Nutritious Eating + Exercise = Greater Weight Loss

Hundreds of studies have shown you can lose more weight by eating more nutritiously and exercising rather than just exercise alone. So why not take advantage of this fact and adjust your diet to slim down and shape up as quickly as possible? Eating healthy will benefit your body in other ways too: You’ll have more energy, boost your immunity, and protect yourself against disease.

Here are 10 tips to eating more nutritiously:

1-Eat at least 20 grams of fiber per day from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Fiber stops your body from storing fat and keeps you feeling fuller longer.

2-Get more calcium and Vitamin D. Aim for 3 servings of calcium and Vitamin D rich foods a day. Calcium and Vitamin D work together in your body, primarily to strengthen your bones and fire up weight loss.

3-Don’t be afraid of fats--good fats that is. Monounsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids, found in oils, nuts, and avocados, and certain fish—are an important part of a healthy diet. Strive for 3-4 servings a day.

4-Eating 3 servings of lean protein—such as eggs, low-fat dairy, turkey, lean steak, white meat chicken, and fish—helps build muscle, improve the immune system, and keep you feeling full longer.

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5-Drink more water. Drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day helps keep you feeling fuller, aids in digesting food, transport nutrients to your muscles, flushes the waste products your body makes when it breaks down fat for energy, and increases your metabolism. ​

6-Make your own meals. Whenever possible, cook your own meals or brown-bag your snacks and lunches. There are so many reasons for this: saving money, controlling the ingredients you use, and regulating the size of your portions. This will guarantee you’ll eat fewer calories and feel more satisfied and energized.

7-Mindful eating—Sit down and savor what you ingest. Paying attention to the foods you eat (taste, texture, mixture of foods, etc.), eating slowly, chewing food thoroughly, and stopping when first sign of fullness in the stomach. Listen to your body and stop eating when the body feels comfortable—not stuffed.
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8-The old saying--Breakfast is the most important meal of the day—is true. As the first meal after a long period of not eating, breakfast wakes up your metabolism for the day. It also plays a role in weight loss too. Numerous studies have shown that people who regularly eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight than those who skip this morning meal. 

9-Have six meals a day. With the physiology of metabolism, you need to eat more to change your body. This helps balance the energy in your body better, loose fat, and increase lean body mass. For example:

• 7AM/Breakfast
• 9AM/Morning snack (like an ounce of trail mix, 1 stick of string cheese, 2 tsp peanut butter, etc.)
• Noon/Lunch
• 3PM/Early afternoon snack (like 1 oz. raisins, ½ cup of baby carrots, ¾ cup of low-fat ice cream, etc.)
• 5PM/Dinner
• 8PM/Evening snack (like 1 slice of whole grain toast, ½ cup of high-fiber cereal with skim or low-fat milk, 1 serving size of graham crackers, etc.)

​10-Have a cheat meal. Once a week forget everything—reward yourself by satisfying occasional cravings. Plan your cheat meal for the week—whether it’s Friday pizza night, lunch with friends, or whenever. A cheat meal will satisfy those occasional cravings.

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​Two cookbooks I recommend for eating more nutritiously are the New! AbsDiet Cookbook written by David Zinczenko and Skinny Comfort Foods Cook This Not That! ​by David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding.

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And finally, here's an opportunity for you—yes you—to apply to today’s blog:

​Yoga & Lunch-Saturday, April 27th, 2019
Immediately after our regularly scheduled 10:00am yoga class we will have a brown bag lunch social. This is an optional event. If you are able to stay for lunch, please bring a healthy brown bagged lunch and socialize with me and fellow yogis. Coffee, tea, and water provided. Om, nom, nom, nom. See you then!