Is Eating Healthy The Same As Eating To Lose Weight?
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When I first sit down with a client, we talk about nutrition. I ask them to tell me how they think they eat, just because I want to know what they think about their nutrition. Sometimes I get the “I eat pretty bad and need to work on that”, but I also get the ” I eat very healthy”. Then I have them write down a days worth of meals for me to look at. For the most part, they are usually eating “healthy” but they are not eating to “lose weight”.
What exactly do I mean by this? Well, let me show you…
Healthy Meals:
M1 at 9am: Organic granola, banana, berries and yogurt
M2 at 2pm: Turkey Sandwich on oat bread
M3 at 6pm: Salmon and green beans
Eating to Lose Weight:
M1 at 7am: 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, spinach and feta
M2 at 10am: Apple and string cheese
M3 at 1pm: Chicken breast and broccoli with olive oil drizzled over broccoli
M4 at 4pm: Greek Yogurt, berries and walnuts
M5 at 7pm: Ground Turkey burger and asparagus
Can you tell the difference?
First off, in the Healthy Meals, they are not eating often enough to fuel their metabolism. You should be eating every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism burning off that fat.Most often my clients will say that they are not hungry so they don’t eat as often. This is the first indication that your metabolism has slowed down. If you can go 5 hours or more without eating, it means your metabolism has slowed down, which means it needs less fuel, which means your are not burning fat! Now isn’t that the whole purpose of this? to lose fat? Of course!
Second, there is not enough protein in the very first meal. You should always make sure to have a lean protein (or protein supplement) and a carb at every meal. M2 does not have enough protein and should include some vegetables. M3 is perfect. Protein is what helps to build muscle and help you burn off that fat. If you don’t get enough protein in your diet, the fat is going to just stay.
Third, my guess is this would not be enough calories in a day. I guess it depends on the servings size of each thing, but remember, you don’t want your calories to be lower than 1400-1500 calories, especially on workout days! With not enough fuel, you body won’t be able to burn fat and rebuild itself.
In the Eating to Lose Weight meals, the meals are spaced out every 3 hours. Every meal is complete with a protein, carb and some type of healthy fat.
So which way are you eating?
Angie Schumacher is a Certified Fitness Professional who trains clients in her home and is a Women's Boot Camp Instructor in Colorado. She is the author of The Fat Blasting Boot Camp Program and has offered a one stop website to help you with all of your health and fitness needs. Please visit www.BuildingABetterU.com to find exactly what you are looking for!
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I think I really need to sit down and reevaluate my meals. My dietician has me on 1400 calories, but seems if I’m working out most days, I need more calories, as well as eat more times a day. Thank you So much!
Yes I agree. 1400 cals is ok on a rest day, but you should try to get at least 1500-1600 on intense workout days, such as kickboxing (I read your blog). Have to fuel the muscles to burn fat!
The only difference between eating healthy and heating to lose fat is calorie restriction. You should eat 5 to 6 meals/day while meeting your daily caloric requirements. I agree that consuming more calories on workout days is a good idea.
I found that losing weight is not that hard as anyone would think. It sure takes commitment and following a simple plan but the key element is persistance.
You need to monitor the calories, lose the junk food, sodas, sweets and do some physical exercises. I myself love dancing. And remember to use a fat burner to accelerate the fat metabolism.