Looking for diet guidance in the new year? Here is how to build your own Program:

 

I have been looking at several different programs for inspiration over the last few weeks. The problem is a lot of programs out there contradict each other. Peanuts are bad, peanuts are ok… Bacon is bad, bacon is the savior of the human race, coffee is ok but only if it is black, coffee must be filled with butter and oil… the list goes on forever.

I took an in depth look at Paleo, Mediterranean, Whole30 and The Keto Diet and just haven’t been able to find one that I think we can really stick to as an active family with a 14 year old son. I would like to be able to feed all of us happily without a huge amount of meal prep and sacrifice. Sundays for me are to be spent snowboarding, not meal prepping! 

Our goals within the family are a little bit of weight loss, a little bit of muscle gain, and overall better health.

If you are looking to lose some weight and improve your health, here are some guidelines to build your own set of “rules for eating”

Take a look at your day to day life. Are there a few obvious things that have a habit of derailing you? Do you drink alcohol every night adding calories you don’t need? Do you snack too much after dinner? Do you have a bad coffee calorie bomb habit? Taking charge of the big problems is a simple way to remove a lot of excess calories out of your diet.

What can you NOT live without?

I WILL NOT GIVE UP COFFEE… EVER. DON’T YOU DARE TELL ME I CAN'T HAVE IT… I WILL CUT YOU…  Well, we got that out of the way! Seriously though, this is probably the ONE thing I will always make room for.  What is your ONE thing that you will not give up?

Figure out what foods you should probably avoid. Many people are better off without gluten and dairy and processed foods. You can make some huge improvements in your diet by just doing your best to avoid these. Try it out for a week and see how you feel! If you have chronic bloating, stomach pain or gastric issues after meals; one of these three is most likely the culprit.

A word on supplements: Vitamin C and D3 are a daily staple in our house. It has served us well in keeping a strong immune system over the years. Due to my thyroid disease I have a few others that my doctor has suggested. I also always have a tub of protein in our house. We probably go through one tub a year. But because it is shelf stable it keeps forever and is a great way to add a little creamy sweetness to the occasional morning smoothie. We prefer to get our protein from whole foods for the most part.

Counting calories… Works for some, but not for everyone. If you want to try it out I highly suggest the myfitnesspal app. Its free and easy. One piece of advice… use logging to help you find out how much you need to eat to see weight loss results. But be patient. It is easy to cut your calories to fast and too much. So if you are starving on day 4 of logging don’t be afraid to add a 200 calorie bump to your daily intake. Logging takes practice to get it right and make it work for you.

If you aren’t seeing results. ASK FOR HELP! If you are following a diet program with the goal of weight loss, then you should be losing weight. But sometimes it is hard to know if your expectations are realistic. Talking to a personal trainer, nutritionist, or health coach can be helpful in navigating through the process of finding out what works for you!

Here is a quick list of ideas for what to eat throughout the day. Disclaimer: you can find out ratios and serving sizes that work best for you. This is not a recommendations for exact foods and portions. 

 Breakfast: 

Eggs, maybe with a little meat and veggies added in. 

Healthy bars: I like RX right now but it is ever changing. 

Oatmeal with accessories like nuts, a little maple syrup, make even an egg.

Lunch:

Leftovers from dinner is my main choice. Otherwise I will sometimes build a hearty salad, or make a batch of soup or chili for the week. I also keep a few frozen organic and gluten free meals in my work fridge in case I get in a bind. 

Dinner: 

Our main meal every day. My rule is to eat enough that I don't need to snack after, but not so much that I feel stuffed.  The list is huge but here are a few favorites. We personally have a freezer full of beef, elk and antelope and eat from that about 4 times per week. 

Beef and wild game chili with a side salad

Meat loaf and roasted veggies. 

Shrimp Scampi with real butter. It's so good, it has to be good for you! I serve this with gluten free pasta and a big salad. 

Scratch made sweet and sour chicken with rice and stir fried veggies. 

Steaks and roasted veggies. 

I always try to have a strong veggie side with our meals. Cooking vegetables well that taste great is a life skill. Learn it!

Snacks:

Nuts, berries, fruit, jerky, dark chocolate are always present in our house. 

 My best advice from what I have learned in the past is that rules don't guarantee success, but educating yourself on nutrition and learning to cook a wide variety of foods is the most important skill of any healthy and happy person. 

Questions? Feel free to comment below!