The Food We Eat An Easy to Follow Guide to Nutrition ~ Lindsey Hilliard
THE FOOD WE EAT
First and foremost, THIS IS NOT A DIET.
This is a healthy way of eating, which you can stick to forever.
It’s not a quick fix approach where you eat next to nothing for the next month
then go back to eating badly again only to put the weight you lose on again.
No, this program is aimed at teaching you the correct nutrition plan to
implement into your daily life forever starting NOW.
Traditional ‘diets’ are extremely calorie deficient and do your body more harm
than good.
You ultimately end up starving yourself, then after a certain
amount of time you can’t stand it any longer, you binge eat and end up putting
on more weight than you lost but now you have less muscle as well!
Have you ever heard of a skinny fat person? They are the people who starve
themselves so they are ‘skinny’, however they still carry a high percentage of
body fat. Wouldn’t you prefer to look lean and toned and retain your feminine
look like a real Fit la Femme should?!
The aim here is to increase lean muscle mass, which increases your
metabolic rate and burns MORE FAT. Your goal is FAT loss not ‘weight’ loss.
Forget the scales and start using things like body measurements and clothing
to measure your progress.
A Fit la Femme body has more lean muscle and less fat, so you may ‘weigh’
more on the scale, but you will be smaller, leaner, healthier, more toned and a
fat burning machine!
CALORIES IN vs. CALORIES OUT The human body needs energy to function at the barest level, from digesting
food, transporting nutrients around the body to brain function. All this before
we even get out of bed!
Once we start moving around, we need more energy to do this too.
The energy our body requires comes from CALORIES and calories come from
food. Everyone has a bottom level of energy they require to function properly.
That is, a minimum amount of calories we need to ingest everyday just to
function.
This is referred to as your Resting Metabolic Rate or RMR for short.
An easy and reasonably accurate way to calculate your RMR is to use the
following equation:
655 + (9.6 x weight (in kg’s)) + (1.8 x height (in cm)) – (4.7 x age (in years))
See some examples on the following page…
EXAMPLES:
1. A Mum who weighs 80kg, is 165cm tall and is 40 years old.
RMR = 655 + (9.6 x 80) + (1.8 x 165) – (4.7 x 40)
= 655 + (768) + (297) – (188)
= 1720 – 188
= 1532
2. A Mum who weighs 95kg, is 175cm tall and is 28 years old.
RMR = 655 + (9.6 x 95) + (1.8 x 175) – (4.7 x 28)
= 655 + (912) + (315) – (131.6)
= 1882 – 131.6
= 1750.4
3. A Mum who weighs 60kg, is 165cm tall and is 50 years old.
RMR = 655 + (9.6 x 60) + (1.8 x 165) – (4.7 x 50)
= 655 + (576) + (297) – (235)
= 1528 – 235
= 1293
As you can see from the numbers above Mum #1 will burn a minimum of 1532
calories per day, Mum #2 will burn a minimum of 1750 Calories per day and
Mum #3 will burn a minimum of 1293 calories per day.
It really depends on the size of your body and your age. The bigger you are
the more calories you burn.
As you lose weight, this number will decrease. Remember, this is the
minimum amount you will burn just to function before you do any exercise.
Once you start moving around, doing exercise, household chores, walking,
etc., you will burn even more.
It really is very basic. As long as you do not consume more calories than you
burn, you will lose fat.
Forget all that nonsense about low carbohydrate, high protein, eating every
couple of hours to increase metabolism. This is all marketing hype and does
little more than confuse us all.
In the end, to lose fat, you need to eat less calories than you burn.
SIMPLE!!
HOW MANY CALORIES TO LOSE FAT? One kilogram of fat equals 7,700 calories.
Remember Mum #1?? Her minimum calorie expenditure was 1532 calories.
If she consumes 1300 calories per day, she can lose 232 calories per day
(without exercising) or around 30grams of fat per day.
Over seven days, this will be 210 grams of fat.
At first look, this may not seem like a lot, but remember this is pure fat, not
water or muscle. She may find that on the scale she actually loses more
because she will lose water weight as well.
To put it in better perspective, consider a tub of butter. One tub of butter
usually weighs around 375grams. That means every week Mum #1 is losing
just under one tub of butter!
If Mum #1 wanted to lose 5 kilograms, which is approximately 13 tubs of
butter, it would take her around 24 weeks!!
To lose this fat quicker, she just needs to add exercise to her week, which will
burn even more calories and hence more fat...
With exercise as well as a balanced diet, most people lose on average ½ kg
of fat. It is very difficult to lose more than this unless you had been eating a
very high calorie diet and cut it right back.
WHAT TO EAT Calories come from the three macronutrients – Protein, Carbohydrates and
Fats.
Our bodies require all three macronutrients for growth, repair and other vital
bodily functions.
BUT, the quality of these macronutrients is also important to contribute to your
satiety and amount of calories you burn.
