10 Healthy Habits from Essential Nutrition

When most people think about losing weight or getting in shape, they think about exercise.
They sign up for a gym, hire a personal trainer, or grab a book or a magazine to find a workout plan.  But while exercise is a crucial part of losing weight and getting healthy, I’d argue that it’s not the most important piece.

Research shows that with exercise alone you can expect to lose only about half a pound to one pound per month.  That’s less than inspiring; sad, really.

So if exercise alone gets dismal results, what does work?

Simple: Focusing on nutrition and eating habits.  With a program that combines both nutrition coaching and an exercise program, you can expect to lose five times more fat in the same one month period.

Here is 10 healthy habits you can incorporate into your life :

1) When did you last eat?

If it has been longer than 2-4 hours, it’s time to eat. This is primarily because MOST of my clients are not eating enough, and eating smaller meals more often allows them to find the proper calories deficit with ease.

2) Where is the complete protein?

Are you about to eat at least one serving of complete protein? if not, find some protein (20-30 gr woman, 40-60 gr men) at most meals.

3) Where are the veggies?

Are you about to eat at least 2-3 servings of veggies? Prepare them any way you like, but eat them at every meal and snack (one serving about 1/2 cup of veggies). Micronutrient deficiencies are common in overweight persons and it has the added bonus of providing your body with fiber and up to a liter of water!

4) Where are the carbs?

If you have fat to lose but haven’t just worked out, put down the starchy carbs (like bread, rice or pasta) in favor of fruits and veggies. If you have just worked out, a mix of carb sources is fine and will help with recovery and muscle building.

5) Where are your fats coming from?

Today you need some fat from animal foods, olive/coconut oil, mixed nuts, flaxseed, or avocado. Spread them throughout the day but make sure to add them in. I recommend a good quality Omega 3 supplement as well. (hello fish oil!)

6) Are you drinking water or green tea?

Avoid the calorie-containing drinks! Send back the soda, fruit juice or anything else with more than 0 calories. (DON’T replace with diet drinks). Aim for at least 2 litres a day as a good place to start. Green tea is a good anti-oxidant~ which is great for overall health.

7) Are you eating whole foods?

Add in more nutritious foods and starve out room for the less than desirable processed, packaged foods.

8) Is this meal planned and prepared?

When we don’t prepare we’re more likely to get off track. If the meal is unplanned yet follows the healthy habits, great! If you are about to grab an unprepared fast food snack that doesn’t meet the guidelines, think twice.

9) Is that part of a varied diet?

Are you including a healthy variety of in-season produce? Summer is just around the corner! This is a great time to add in some awesome, local and fresh produce.

10) Are you keeping an accurate food log?

It is an integral part of being accountable during the process. There are some great apps out there, like My Fitness Pal, that make tracking your food easier. Whether it is for a coach, or for yourself, it will help you stay on track. As my one client said, “writing it down ruins the taste of my ice cream”. Not that you can’t eat foods like ice cream, but logging it makes it a conscious choice. No more “ I don’t know why I am not losing weight” when you can see your day to day choices. And remember the 80/20 rule; 80% of the time on plan and 20% of the time can be more relaxed. (not a whole tub of ice cream relaxed, but a scoop or two 😉

There are no one-size-fits all “diets” out there, and the best nutrition plan for YOU is one that you can stick too.

– Jenn Kloberdanz, Epigenetics & Nutrition Coach and Personal Trainer with Essential Nutrition and Personal Training.

www.essentialnutrition4u.com – Building Health From The Inside Out.