Losing weight doesn't have to be complicated! Beachbody supertrainer and creator of 80 Day Obsession and the Ultimate Portion Fix [1] Autumn Calabrese told POPSUGAR, "You don't have to starve, you don't have to eliminate food groups (unless you have a food sensitivity), and you don't have to crash diet. Applying a few basic principals to your daily meals can make a big difference."
Keep reading for the three ground rules Autumn suggests you follow at every meal.
Practice Portion Control
The first principal Autumn emphasises is portion control [3], because you can overeat on healthy food [4], too — we're looking at you, peanut butter jar! "We live in an age of supersized, oversized, and family-sized meals. The truth is we don't need anywhere near as much at one meal as we are actually consuming," Autumn said.
To practice portion control, measure and weigh your food instead of eyeballing amounts, place your food on a plate or bowl, put packages or leftovers away, and then eat your meal or snack. If you don't have measuring cups or a scale, you can use your hand to measure out portions [5].
Eat Balanced Macronutrients
The second principal is to balance your macronutrients [6] by eating lean proteins, healthy carbohydrates, and healthy fats at every meal. Autumn explained, "We usually don't have an issue taking in carbohydrates or even fat for that matter, but a lot of times it's the wrong types of carbohydrates or fats." Choose complex carbs [7] like sweet potatoes, fruit, and whole grains, and choose monounsaturated fats such as avocado [8], nuts, and olive oil.
As for protein, instead of making a meal out of one enormous steak and that's it, have a smaller portion of meat with some roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes (keep the skins on for more nutrients and fibre [9]). And while a big salad is full of fibre and vitamins, make sure to add some healthy fats like sunflower seeds, and protein like baked tofu or hard oiled eggs to keep you satiated and energized. "Having a balance between these three macronutrients at each meal will help you lose weight," Autumn said.
Limit Processed Foods
Principal three is to significantly reduce or eliminate highly processed foods, especially those containing high amounts of processed sugars [10]. "The goal is to get back to natural, real food. Some foods that have been minimally processed are OK in moderation, but the rest has to go if you want to lose weight," Autumn advised.
Of course, that doesn't mean you can't ever have a doughnut or enjoy dessert. Autumn suggests that instead of buying the ones that can last a lifetime on a shelf, you can make it at home with natural ingredients and no preservatives. Here are some healthy dessert recipes [11] to satisfy your sweet cravings:
- Doughnuts: vegan chocolate frosted doughnuts [12]
- Ice cream: dairy-free chocolate cherry ice cream [13]
- Brownies: no-bake brownies [14]
- Cookies: date-sweetened cookies [15]
- Cheesecake: vegan strawberry cheesecake [16]
- Cake: iced lemon pound cake [17]
- Mousse: dairy-free chocolate mousse [18]