What does healthy eating look like?

It is concerning to see so many people eating very little food and no fruits or vegetables. I don't know how they have any energy. As a person that understands physiology I know that the body can't get lean without feeding the muscle built with regular exercise which will increase the metabolism. I suggest never going below 1100/1300 calories for most women. If you do, you are at risk for going into "starvation mode" which makes your body hold-on to fat and lose muscle. If you are tracking your body fat and measurements - then you have already noticed this. (Losing muscle is NOT what you want to do for long term weight loss).

Eating small frequent meals really does work for long-term weight loss! Don’t go any longer than 2-3 hours without eating accept at night. I have included a sample 1300 calorie diet below for those that might be struggling and need an idea of what a healthy diet looks like. Make sure you do the “urine check” to gauge water needs. Generally you will want to include a minimum of 45 min. cardio (elliptical, walking, running, hiking, aerobic DVD) on most days of the week (4-6) and weight training 2-3 times per week. Get a good weight training program - don't wonder around and waste time doing what you see others do at the gym. Each workout needs to have a distinct purpose.

SAMPLE 1300 CALORIE DIET

This diet is well balanced with proper vitamins, minerals, fiber etc... please remember variety is important and you should not eat the same thing everyday. You may need to adapt this diet based on your how health needs and concerns. A daily multivitamin is suggested.

Breakfast (approx. 250 cal)

8 oz water1 hard cooked egg1 pc. WW toast with a fat source (oil or planted based - ie. peanut butter)

Snack (150 cal.)

8 oz water, 4 celery sticks, 1 tbs. reduced fat peanut butter, 1 orange

Lunch (Approx 250 cal) 8oz water1/4 cup sunflower seedslettuce wrap with veggies (your choice)and a drizzle of vinegar based dressing (yummy)

Snack (150 cal.)

8 oz water, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 7 mini carrots, 1 apple

Dinner (Approx 350 cal) 8 oz water2 oz. grilled salmon (gauge: 3 oz of meat is the size of a deck of cards - so this is a small amount)1/2 c. herbed brown rice or barley2 cups spinach salad2 T. FF Italian8 oz. skim milk

Snack (150 cal.)

8-12 oz water, 1 cup sugar-free chocolate pudding, 3/4 cup fresh raspberries (this was a life saver when I had gestational diabetes!)

Before bed: multivitamin

Don't go any longer than 3 hours without eating in the waking hours. It may be helpful not to eat after 7:30/8 p.m. This is a really tempting time that sometimes results in overindulgence. Eat a variety of foods. *Note: Please leave a comment if you found this post helpful and would like to see more posts like this.

To learn more take the Advanced Nutrition and/or Sports Nutrition Class or set up an Individual Nutrition Consultation Session anytime. To learn about pricing and session availability contact Lora Erickson aka Blonde Runner at 801-608-5516 or by email at lora@blonderunner.com