With countless fad diets rampaging through the internet, I bet you’re lost in a sea of confusion on how to achieve your goal body.
Don’t worry I was there too. I would mindlessly scroll through Pinterest looking for the next new thing to magically help me achieve the body I needed to reach my athletic and fitness goals. Safe to say none of them actually worked and caused a lot of heartaches, hunger pains, and grief.
I’m here to tell you that the solution to losing weight, leaning out, and achieving your body goals is a lot easier than you think.
There is no magic pill, weird substance, or body wrap involved in this formula just you and some good old food.
Before I jump into this I want to give a disclaimer, I am by no means a nutritionist or a dietitian. I am a professional athlete who had to learn the hard way that this is the only sustainable way of achieving the body I needed to go after my goals and dreams. So take what I say if you want and apply it to your life how you see fit. If that means you just don’t apply it to your life, then well that’s okay too! No hard feelings, we are still friends.
~Forget what you think you know
The first thing you need to do, I mean REALLY HAVE TO, is drop, kick, and sprint away from the notion that weight loss happens overnight. I hate to break it to you but it takes time to lose fat and drop weight SUSTAINABLY. I bold that because losing 10lbs in one week is not super healthy and there probably is a higher chance of you gaining it back.
The number on the scale fluctuates day by day. Meaning that the number you see on the scale could go up just based on alot of things. For example, your soreness level, what you consumed, and how you hydrated all play a factor. In the end, 1 lb is about 3500 calories unless you consumed your normal calorie intake PLUS an extra 3500 calories you probably didn’t gain 10lbs overnight, and that’s just your body doing what bodies do.
~The Plate is Key to Achieving a Caloric Deficit
So now that we are over that notion let’s move on to the second thing you need to know when wanting to lose weight. This is probably something you have heard time and time again. CALORIC DEFICIT, however, this is where everyone stops. People say of “yeah be in a caloric deficit” but they never actually tell you how to do it the right way. Which is completely unfair and not okay. We all deserve to have the secrets to success and no one necessarily has to struggle to get there.
This method of eating is based on the ATHLETE plate. and no, you do not have to be an athlete or even train like an athlete to eat this way. When I am in season and my goal is to be the leanest I can be (lower body composition) I use the easy/weight management plate. Which is loosely modeled off of the Harvard plate. What this plate (FULL-SIZE PLATE) is, 1/2 of your plate is vegetables a 1/4 or a bit more is a protein of any kind and then the other 1/4 or the size of your palm is your grains.
By following this plate plan of eating for all my meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I have been able to lose the necessary fat I needed and lower my body composition.
A balanced meal such as this plate will put you in a caloric deficit and won’t make you feel hungry. Honestly, this is because vegetables don’t contain a lot of calories and you can consume a ton of it with the added protein and grains. You really will be all set to go.
I use this plate as a guide to help me in all situations I am in, whether that is eating healthy during the holidays, with family, or just out with friends. It helps give me peace of mind that I know my meal is balanced.
~Find The Foods You Love
The last thing tip I want to give to you all before we part and conclude our little discussion together is that discipline is very important but it’s not the only thing. I, myself am not a picky eater by no means, however, I personally am not a fan of Brussel sprouts.
I probably just cook them wrong, but that is beside the point. Find proteins, grains, and vegetables that you enjoy eating. Find the foods that when you cook them a certain way, it makes it easy for you to create a balanced meal. It’s all about finding what is sustainable for you.
For example, I use Hello Fresh for my dinners, because I know when I come back from practice in the evening I tend to want to order or stop for food for convenience. Hello Fresh lets me create balanced meals that I already planned beforehand.
As for snacks, that needs a different blog post to be given its proper space, so make sure you subscribe to be notified. about that.
I hope these tips were helpful for you if you are a beginner or even someone who has been trying to lose weight or lower their body composition for a while now! I think that it’s time we remove the barriers that block access to this type of information.
Signing off,
Domonique
