Lose weight by eating healthy in five easy steps

There is a lot of debate about the best way to lose weight, especially when it comes to carbohydrates and fats. New research has shown that a low-carb, low-fat diet can be effective in helping people lose weight, especially when high-quality diets and individual behavior changes are emphasized. Basically, the best weight loss diet is the one you can stick with the longest! Not sure where to start your personal weight loss program? Follow these five steps to lose weight by eating what works for you.

Step 1. Track Your Food

Losing weight is like making a budget. First, you need to check what you're "spending" on calories, and then it's time to start reducing your intake. Track what you eat for 3-7 days, preferably including a weekend and at least two days a week. It doesn't matter if you use a food diary or an app like myfitnesspal, just be sure to write down what and how much you eat. Don't forget to track drinks too!

Step 2. Determine empty calories.

The second step is to go through your food diary and identify foods that are high in empty calories. Empty-calorie foods are foods that contain a lot of added sugar, added fat, or energy compared to the amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals they provide. Essentially, empty-calorie foods have a lot of calories but very little nutritional value. See the list below for examples of foods high in empty calories.

Best Source of Empty Calories

sugary drinks - sweetened teas, coffee drinks, sodas, flavored milks, most juice drinks,

Baked goods - cookies, cakes, pastries, muffins, sweet buns, desserts

Dairy ice cream, yogurt, flavored milk, creamer

Fried food – fast food, french fries, fried chicken

Cured meat hot dog, salami, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, sausage

Snacks – granola bars, granola, crackers, chips, candies, chocolate

alcoholic beverage

Step 3. Cut down on empty-calorie foods

Now that you have identified your main source of empty calories, try to eliminate them. A good rule of thumb is to spend less than 10% of your calorie budget on empty calories. For example, someone trying to lose weight on a 1500-calorie diet will need to keep empty calories at 150 calories per day or less. It's just ½ cup of ice cream, 12 oz of beer, or 15 chips! To lose weight, save room in your diet for small portions of your favorite foods, but stock up on healthy foods.

Step 4. Replace Empty Calories

Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and small amounts of healthy fats is not only good for your waistline but good for your health too! The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and many health organizations recommend plant-based and whole-food diets for disease prevention. To lose weight, prepare at least half a plate of non-starchy vegetables and combine them with lean protein like chicken, fish, beans, tofu, or seafood. and small amounts of healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, and avocados.

Step 5:To lose weight, use a smaller plate

take off using smaller plates

Even if you eat mainly healthy foods, overeating can hinder your weight loss! Volume control is the key to weight loss. An easy way to eat smaller meals is with small plates, bowls, and utensils. At restaurants, take half of your meal home with you before you eat it. Next, take note of the portion size on the food label and compare it to what you normally eat. You may be eating more than you think! Did you know that half a cup of ice cream or pasta counts as one serving? Read this portion size guide to determine the best portion size for weight loss.

To see the best way to lose weight, click here