The main reason people put on weight is obvious, over eating! Excessive fat is stored on the body when the calories consumed are not being used throughout the day. To combat weight gain we need to look at the following points.
What food are you eating?
When are you eating these foods?
What are your portions sizes?
Do you exercise enough?
What is 1 meal?
A healthy meal should consist of a portion of fruit, vegetables / salad and a piece of dairy / meat / fish. In addition to these you should also include complex carbohydrates like brown rice, but if your main aim is to lose weight try and reduce or remove these. Complex carbs supply you with a steady release of energy throughout the day, however if you do not use the energy by staying active it will store as fat. Take this into account and remove the complex carbs according to your daily activity levels. Choose a weight loss diet that best suits you. Take a look at how to setup a meal plan tailored to your needs. The image below shows you how much of your plate should be taken up by specific food groups.
1 Meal
Daily Food Group Intake
Take a look at our recipe page for meals you can use in your diet.
When should I eat and how much?
The perfect diet should involve 4 or 5 small meals evenly spread throughout the day. Doing this help prevent the storage of fat and if training increases the rate of recovery. Understandably this can be a hard transition for some people, especially if you have a busy lifestyle, so just start by eating the correct food and gradually introduce the extra meals. Look at our helpful weight loss steps. It is important not to make the mistake of over eating by using large portions. Below are quick and easy ways to measure out portions without having to weigh food.
Root vegetables: 2 – 3 Tablespoons = ½ Tennis Ball
Green Vegetables*: 80g = Cereal Bowl
Salad Vegetables*: 80g = Cereal Bowl
Fresh Fruit*: 1 Medium Piece = Tennis Ball
Dried Fruit: 1 – 1 ½ Tablespoons = Golf Ball
Nuts, Seeds: 2 Tablespoons = Small Handful
Rice: 2 – 3 Heaped Tablespoon = ½ cup
Peas, Beans: 2 – 3 Tablespoons = ½ Tennis Ball
Cheese: 30g = Matchbox
Meat, Poultry, Fish: 80g = Pack of cards
Fluids: 3 – 4 Litres per day
*You can’t really eat too many of these, especially the Green Vegetables (Alkali Diet).
If you really struggle fitting your meals in then why not try a meal Replacement supplement. Herbalife shakes provide you with a full meal in just 220 Kcal and are ideal for breakfast, giving your body the kick-start it needs. Here is an example diet plan using Herbalife Formula 1 Shakes. It can shed up to 5 Pounds per week.
How active are you?
The more you exercise the more calories you burn and the more weight you lose. The basis behind the idea is simple! There is no need to over complicate the matter, just look at how active you are and then adapt your diet to it, maintaining a low complex carb intake for best weight loss and staying away from fatty, unhealthy foods.
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