Processed foods tend to leave the body tired and lethargic, not to mention
they generally are very calorie dense and tend to leave us feeling unfulfilled
and hungry for more.
Whole, real foods, on the other hand, are packed with nutrients, are high in
fibre and leave you feeling energized and full. Your body also has to use
more energy to burn them – thus burning more calories.
And burning more calories leads to losing more fat! Woo Hoo!
Proteins come from animals and plants. Proteins are full of amino acids that
are essential for our wellbeing.
It is also important to include Carbohydrates into your diet also. There are two
GOOD groups of carbohydrates.
They are produce and complex
carbohydrates.
Produce includes all fruit and vegetables and Complex Carbohydrates are
whole wheat products such as Whole Wheat Bread, Pasta, Brown or Basmati
Rice, grains and high fibre cereals.
For every single meal, you should try to incorporate a protein source and a
produce.
Once you have those, you may also add a complex carbohydrate – just watch
the portion sizes!
You’ll find you won’t have to think too much about including the fat, this will
happen automatically through your cooking and foods such as nuts and
avocado.
Below I have outlined many of the foods that fall into these categories.
PROTEIN Red Meat
Poultry
Lean Beef
Beans
Nuts/Seeds
Other
Chicken Breast Salmon
Fillet
Black
Beans
Almonds
Milk
Deli Ham
Turkey Breast
Canned
Salmon
Kidney
Beans
Walnuts
Yoghurt
Deli Roast
Beef
Lean Chicken
Mince
Smoked
Salmon
Navy
Beans
Natural
Peanut Butter
Cottage
Cheese
Beef Jerky
Lean Turkey
Mince
Tuna
Butter
Beans
Pecans
Tofu
Lean Mince
Deli Chicken
Swordfish
Lentils
Cashews
Cheese
Lean Lamb
Deli Turkey
Prawns/Scal
lops
Pistachio
Sardines
Sunflower
Seeds
Lean Pork
Fish
A single serving of protein is:
100-125g lean meat, poultry or fish
1 egg
½ cup beans
1 TBSP peanut butter
¼ cup nuts
1 cup milk, yoghurt or cottage cheese,
30g cheese
½ cup tofu.
PRODUCE VEGETABLES
Green
Yellow/Orange Red/Purple
White
Other
Broccoli/Broccolini
Carrots
Red
Capsicum
White Onion
Beans
Green Capsicum
Yellow
Capsicum
Red Onion
Parsnip
Hummus
Spinach/Baby
Spinach
Squash
Tomatoes
Cauliflower
Avocado
Cos/Mixed Lettuce
Sweet Potato
Radish
Mushrooms
Olives
Cucumber
Swede
Eggplant
Cabbage
Green Beans
Beetroot
Celery
Brussel Sprouts
Rhubarb
Watercress
Zucchini
Purple
Cabbage
Potato
Asparagus
Vegetable
Juice (V8)
Sugar Snap/Snow
Peas
Bok Choy
Wombok
FRUIT
Blue/Purple
Yellow/Orange
Red
Green
Blueberries
Banana
Red Apple
Green Apple
Pomegranate
Orange
Red Grapes
Green Grapes
Grapes
Pineapple
Pink Grapefruit
Honey Dew
Melon
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Pear
Prunes
Mango
Raspberries
Lime
Raisins/Sultanas
Apricot
Cranberries
Kiwi Fruit
Peaches
Plum
Lemon
Cherries
Nectarine
Watermelon
Mandarin
Grapefruit
A single serving of Produce is:
½ cup fresh, frozen, chopped fruit
½ cup raw or cooked veggies
1 cup raw leafy greens
1 large sweet potato
¼ cup hummus
1 cup V-8 juice
1 medium sized fruit
¼ cup dried fruit
1 large tomato
½ white potato
½ cup beans
***Strive to eat a variety of colours to ensure you are getting the best range of
nutrients.
COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES Grains
Whole Wheat
High Fibre Cereal
Barley
Bread
Oatmeal
Buckwheat
Bagel
Shredded Wheat
Brown Rice
English Muffin
All Bran
Jasmine Rice
Wrap/Tortilla
Special K
Wild Rice
Pita Pocket
Vita Brits
Basmati Rice
Pasta
Weet Bix
Couscous
Waffle
Oat Brits
Oats
Pancake (whole
wheat or buckwheat)
Uncle Toby’s Plus
Quinoa
A single serving of Complex Carbohydrates is:
½ cup cooked rice, pasta or cereal
1 cup cold cereal
1 slice of bread
5-8 whole grain crackers
½ whole wheat bagel, muffin, tortilla or pita,
1 small whole wheat waffle or pancake
Just Right
FATS You need to include a small amount of healthy fats into your nutrition plan.
Good fats include extra virgin olive oil, avocado, flaxseed oil, fish oil, real
butter, coconut oil, almonds, walnuts, olives.
