BIG PICTURE:
- IT IS NOT ABOUT AESTHETICS. IT IS ABOUT MAINTAINING A HIGH-IMPACT LIFESTYLE, VITALITY, AND LONGEVITY. Looking good while doing it will follow!
- Trust the process and shift your mindset!
- THINK what can you ADD to your lifestyle and way of nourishing your body to contribute to this goal, NOT what you have to restrict yourself from.
- Sustainable weight loss gives you LIFELONG habits you can pass on to your children, family, and community.
CALORIC DEFICIT:
Calorie deficit- when you eat/drink FEWER calories than you burn.
Calories eaten> Calories burned → Weight gain
Calories eaten<Calories burned → Weight loss
2 variables that determine a calorie deficit:
1. Gradually reducing how much you eat
2. Exercise
NOTE: “Calories IN, Calories OUT” is a MAJOR simplification of the process, however, it can be applicable for our purposes. Although everyone’s metabolic efficiency varies, you simply need to change one of the variables if you are NOT losing weight.
Any diet ONLY works because you are in a calorie deficit!
INTRODUCING THE PLANT-BASED 'DIET':
- Healthy eating may be best achieved with a plant-based diet. This lifestyle is practiced by regions of the world with the longest living populations! Otherwise known as the "Blue Zones".
- Encourages: whole, nutrient-dense plant-based foods; vegetables (cooked, raw, or frozen), fruits, beans, peas, lentils, soybeans, small amounts of nuts/seeds, and lower fat foods.
- Discourages: meats, dairy products, eggs, refined/ processed foods, oils, and animal foods.
- Research shows that these diets are cost-effective, low-risk interventions that may lower body mass index, blood pressure, HbA1C, and cholesterol levels, and may also reduce the number of medications needed to treat chronic diseases.
WHY THIS LIFESTYLE WORKS:
- Whole foods, plant-based, low-fat: Encourages whole plant foods- especially vegetables, fruits, legumes, and seeds and nuts (in smaller amounts). For maximal health benefits, limit animal products. This lifestyle is inherently LOWER IN CALORIES and abundant in FIBER!
- Total fat is generally limited. Why?
→Carbs and protein: 4 calories/gram<Fats: 9 calories/gram
- Fats are NOT ‘bad’. You just need to monitor the amount you eat as it is easy to overeat them and EXCEED your caloric deficit.
ex) nuts, nut butters, oils, avocado,
- NOTE: you can eat less fat for the same calories as carbs and protein. No one complete food group can lead to weight gain or poor health; MODERATION IS KEY.
- Dairy products and processed foods are generally HIGH in calories. Whole plant-based foods are generally LOW in calories AND make you feel fuller for longer meaning you can eat MORE of them without exceeding your caloric needs→ no food weighing or exact counting necessary.
- At the end of the day: Calories IN, calories OUT. Aim to eat HIGH volume LOW calorie dense foods so you maintain a small caloric deficit and SUSTAINABLY lose weight
HIGH VOLUME, LOW CALORIE, HIGH FIBER:
1. High water-content fruit
ex) Strawberries, Watermelon, Apples, Nectarines, Peaches, Frozen or Fresh Berries
2. Frozen or Fresh non-starchy and cruciferous vegetables
ex) Broccoli, Amaranth or Chinese spinach, Artichoke, Artichoke hearts, Asparagus, Baby corn, Bamboo shoots, Beans (green, wax, Italian), Bean sprouts, Beets, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage (green, bok choy, Chinese), Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chayote, Cucumber, Daikon, Eggplant, Greens (collard, kale, mustard, turnip), Hearts of palm, Jicama, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Mushrooms, Okra, Onions, Pea pods, Peppers, Radishes, Rutabaga, Salad greens (chicory, endive, escarole, lettuce, romaine, spinach, arugula, radicchio, watercress), Sprouts, Squash (cushaw, summer, crookneck, spaghetti, zucchini), Sugar snap peas, Swiss chard, Tomato, Turnips, Water chestnuts
3. Protein sources: Aim for 25-40 g/meal
ex) Tofu, Tempeh, Legumes, Beans, Lentils, Quinoa, Orgain Organic Protein Powders
4. Puffed grains like rice cakes or popcorn (look for lower calorie brands with butter ‘flavor’)
ex) SmartPop Mini Bags Butter Flavored Popcorn (100 cal/bag)
5. Cauliflower rice to mix with oatmeal or brown rice and ‘bulk up’ the portion size
6. Low-calorie sauces and seasonings
ex) G Hughes Sugar-Free brand for BBQ sauces, Stir Fry sauces, Steak Sauces, ketchup, marinades, YOU NAME IT!!
