I know that many of you are feeling overwhelmed and as a result, have not yet started a healthy eating plan!! That's where I come in; I am going to simplify things for you in the best way I know how, & I am going to show you how to put it all together for weight loss success; Because I want to help you get lean & healthy!! I really want this for you!!
I am going to break it down for you in terms of what each meal should consist of, in regards to the protein to fat to carbohydrate ratio. I am going to provide you with a list of healthy proteins, healthy fats, & healthy carbs. Then I am going to show you how to put it all together! Yes!! It is just that simple! We may be complicated but our eating plan and the road to weight loss doesn't have to be!! I want you to enjoy the journey!! I want to you to enjoy your food too!!
Before we get started, know this; You will definitely need to purchase a digital food scale!! They're easy to use, and very inexpensive; I purchased mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond for like $20 bucks! Go get one!! And find a permanent place for it on your kitchen counter.
I eat a very small realm of foods; A list of about 25 foods. I do this for weight loss success, but I also do it because of all of my complicated issues. This is by far the healthiest way to eat. (Dr. Oz talks about this) I give myself 2 Breakfast meal choices, and a total of 4 meal choices for my lunch & dinner menus. Sound easy enough so far??
Okay, let's start with our healthy proteins, healthy fats, & favorable carbohydrates & grains:
Healthy Protein Sources:
Skinless Chicken Breast
Skinless Turkey Breast
Lean Ground Turkey
Fish (Sea Bass, Cod, Crab meat, Lobster, Salmon, Scallops, Snapper, Tilapia, Tuna, Trout, Ahi, Mahi Mahi, Halibut, etc., )
Eggs
Egg Whites
Egg Substitute
LowFat Rice Cheese
Healthy Fats-
Olive Oil
Flax Oil
Canola Oil (some may disagree on this one)
Coconut Oil
Sesame Oil
Walnut Oil
Tahini
Avocado
Almond Butter
Almonds
Lowfat Organic Salad Dressing made with Rice Vinegar (no Distilled vinegar dressings)
Lowfat Organic Mayonnaise
Lite Butter
Sunflower Butter (similar to Almond Butter)
Coconut Milk
Favorable Carbohydrates-
Almond Milk
Rice Milk
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beets
Green & Yellow Beans
Jicama
Mushrooms
Zucchini & yellow squash
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Pumpkin
Red, Yellow & Orange Bell Peppers
Sea Vegetables
Spaghetti Squash
Sweet Potatoes or Yams
Celery
Coconut Milk Plain Yogurt
Cucumber
Kelp Noodles
Shallots
Water Chestnuts
Watercress (IBS sufferers need to test the waters on this one)
For those of you who eat fruit- ( Due to Candida, I only eat lemons, blueberries and apples)
Apples
Applesauce
Apricots
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cherries
Fruit Cocktail (canned in water)
Grapes
Kiwi
Lemons
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Favorable Grains- (to be used sparingly)
Quinoa
Gluten Free Bread
Coconut Flour
Oatmeal (for most, but I cannot eat Oatmeal)
Polenta (yes, you read that correctly)
Due to my IBS, Candida, food allergies/intolerance's, & annoying digestive issues & problems, I have excluded many favorable carbohydrates. :(
I've already talked about planning ahead by spending 2 days a week in your kitchen! So get busy! In my refrigerator right now, I have prepared a batch of Quinoa, grilled Turkey Burgers, Grilled Chicken Breasts, a batch of Tuna fish made with lowfat Mayo, a batch of Green & Yellow Beans, celery sticks, and a large bowl of salad made with mushrooms, shoestring beets, tomatoes, and grated zucchini! :)
Here's the breakdown again on the protein to fat to carbohydrate ratio:
At every meal you should consume 4 oz. of protein, 8-12 oz. of favorable carbohydrates, and you should add 9 grams of healthy fat to each meal. Grains should only be eaten for Breakfast; I usually eat 1/2 cup of grains or 1 slice of Gluten free bread with my Breakfast. I will often eat 2 eggs, or 1/2 cup of egg whites or egg substitute in place of my 4 oz. of protein for Breakfast. I rarely have to weigh my Breakfast because of this, but I do measure, when eating grains! I use the scale for lunch and dinner!!
So turn your food scale on, set your empty plate on it, press the button to get it back to zero, then add 4 oz. of protein. Press the button to zero it out again, and add 8-12 oz. of favorable carbs (maybe 6 oz. salad stuff and 6 oz. of veggies). Then add 9 grams of fat! That's it! You're all set! It really is just that simple!
You're probably thinking, "BORING," but trust me, this is not the case at all!! You need to learn how to spice up your meals by using lots of healthy and yummy spices. I have a cabinet in my kitchen dedicated to spices, and I keep an inventory of about 35 or more spices!! This is what saves me from boredom. I can get pretty creative!! I thoroughly enjoy my every meal, and my meals are NEVER BORING!! I never ever feel deprived!!
In my previous posts, I have listed healthy snacks, I have listed my food menu for an entire day, & I have talked about planning ahead & preparing your food for the week. I hope you will find all of this helpful in helping you to achieve your weight loss goals! And please!! If you have any questions at all, just give me a shoutout and I will do my best to help you!
Until next time,
Be Well :)
