We have all been there – looking to lose a few pounds so you go on the newest fad diet. You do great for a couple days, and then it hits you – THE HUNGER!!!
The never ending, never satisfied hunger that comes with cutting calories all in the effort to look good in a bathing suit.
There has to be a better way – Right?!
And there is – A Real, Whole Food Diet. By diet, we mean a habitual way of eating your entire life... not just something you use to lose weight and then go back to your original habits just to gain all of the weight back.
What is a Real, Whole Food Diet?
We define a Real, Whole Food Diet as a diet based mostly on foods that either grow from the ground or walk on it (swimming too!); basically, it is anything that doesn’t come in a box and isn’t a processed food.
Also, the word diet is often associated with weight loss and calorie cutting – with limiting what you eat and taking the enjoyment out of your eating. This is not what we mean by it.
Your diet is what you eat every day. And we want to provide you an option, through Real, Whole Foods, to eat as much food as you want.
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To never be hungry
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To eat a cleaner more nutrient dense diet
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To look and feel the way you want
A Real, Whole Food diet is not about subtraction. It is about substitution. It is about eating more food with less calories! You will be surprised how much you can eat when you're eating healthy!
And have you noticed how beautiful healthy food can be?
A colorful fruit salad with raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, a grapefruit, or a red leaf lettuce salad with red peppers, green cucumbers and orange carrots... you have to think that something so appealing to the eye was made that way for a reason. To eat!
Also you should be able to enjoy a glass of wine or dessert every so often and not ruin your weight loss goals, and your long-term goal of a leaner, healthier body.
Sounds great, doesn't?!
So, how do I lose weight and not be hungry all the time?
The key is to create a calorie deficit of around 200 calories per day, but to eat enough real, whole foods so you are not hungry.
You do this by choosing nutrient dense foods that provide you the carbs, fats, and proteins you need and eating enough raw vegetables (low calorie + high fiber = full for a long time) with lunch and dinner to prevent the dreaded hunger!
When 50% of your plate is vegetables, your calorie count for the meal will be kept low and your stomach will be full for hours.
Check out this image below. The Taco Salad (with Rice) & Water has 60% less calories than a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with cheese, medium fries, and medium Coke. The salad keeps you full for hours, keeps your calories low, and promotes health. The McDonald's meal is roughly 80% of your daily calorie needs if you are female that is roughly 5'4", 120 lbs and active.
That one McDonald's meal will either leave you starving the rest of the day if you stick to your calorie plan, or you will go way over your daily calories leading to weight gain and poor health.
Choose wisely!
Click this link to get the recipe for this tasty Healthy Taco Tuesday Salad
Nutrient Dense Food vs Empty Calories
Empty calories are foods that typically taste amazing, but don’t contain the nutrients to keep you full or help your body function, stay lean, and prevent sickness and decease. Examples of common empty calories:
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Soda
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Sugar & Deserts
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Alcohol
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Fried Food
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Chips
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Anything that comes in a box
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Overly processed (long ingredient lists)
These foods should be enjoyed only sometimes (think 10-20% of your total calories) – like special occasions, group settings, when life gets in the way, etc…
Enjoy yourself socially; eat clean privately!
Nutrient dense foods should be 80-90% of your diet. They keep you full, make your body feel amazing from the inside out, and help you lose unwanted fat, put on lean, strong muscle, and help prevent sickness and decease.
The key is to live a whole food, balanced life
Life is about balance. It is about creating a lifestyle that is sustainable.
Sure, any of us can enter a weight loss challenge and be super dedicated to it for 8-12 weeks. But if we only view it as a temporary thing, then we revert to our old habits as soon as the challenge is over.
But, have you gained anything if you revert back? No!
I challenge you to change your mindset.
View your next weight loss challenge as a challenge to change a few of your eating habits. Learn a few nutrient dense, whole food based recipes you love to eat and add them into your weekly meals.
Start by replacing one unhealthy choice with a healthier choice (for example, replace your Diet Coke with a Seltzer Water) and build from there.
Not only will your body thank you by looking great, but you will also feel better eating foods that give your body the nutrients that it needs.
LIVE FOR IT.
Duke Armstrong
Founder & CEO of Propello Life
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