Weight Loss 101: Food Selection Guidelines

In part 1 of Weight Loss 101, I covered the monumental importance of establishing your weight loss calorie requirements, how to do so, etc. Once again, establishing your weight loss calorie requirements is not an option-it is a neccessity. In this installment, I am going to talk about food selection guidelines.

Once again, simply choosing foods from the recomendations below is not enough. You also have to quantify how many calories are in a serving (I prefer to quantify this in 1 ounce portions) and make sure you do not exceed your weight loss calorie limits. Use http://www.calorieking.com/ to do so. Make a database on your computer or mobile device for quick reference.

The foods listed below are broken down into 4 catergories: proteins, fats, fruits/vegetables, and starchy carbohydrates, in order of importance (in my opinion). All of the foods listed are highly nutritous and supply your body with high quality macro and micro nutrients to fuel a healthy and high performance lifestyle. Furthermore, the majority of the foods listed also have a high Thermic Effect of Feeding (TEF), meaning your body will expend a lot of energy digesting and absorbing these foods. This is not meant to be an "all encompansing" list. I'm sure I've left out plenty of highly nuritious foods, but, I did my best.

The vast majority of your daily allotment of calories (established in part 1 of Weight Loss 101), should be consumed from the following sources:

Proteins

FISH: anchovies, calamari, cod, flounder, grouper, halibut, mackerel, mahi mahi, wild salmon, sardines, swordfish, tuna, sushi

SHELLFISH: clams/mussels, crab, lobster, oysters, shrimp/prawns

POULTRY: skinless chicken, ground turkey (extra lean), turkey breast

MEAT: buffalo, filet mignon, flank steak, ground beef (>93% lean), ham (96% fat free), London broil, pork loin (lean), top/bottom round, venison

LEGUMES: black beans, red beans, soybeans (edamame), lentiils

DAIRY PRODUCTS: cheese, egg beaters, egg whites, milk (skim, fat free), yogurt (low fat, low sugar...preferably plain)

PROTEIN POWDER: I like Champion Nutrition, Beverly International, Biotest and EAS brands.

Fats

OILS&SPRAYS: canola oil/spray, coconut oil, enova oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil, "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray, extra virgin olive oil/spray

VEGETABLES: avocados

NUTS: almonds, cashews, macadamias, pecans, soy nuts, walnuts

SEEDS: pumpkin, sunflower, flax

Fruits & Vegetables

ROOT VEGETABLES: beets, sweat potatoes, yams

GREEN VEGETABLES: asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cucumber, field greens, mixed salad greens, green beans, romaine lettuce, snap peas, spinach, "broccolini"

OTHER VEGETABLES: bell peppers, carrots, celery, eggplant, mushrooms, soybeans, squash, tomatoes

FRUIT: all fresh fruits (particularly any type of berry)

Starchy Carbohydrates

BREADS: 100% whole wheat, sprouted grain, bran, rye, pumpernickel, whole wheat english muffins (*we suggest Food for Life & Brownberry Brands)

CEREALS: Flax Plus, Optimum, Kashi, Cheerios, slow cooking oatmeal (100% whole oats)

STARCHES: brown rice, whole wheat pasta

If you put the four categories above into a pyramid, proteins would be at the top of the pyramid (most desirable and "choose often") and starchy carbohydrates would be at the bottom (least desirable or "choose sometimes/sparingly"). Please don't read this as "DON'T EAT CARBS". That is NOT what I'm saying. Despite some other claims and opinions to the contrary, you do need carbohydrates, especially if you are training and exercising (which you should be). However, most people need to drastically reduce (not completely eliminate) carbohydrate intake, especially starchy carbs. The best time to consume carbohydrates is (1) In the morning with breakfast (particularly starchy carbs) & (2) After your workouts. At these times, your body is best suited to "deal with" carbs. I'll spare you overly scientific explanation of this...hormone manipulation, glycogen stores etc...just take my word for it, ok? :)

Now, it is not realistic to make perfect food selections from the lists above all the time, and, yes, everyone needs a "treat" and some comfort food here and there (1 or 2 times per week). If you are going to eat "off the list", and consume junk food, just make sure you quantify the calorie intake and don't exceed your weight loss calorie limits...again, this is the most important thing. Eating off the lists above has less to do with losing weight and more to do with providing your body with high quality fuel. So, if you "fudge", just fudge intelligently and at least make sure it fits into your overall weight loss/fat loss calorie structure. The same can be said for alcoholic beverages: if you are going to drink, do the research in regards to calorie content and fit the booze into your calorie structure, making sure not to exceed your limits.

Now, you'll notice I didn't make percentage recommendations for protein, fat and carb. You have enough quantification on your hands with keeping track of the calories. No need to make things anymore tedious. Again, look at the food categories listed above as a pyramid: choose most of your calories from the top and middle of the pyramid (healthy proteins and fats), and less from the bottom of the pyramid (starches). Again, your carbs should generally be consumed in the morning and post workout. If you are the type who really wants percentage recommendations, particularly on carbs, I'd suggest 20-30% (more towards 30% on days you train really hard) of your daily intake from carbs. So, if you are a 150 lb. female and require 1440 calories per day for weight/fat loss, no more than about 300-450 calories per day from carbs (between 75-115 grams of carbs daily if you want to keep track). The rest should come from healthy proteins and fats from the list above.

That about does it for this installment of Weight Loss 101. Next time, we'll discuss how many times you should eat per day (or "feeds"), as this is controversial area (but doesn't really need to be...it is minutia).