7. Zero-calorie drinks
ex) water, diet Lipton tea, Crystal Light, etc **Avoid drinking calories because easy to over-consume**
TIPS FOR COOKING:
1. DON'T USE OIL; Use PAM or spray oils to restrict the amount you use; 1 tablespoon is 120 calories already!
2. Add spinach or frozen cauliflower rice to smoothies
3. Mix your favorite flavor Orgain Organic Protein Power with sugar-free syrup as a nut butter alternative. Spread on toast, dip fruits, etc.
4. Add a bag of coleslaw mix to fried rice
5. Enjoy your breakfast with a big handful of berries on the side
6. Try half regular pasta, half zucchini noodles
7. Add finely chopped mushrooms and onions to pasta sauce
8. Add 2 extra bell peppers to homemade chili
9. Try chickpea, tempeh, or tofu salad over a big bowl of greens
10. Serve berries on peanut butter toast instead of jam
11. Fill half your plate with veggies or a side salad at dinner
12. Try half bell peppers, half tortilla chips for nachos
13. Enjoy a handful of mini peppers and baby cucumbers with snacks
14. Stir a chopped apple into your oatmeal
15. Layer thin slices of eggplant and zucchini in your lasagna
16. Mix cauliflower rice with regular rice
17. Cook chopped carrots with roasted potatoes
18. Stir steamed broccoli in with your pastas
19. Serve more veggies than pasta in your favorite pasta salad
20. Use two greens instead of one as the base of salads
21. Serve cucumber slices, baby carrots, and snap peas with yummy dips
22. Roast a large pan of non-starchy and cruciferous veggies to volumize your meals
23. Mix jackfruit and Hearts of Palm as meat substitutes and volumizing your meals!
COMMON MISTAKES AND MISCONCEPTIONS:
- NEGLECTING IMPORTANT MICRONUTRIENTS
→ Although we can simplify sources of calories to carbs, fats, and proteins, remember to get regular blood work to monitor your micronutrient levels and supplement/incorporate micronutrient-rich foods as needed
→ Plant-based foods do NOT inherently contain vitamin B-12 so this MUST be supplemented
→ As long as you are eating a diverse diet and monitoring your blood work, nutrient deficiencies are unlikely.
2. NOT SEASONING FOOD JUST AS YOU USUALLY DO
→ remember seasonings usually have negligible calories. Season your veggies and sides just as you would season any of your usual meals and animal proteins. Nutritious food does NOT have to be bland!! Try low-calorie, sugar-free sauces/marinades too!
3. FOCUSING ON RESTRICTION AND THE NUMBERS
→ Honor your cravings and ditch the food guilt! Moderation is key to a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle. Life is too short to constantly say “I'll start tomorrow”.
--> Live every day to FUEL your best self. You are NOT good or bad for eating one thing versus the other. It's about making choices that make you FEEL your best self!
4. SKIPPING MEALS
→ Remember the key to intuitive eating is to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full.
→ Breakfast is SO important to get your day started right and prevent binge eating later.
→Eating every few hours maximizes your body’s opportunities for protein synthesis.
→ Eating often ensures you MEET your caloric and nutritional needs with such low-calorie, high-volume foods.
5. TRANSITIONING TOO QUICK
→ This is a LIFESTYLE. Find your BALANCE and slowly experiment and add more whole food plant-based foods into your recipes and diet. Don't lose sight of your culture and traditions. Don’t label yourself if it means missing out on what makes you you.
6. EATING OUT OFTEN
→ Preparing your own food allows you to see exactly what you putting into your body and limit the amount of additives, like cooking oil and fats, go into your meal.
→Cooking for yourself gives room for experimentation! Prepare quick and convenient meals that will be your staples in a pinch.
→Plan ahead and avoid stopping for fast food options! Your body and health will thank you later!