Hi Everyone,
I've been away from blogging for a while. We've been shooting for both my Youtube channel (Chizle Fuel & for a new reality Youtube series on which I'm the lead Dietitian (Transformation King). Links are in my Google+ profile below so you can check those out and subscribe today!
I wanted to take a minute to quickly share some insights that I have gained over my 8 years as a Dietitian on the topic of portion tools for optimal fat loss! Having worked in the Weight management and Obesity fields for 8 years, I have noticed trends in which portion tools tend to do better for most clients.
There are tonnes of portioning guides out there and honestly in my experience some do work well with some clients, depending on that person. Some people are numbers people and they love to have calorie and grams of carbs, proteins and fats targets and work well with those. Others, hate numbers and just want to use their fists and add those up to approximate targets each day! Interestingly though, one of the most effective methods of portion control don't really control portions (within reason) but do limit exposure to the high risk offenders of the eating world... namely they reduce exposure to refined carbohydrates. As you will see below, this is my take on what I consider the best portion tool for managing your health & fat loss! Give it a try for 3 months and see how it works for you!
As always please leave comments & please send me your questions for nutrition issues/concepts that you would like to know more about and I will address them in the future.
Sample Plate for most of your meals
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| Animals = Quality Protein & Healthy Fats | | |
| Plants = Low carbohydrate vegetables |
|
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Sample Plate for most of your meals
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| Add in Starchy vegetables or Fruit for your post workout meal. |
1)
PROTEIN & HEALTHY FATS
-
Choose naturally raised (exercised & no
drugs given) animals that are fed their natural diet.
-
Choose animals fed leaves (i.e. grasses)
whenever possible.
-
If you have to choose conventionally farmed
meats, choose the leanest you can.
2)
The optimal targets for fat intake are as
follows:
A)
Trans fats – None – check the label and be sure
it states truly zero.
B)
Saturated fats – limit to < 25 g / day. Eliminate those from conventional animal
products because often toxins are stored here and sick animals would have
higher levels of bad fats. Whenever
possible try to choose exercised, naturally fed animals and even certified
organic if you can.
C)
Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. Choose somewhere between 1:4 or 1:1 ratio
between these respectively. Decide where
you will fall in that range based on your inflammation levels. If you have more inflammation in your body
then target closer to 1:1 ratio vs. 1:4.
Optimally we need the follow for each:
Omega 3- minimum of 2-3 g/day, with 2-4 servings/week coming
from animal sources (i.e. oily fish (above) or seafood). The rest of the week, choose them from plant
sources (i.e. ground flax seed or walnuts).
Omega 6 – If you are taking in 1:4 ratio relative to omega 3,
then shoot for 8-12 g/day of these (otherwise increase omega 3 and meet in the
middle somewhere).
D)
Monounsaturated fats – these will be the primary
focus of your fat intake after you know that you’ve eliminated trans fats, are
limiting your saturated and are getting your appropriate target for omega 3 and
omega 6 fats. Most people require
between 50 and 100 g of fat/day, depending on your calorie target. So these will make up the difference in your
fat intake goal.
3)
Fruits
-
Contain loads of beneficial fibers and other
compounds.
-
Significant source of natural fruit sugars.
-
Flavorful and can be ++ beneficial to creating
fruit smoothies – caution with amounts.
-
If you are managing your weight, remember to use
a) whole fruits, b) smoothies c) dried fruit.
4)
Vegetables
-
Contain loads of beneficial fibers and other
compounds.
-
Some are significant sources of natural
starches.
-
Some tend to be bland, others with bitter
flavors.
-
If you are managing your weight, remember to use
a) fibrous vegetables, then b) starchy vegetables,
Five things you
can do tonight to get more Vegetables into your daily diet
1)
Fill your plate at lunch and supper as above
with Vegetables. If you are trying to
manage weight, eat these first with your healthy protein to maximize your
satiety.
2)
Keep pre-cut and pre-washed vegetables in your
fridge as snacks. You can pair with
healthy dips (i.e. hummus, peanut butter, etc…).
3)
Steam vegetables for 5-10 mins (maximum) when
preparing.
4)
Use vegetables in smoothies with fruit and water
in order to get more in your diet.
5)
Aim for 5 or more servings of vegetables as part
of your 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Remember to focus on the non-starchy
vegetables which are fibrous and very low calorie.
5)
Hydration
-
Consume between 3-5 L of fluid per day unless on
restriction.
-
This amount is from all sources.
-
If you are hitting your target for vegetables
& fruits (10 fists/day), you can aim for the 3 L target.
-
Best way to judge your hydration is to look at
your urine color (light yellow is best).
Citations
I hope you have enjoyed my take on things! Please click the link below and subscribe to my Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/chizlefuel).
Have a great week!
Dan
