Healthy Diet Program

Whether you are trying to lose weight or just want to better your health, the key to maintaining a healthy diet program is all about making smart choices. For example, if you have the choice between eating a bag of chips or eating a piece of fruit, you have to be disciplined and committed enough to make the right choice. Incorporating the right amounts of each macronutrient (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) into your diet is also important. The goal is to find the healthiest foods that you enjoy eating and create a diet plan around them.

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Protein

Protein is used to build and repair muscle. There are two types of protein, whey (found in supplements, egg whites, and fish) and casein (found in milks, red meat, poultry, and whole eggs). Whey protein gets into the blood stream quickly. It should be taken after a workout and after waking up. Because your body has been using up all of its nutrients while you sleep, whey protein will help to restart muscle repair and growth and activate your metabolism. Casein is slowly digested and should be consumed in the middle of the day so that you are constantly getting the supply of protein you need.

Carbohydrates 

Carbohydrates give you energy and help your body absorb protein.  Without carbs, you will not have enough energy to complete your workouts.  How much you consume depends on how much energy you are burning.  A good starting point is 2 grams per pound of body weight per day. 

Fat

You also need fat.  The types of fats are polyunsaturated (found in salad dressings and mayo), monounsaturated (found in olive oil and nuts), saturated (found in cookies and chips), and trans fats (found in pastries and candy).  The healthiest types are monounsaturated and our body needs a certain amount of this to function.  The other types should be consumed in small amounts.

In order to achieve weight loss, you have to include all of these nutrients in your diet program.  Excluding 1 or more will only sabotage your long term goal of sustained weight loss. 

Eat More Often To Lose Weight

Most people think that a good diet program is one that requires you to eat less. Actually the best way to lose weight is not by eating less, it is eating more often. By eating less or reducing your calorie intake, your body will adapt to having less food to use for energy and stores as much as it can in the form of fat. Missing meals also slows you metabolism, which causes you to burn less fat.

The days of 3 square meals a day are gone, in fact most people only eat 2 large meals a day. The best way to lose weight is to consume multiple meals throughout the day. Ten percent of the calories we burn a day come from actually consuming food, whether it be chewing, swallowing, or digesting. The more often you eat the more your body has to work and the more your metabolism will increase. The goal is to eat enough to make it to the next meal without being hungry. Try eating a small meal every 3 hours. 

By eating large meals, you consume more than your body needs and this causes it to store the extra as fat. This is why eating just enough to give your body what it needs is the best type of diet program to keep the fat off. You can eat all food you want as long as it’s healthy. Foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean proteins for example. Eat only when you are hungry and stop when you are no longer hungry, not when you are full.     

To find out more about how to maintain a healthy diet program, here are some diet tips.