many classes include both strength training and cardio intervals, so count those toward your daily exercise goals.
If the people you live with aren’t on board, set some boundaries (like not keeping junk food in the house) and plan your own meals regardless of what they’ve planned to eat.
My Fitness Pal’s “Free Calorie Counter” is a good phone app to try. Shopwell is a free app that helps you make better choices when you’re buying groceries by tailoring your shopping list to your fitness and weight loss goals. [19] X Research source
Remove all distractions when you’re sitting down to a meal; turn off your phone, TV, computer, and/or radio. Put your fork down every three bites or so and sip on water to help you slow down and ease digestion.
Cutting too many calories can lead to malnutrition. It also makes you feel deprived, which can cause irritability and increase the chance that you’ll overeat at your next meal.
Cooked vegetables, dry cereal, chopped or whole fruit: 1 fist = 1 cup (16 US tbsp) Cheese: 1 index finger = 1. 5 ounces (43 g) Noodles, rice, oatmeal: 1 palm = 0. 5 cups (8. 0 US tbsp) Proteins: 1 palm = 3 ounces (85 g) Fats: 1 thumb = 1 tablespoon (3. 0 tsp)
For instance, only eat between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM or 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Pay attention to how you feel during and after intermittent fasting and adjust the time window and frequency to suit your schedule. Keep in mind that skipping meals can send your body into starvation mode, causing it to hold onto fat and burn fewer calories. So when practicing intermittent fasting, eat 4 or 5 mini-meals within your eating window. [25] X Research source
Drink half of your weight in ounces per day. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds (91 kg), drink 100 fluid ounces (3,000 mL) per day.
Listening to calming instrumental music Avoiding your phone or TV for an hour before bed Drinking calming tea (like lavender, chamomile, or ginger) Doing some deep, meditative breathing
