Diet Advice From Our Nutritional Coach In Denver
Proper nutrition is integral to any weight loss strategy. However, we would like to note that a healthy diet isn’t the only piece to the puzzle. If you hope to lose weight, you need to remember to make time for exercise. We’d recommend that you try to do at least 150 minutes (2 and ½ hours) of aerobic exercise every week. When you combine that weekly exercise routine with a healthy diet, you’ll be on the fast track to weight loss.
Now let’s dive into some helpful dieting advice from our nutritional coach in Denver!
Keep A Meal Journal
This might sound like a silly task, but a food journal is an important accountability tool for any weight loss strategy. When you record what you eat, you will become much more aware of your eating habits and where you need to improve. Your food diary could make all the difference for your weight loss strategy! In fact, this simple tactic is actually backed up by clinical research.
Numerous studies have found that a food journal is an effective tool to help change your behaviors for the better. In one such study of 1,700 people, those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. Who knew that a daily log could have such an impact!
Take the time every day to record your meals. We’d recommend that you try to write down as many details as you can. Jot down the foods you ate, the time of your meals, the total nutritional value, and so on. You’ll build a better picture of your dietary habits and this daily task will help you track your progress. When you see how far you’ve come, you’ll feel more confident in your routine and you’ll feel motivated to stick with your diet.
Eat Protein At Every Meal
It doesn’t matter what kind of diet you are on. As a general rule of thumb, you should include some form of protein at every meal. Protein is an essential macronutrient for any weight loss strategy. As a top nutritional coach in Denver, we make sure every diet plan we develop includes plenty of protein. Protein not only builds your muscle mass and strength, it can also help you maintain your diet and contribute to weight loss.
In fact, protein has been shown to be the most filling macronutrient. Protein makes feel full for longer periods of time, which can reduce your hunger and control your cravings as well. Studies have also shown that protein can contribute to weight loss in a significant way. With more protein in your diet, you can greatly boost your metabolism. An improved metabolism will help you burn a greater number of calories every day. And the more calories you burn, the more weight you’ll lose.
Only Eat When You’re Hungry
This is an important factor for many weight loss strategies. You should only ever eat food when you are hungry, not when you have an appetite. Many people use these two words interchangeably, but there is a big difference between hunger and appetite. To clear the air, our nutritional coach in Denver wrote a deep-dive article on this topic. Let’s summarize the main key differences between hunger and appetite.
Hunger is your body’s physical cue to eat food. Appetite is more of a psychological desire to eat food.
If you hope to successfully lose weight, you need to pay attention to this difference. Many of us habitually eat snacks because we want to. You might suddenly want a sweet snack while you watch TV and grab a plate of sweets to satisfy your cravings. You need to curb this impulse and only eat food when your body demands it.
Is your stomach grumbling uncontrollably? Then go ahead and eat something! Your body is telling you loud and clear “It’s time to eat.”
Do you feel a craving for a particular snack after dinner? If so, then you need to fight that urge to compulsively eat! These small everyday struggles can have a huge impact on your weight loss journey.
Don’t Cut Out Your Favorite Foods
A diet can be strict, but it doesn’t mean you need to go completely cold turkey on your favorite dishes! You need to eat a healthy diet that focuses on fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. However, you can still make room for the foods that you love to eat.
Let’s say that you are an avid pizza fanatic. Clearly, you can’t eat pizza for every single dinner when you’re on your diet. Instead, just keep in mind that old familiar phrase: “Everything in moderation.” You could carve out one or two nights a month to order a pizza for dinner! This way you still have a delicious meal to look forward to, which will keep you motivated to follow through on your diet.
Take it one step further and integrate your favorite foods as a reward system in your weight loss strategy. Did you eat healthily and stick to your diet for 2 weeks in a row? Then celebrate your successes! You could cut loose for one night by rewarding yourself with your favorite dinner. By celebrating your progress with a reward system, you’re more likely to follow through on your dieting plan.
Develop A Personalized Diet With Our Nutritional Coach In Denver
Fad diets can work, but they might not be the best choice for you individually. Everyone is different, which means we all respond in different ways to different diets. The key to a successful weight loss strategy is a highly personalized diet plan. At Whole Intent, our nutritional coach in Denver can develop that plan for you.
We will take into account everything from your family history and dietary restrictions to your daily eating patterns and work schedule. These details will help us develop a personalized diet strategy to accommodate your needs and help you reach your weight loss goals.
Contact our nutritional coach in Denver today to get started on the best dieting strategy of your life.