Some thoughts and discussions from me.
6 Nutrition Guidelines to Follow Whether You Want to Lose Weight Or Not
Good morning! Wow, the past few days have been an absolute whirl wind! I spent Thursday-Monday in California for ExpoWest, the biggest natural health and foods expo in the world.
Basically, it was Disneyland for a health foodie like me 
I was there with the awesome flapJacked team– and my boo (who also happens to be flapJacked’s newest employee!) and was both excited to represent such a great (and tasty!) company, but also to get to experience the craziness that is ExpoWest.
And although it was all about natural health food and products, I veered pretty far from sticking to my nutrition plan while traveling.
Exhibit A) I crossed off “Eat at In-N-Out” off of my eating bucket list.
Yes, I’m a nerd. The people next to us in line told us that we were clearly from out of town as we donned hats and carefully recited our orders (2 by 1, protein style; fries animal style…I have no idea.)
So this week, I’m very much looking forward to eating whole, real, nutritious food again as a change from a billion samples of protein bars, gluten-free pizza, and a bajillion varieties of popcorn.
It’s been glorious to eat real, whole food again, and that brings me to today’s topic: 5 general nutrition guidelines to follow, whether you’re in weight loss or maintenance mode.
1. Eat protein with every meal and snack.
Then fill the rest with veggies and healthy fat, and then carbs if needed. This change to my diet has made the biggest impact on my health, as I describe why in this post. Following this guideline ensures a high satiety factor, regulated blood sugar and insulin levels, and keeps the metabolism up, as protein takes the most energy for the body to digest.
2. Stay away from foods that don’t spoil after a week or two.
I’ve previously worded this as “if it doesn’t have a mother or grow from the ground, don’t eat it,” but that can get misconstrued. Foods like apples, chicken, spinach, and avocados can’t stay on the shelf for months upon months without spoiling. With the exception of bottled oils, dried fruits/meats, and some grains, aim to eat foods that can be eaten in their original form, i.e. cherries instead of cherry-flavored yogurt and grapes instead of grape juice concentrate.
3. Eat within 30-60 minutes after waking up.
I’ve mentioned this one quite often on the blog, and I’m 100% certain that there will be some people who read this who don’t agree, and that’s fine. In my experience and opinion, eating upon waking up is still the way to go. It
I know Intermittent Fasting is all the rage right now, but there’s just not enough studies on it to convince me that it’s better than eating more often when it comes to both general health and weight loss. In fact, this study shows that IF is not an effective way to lose weight, this study concluded that IF caused a transient increase in cholesterol in adults and this one concluded that it induces diabetes and obesity and aggravates atherosclerosis (in mice.)
4. Eat plenty of carbs, but not all the time.
While I tend to emphasize protein over and over again, I don’t mean to demonize carbohydrates- at all. I love carbs, and I eat them when it’s appropriate for my metabolism. After a moderate-intense workout, I always make sure to have a decent amount of carbs (with some protein.) And we all know that carbohydrates help for getting a good night sleep. Additionally, just as it’s beneficial to eat a carb-heavy meal after a tough workout (a stressor,) I also tend to eat more carbs if I’m under a tight deadline with work, or have more stress one day than another.
5. Stick to these rules 80% of the time if you want to maintain or lose very slowly, and 90% of the time if you want quicker progress.
It really comes down to consistency. A treat here or there is fine, but if your goal is to maintain a physique you’ve worked for or to attain a certain physique, those indulgences should be chosen wisely. Many people really overestimate how much that 10 or 20% of the diet is, where in reality, it’s only a small slice of your weekly nutrition.
For example, let’s say you eat 5 meals a day – that’s 35 meals a week. If you’re following a 90/10 sort of plan, that’s only 3.5 indulgences in a week, maybe a burger one night, some fries another, and a cocktail another.
