START HERE : nutrition
It seems that social media is plastered daily with the newest, hottest, sure to be perfect diet trend. What was promised to be the next best thing today, is commonly outdone by the next trend a week later. Finding a nutrition plan that WORKS FOR YOU is HARD. You see others having success with one method but then try it and either struggle to stay consistent or don’t have results.
The MOST IMPORTANT concept is that not everyone loses weight or improves their health the same. Different genders, ages, medical conditions, schedules, environments make this virtually impossible. The KEY to long lasting success is adopting a mindset of learning how your body likes to lose weight best rather than falling into the strict black and white, “on and off again” diet trap. Sustainable success comes down to willingness to learn, ability to pivot, and most importantly finding something you can be balanced and consistent with.
To help assist people getting started, I’ve created a quick start guide that I use daily whether my clients have undergone surgical, pharmacologic, or medical weight loss therapies. I have found these tools combined with behavior change coaching have helped clients flourish and achieve consistent and sustainable results.
GETTING STARTED ESSENTIALS
TRACK YOUR DIET
We need data to evaluate where we are starting and where we need to go. Tracking your diet is essential in the beginning of a weight loss/health journey. I know this is a VERY unpopular opinion, but putting the work in initially will lead to significant returns on your time investments in the future.
Find an app that you like - My Fitness Pal, Lose It, Baritastic, ect. Fill out the basic information for your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This calculates how many calories you need to eat every single day to keep your body functioning (think laying in bed, not moving a muscle, keeping the lights on). Subtract 500 calories from that number and that is your goal calories for the day.
When getting starting, don’t worry about being perfect or hitting your calorie goals, just get some information. I completely understand that this is very tedious at the beginning, but once you get your favorites it becomes easier. Also, when adding meals such as lasagna or a casserole, simply search that meal in the app and go with the average for that food that pops up.
** I promise you will not have to track every day of your life if this process doesn’t work for you, this is just to get started. There are several other options you can utilize long term, but again remember this is to just get started. More information and ideas to come in the future **
PROTEIN, PROTEIN, PROTEIN … AND MORE PROTEIN
Protein keeps you full and satisfied and has an immensely important role in the functioning of your body and overall health. I find most people grossly underestimate the amount of protein they need daily. I suggest 30% of your calories come from protein and generally that equates to 80-100g protein. THAT IS A TON OF PROTEIN. In order to get that amount of protein daily, it means you have to have protein with every single eating opportunity. I tell people protein first whether it is a snack or meal. I’m a huge proponent of adding in a protein shake (limit to 1 daily or add to coffee as creamer) or bar to achieve this goal but these are also great options for when you have sweet cravings.
EAT MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY (4-5x)
Growing up, I was told “only eat when you are hungry”. While this is still pertinent as we commonly eat for reasons other than hunger, it is important to eat regularly throughout the day. I know eating 4-5x daily sounds overwhelming but think of it as eating opportunities. To absorb and utilize the protein we need for weight loss ,we have to spread it out throughout the day. It will also keep us full and satisfied and keeps us from overeating (particularly late in the day). Eating opportunities can be as simple as grabbing cheese stick as your run out the door to transport kids, a protein shake as your coffee as creamer, or a bar as a snack.
** Intermittent fasting is a very popular and beneficial approach for some people. Future blog post coming for this. If this works for you, just ensure you are still hitting your protein goals during your eating hours and spreading them out as much as possible”
HYDRATION
The more water we drink that more weight loss we have. I suggest at a minimum, 64 oz of hydration fluids at a minimum, and then we can work our way up from there. Hydration fluids, from my perspective, are low calorie and non-caffeinated. Plain water is likely the best, but if adding some crystal light or gatorade zero to your regimen gets you to hit your goals then use it. Avoid excess caffeine (guilty) as this can cause dehydration.
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PLEASE NOTE – these are generalized recommendations, there are some medical conditions that limit the amount of water or protein a person should have. When making any dietary changes with medical conditions, please consult your medical provider first to ensure you are staying safe.
** These recommendations are not meant to diagnosis or treat specific medical conditions. I provide this information as part of my passion to help others discover and live their healthiest and happiest life as part of Courtney Rickstad Coaching, LLC only and not under my profession physician assistant license.