Always choose ‘real’ butter over margarine. Margarine is full of nasty
chemicals and trans fats, which contain bad cholesterol. ‘Real’ butter doesn’t
contain a bunch of ingredients that you can’t pronounce, just ingredients you
know. Read the label to ensure you get the ‘real’ stuff.
One single serving of healthy fats is:
1 teaspoon of oil/butter
¼ cup nuts/seeds
1/8 avocado
8 olives
LIQUIDS DRINK HEAPS OF WATER!!!
The majority of your body is made up of water and uses water to perform
many functions.
The more you top it up the better it runs - including burning fat!
Aim for 8-10 glasses per day.
For a bit of variety you can also drink green tea, blackcurrant tea, black tea
(no milk or sugar), low-sodium V-8 juice, Diet Cranberry Juice and diet soft
drink (just don’t go silly on the diet soft drink).
Steer clear of soft drink, fruit juice, cordial, energy drinks and milkshakes –
they are pure sugar and extremely calorie dense!
No point wasting your daily calories on a drink when you could eat more....
If you are a coffeeholic like a lot of women I know, start by cutting back on
how many cups you drink and ween your way off slowly – I know it’s not easy
to go cold turkey straight away.
Initially, try swapping one of your coffees for a tea and opting for the smallest
size instead of an extra large latte. You’ll be amazed how many calories you
cut back on immediately, not to mention the health benefits of cutting back on
caffeine.
CONDIMENTS/FLAVOURINGS Try to choose the following items when flavouring your foods:
Balsamic vinegar
Salsa
Lemon/lime juice
Garlic
Tabasco, Tomato or BBQ sauce (check the sugar content of these first and
use sparingly)
Taco sauce
Mustard
Natural yoghurt
Horseradish
Parmesan cheese
Ginger
Wasabi
Tamari sauce
Reduced salt stock
Fish sauce
All herbs and spices (especially fresh ones).
WHEN TO EAT Although it doesn’t make a massive difference to your body when you eat, you
will feel much better if you aim to eat around every 3 hours.
This is often an easy way of eating because you are less likely to feel hungry.
You are certainly welcome to eat just three larger meals per day, but then you
cannot have snacks in between and you may not be able to last between
meals.
Basically what you want is Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with a snack in
between each and one after dinner - if you feel like it.
You can choose to eat 5-6 small meals where the calories are evenly spread
throughout the day or you could choose to have three larger meals for
breakfast, lunch and dinner and 2-3 smaller snacks, whichever suits you best.
You have to decide what works best for you so you stick to it.
The main thing is to stick within your calorie zone and you’ll be
sweet.
CHEAT MEALS YES, you are allowed to eat cheat meals – how else would you stick to this
healthy lifestyle?
Your aim is to eat nutritiously 80-90% of the time.
You can plan out your meals and work in 3-4 meals, which are classified as
cheat meals.
This could include having a glass of wine or two with dinner, eating out at a
restaurant or some chocolate for a special treat.
Just try not to go overboard.
If you go out and eat a smorgasboard of food, you are simply going to undo all
the hard work you did throughout the rest of the week and will probably feel
pretty rotten afterwards anyway.
If you can work your way to eating good 90% of the time, there really won’t be
much stopping you!
EXTRAS ALCOHOL – is NOT your friend when you are trying to lose fat.
Alcohol is very calorie dense, like most drinks, but it also prevents your body
from burning fat because it is too busy trying to burn off the toxins contained
in the alcohol that you just consumed.
If you really can’t deny yourself alcohol, and I have to admit, I really enjoy a
nice glass of wine or two, then simply limit it to a cheat meal and don’t drink
more than 2 glasses per week.
Once you have attained your goal, you may be able to increase this a little or
on a special occasion but while trying to lose fat, it really will inhibit your
progress.
**TIP**
Check out the new lines of alcoholic beverages that contain a lower
concentration of alcohol or calories. Both McWilliams and Lindemans now
produce a ‘Light’ wine, which contains 25% less alcohol. If you prefer mixer
drinks, there are also a variety of spirits mixed with ‘Sugar-free’ soft drinks.
SUPPLEMENTS – I’m not a big believer in supplements.
I believe you can get almost all the vitamins and minerals you need from the
food you eat as long as you are eating a wholesome diet.
However, it doesn’t hurt to take a multi-vitamin every day, but it really depends
on your body.
If you know you have a naturally low level of a certain vitamin or mineral then
by all means consult your doctor or pharmacist and see what they
recommend.
But, please don’t be sucked into buying some sort of magic weight loss
supplement – they are just after your hard earned money and do nothing for
you.
PROTEIN POWDER – I used to use this as part of my diet to boost my protein
intake but I’ve stopped because it was adding too many extra calories to my
meals.
Instead I just make sure to have Greek Yoghurt, Cheese or nuts with those
meals.
The choice is completely up to you.
If you are inclined to use a Protein Powder, find one that is women specific
and contains little Carbohydrates.
You will get more than enough Carbohydrates with the food you add to it.
There you go – simple!