How to Obtain the Best Diet Nutrition

Diets are all about cutting food out of our diets, but a “diet” doesn’t have to mean eliminating the good and healthy foods.  Throughout my years, all too many of my friends (and myself included) have gone down an unhealthy path of losing weight, which usually consisted of us limiting our food intake to an extreme and unsustainable degree – which of course resulted in a complete relapse and even more weight being added on to our bodies.

While you’re cutting out certain foods from your daily snacks and meals, it’s important to remember what nutrients your body actually needs in order to function and stay healthy on a day to day basis.  When dieting, here are some key tips for you so you can be sure that you are still nourishing your body appropriately while shedding the weight:

Multivitamins are your Best Friend
Multivitamins or nutritional supplements are a “must” for every single dieter out there.  No matter what you may be lacking in a day, that multivitamin is going to ensure that your body is receiving the vitamins and minerals it needs.  These nutritional supplements have so few calories that there is no reason to NOT take one.  Be sure to treat your body right and take your vitamins every single day (even if you’re not dieting).

Figure Out How Many Calories you Need
How many calories you need may be very different from how many calories I need in a day.  There are several free calorie counters online that you can use, or you can put your head (or calculator) to work and figure it out yourself.  Once you have the amount of calories you “need” on a daily basis figured out, cut 500 calories from that amount.  That is your ideal “weight loss” daily caloric intake.  At a rate of 500 calories less each day, you should lose 1 pound per week.

Keep a Diet Diary
It’s important for you to make note of your previous meal and how many calories you consumed.  Drinks and tiny snacks also should be included in the diet diary (for instance, if you had a cup of coffee this morning, check how many calories coffee has and add it in – no matter how miniscule the caloric amount may be!).  Some even take bi-weekly photos of themselves to help track their weight loss and to celebrate their success.

Water is your New Best Friend
All drinks that you had before that weren’t water need to be replaced by water.  Soda, alcoholic drinks, milk and fruit all have calories – but water doesn’t.  If you find yourself growing bored of drinking water day in, day out you can try changing it up with the following:

- Buy some sparkling water if you miss the fizz of your soda
- Add some freshly squeezed lemon juice to your glass
- Sweeten up the water with Stevia or honey
- Try vitamin water

Watch Your Portion Size
Go to any restaurant these days and you could almost be certain that the plate sizes ten years ago just weren’t quite as large.  Many fast food restaurants have also increased the sizes of their products, by either making the soda cup larger or adding more patties to a burger.  When you’re preparing a meal, look at the plate you’re using.  As a general rule, vegetables and/or fruits should take up one half of the plate. The other half is available for your main course and any other side dish.  When eating meat, poultry and fish, cut or serve the portion in such a way so that the portion is about the size of the palm of your hand (approximately 4 oz.).  As a general guideline, you can be sure that you are getting the necessary fats and proteins as well as vitamins with each and every meal.

Go for Foods with the Biggest Nutrient Punch
Cucumbers may not have a whole lot to them, but kale certainly has a lot to offer.  When planning out your new diet, aim to include foods that are loaded with nutrients that your body needs rather than foods with little substance (and probably little calories).  Start with researching vegetables and what each veggie has to offer; you’d be surprised how some vegetables are rich in proteins and calcium!

As with any diet plan, it is always a good idea to discuss your weight loss and nutrition goals with your doctor or a professional dietician so that you know that you are on the right track and will do no harm to your body.