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 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) and weight training 2-3 times per week. Get a good weight training program - don’t wonder 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.

Breakfast (approx. 250 cal)

8 oz water
1 hard cooked egg
1 pc. WW toast with marg or butter

Snack (150 cal.)

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

Lunch (Approx 250 cal)
8oz water
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
lettuce 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 water
2 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 barley
2 cups spinach salad
2 T. FF Italian
8 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: multivitimin

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.

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Please share your healthy recipes by clicking on the button at the top right.  Thank you!

To learn more take my Advanced Nutrition Class that will be offered Fall 2009. If you are interested in the class please email lora@blonderunner.com and I will keep you in the loop on class details.