6. Get rid of any food-related guilt – and this is probably the most important guideline, if you ask me!
If you didn’t follow the above guidelines (or whatever guidelines you might follow) one week (or 2, or 3) don’t berate yourself with guilt. Food-related guilt isn’t typically healthy or all that motivating, and usually just ends up in a vicious cycle of feeling guilty a lot. If you indulge a little too much, cut yourself a break and remind yourself that when it comes down to it, it’s just food, and then get back to your usual healthy eating.
What are some general nutrition guidelines you try to follow for a healthy lifestyle?
Have you ever been to ExpoWest?
These are great tips. I tend to over indulge too much and am working on focusing more on the 80% : )
Jenn@Mark My Miles! recently posted…SMART running goals + Winner
I love this! These are all great tips that I can learn from and incorporate into my life!
Isn’t In-N-Out amazing? 😉
Natalie Staeckeler recently posted…What I Learned From Recovery and Intuitive Eating
YES! Well, the burger was great, but I wasn’t crazy about the fries 😡
Great tips! I’ve started incorporating more protein (beans, nuts, etc.) into my vegetarian diet and have really seen a difference in how full I feel and for how long. Such an obvious observation, but it took me so long to be consistent about it!
ah, #2!! so true!!
I was at ExpoWest! CRAZY! I love the food related guilt tip, its hard to eat well when you are constantly beating yourself up!
Hayley@HealthyRegards recently posted…Coolest Things at ExpoWest
These are great tips! I love the one about avoiding foods that don’t spoil. I also think drinking a lot of water is important!
Lora @ Crazy Running Girl recently posted…My fitness wish list
Awesome tips lady – I especially love the last one. Feeling guilty over a ‘treat’ doesn’t help anyone! And I don’t think intermittent fasting would ever work for me – I always eat breakfast within an hour or two of waking up and I’m much, much happier that way.
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles recently posted…Celebrating my Favourite Pug.
I’m sure ExpoWest was a BLAST! How fun that you got to work with Lauren and hang out there for the weekend.
I love all of your guidelines and couldn’t agree more with them. I try to stick to these as well. Lately, I’ve been struggling with the carbs and indulgences ones… It’s easy to do when you’re half marathon training AND nursing.
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries recently posted…How I Feel About Organic Food
Oh man, yes INDEED. I remember the hunger from distance running. You’re doing awesome though 🙂 xo
THIS is a phenomenal list! Phenomenal! I highly recommend so many of these tips, especially the eat protein at every meal! SO many people struggle from the MUNCHIES and I swear, if they just ate a bit more protein in their meals, they’d be just fine!!!
And I was at the EXPO too this past weekend, well just Friday – HOLY HOT SAUCE – so overwhelming, I did not even see 1/2 of it!!!
GiGi Eats Celebrities recently posted…Not So Naughty, Frosted Mini Shepherd’s Pies
Aw, I wish we could have met!
love these!! yes, yes yes!!
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables recently posted…Shamrock Smoothie
I couldn’t agree with you about eating right after waking.. Usually I woke up & head straight into the kitchen before my eyes are even open haha It help sets the mood for the day plus I have found if I have a little breakfast/ not the right ratio of nutrients I end up over eating later on in the day!
It makes such a difference in both my blood sugar and my sleep, too!
AWESOME list!!
Madeline @ Food Fitness and Family recently posted…Bryn: Three Months
great tips!!
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Great post, Paige! It’s funny how I’ve broken so many typical food ‘rules’ lately since I’ve been in Australia. Last night, for example, I just forgot to eat dinner! And I haven’t been eating as much as normal, and not the usual types of food I would turn to. I have had dessert at least once a day for three weeks, and I’ve still lost 5lbs since I’ve been here! Crazy how the body works sometimes.
Tara @ Sweat like a Pig recently posted…All good things…
Great tips! I also like to ensure I get in enough fiber. I think in the past few months I was so focused on protein, that I let my fiber intake take a backseat, and I definitely could tell.
So true about eating right after waking up!! I am always trying to be great at this, but with a little baby, it can be tough sometimes!
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