"But, What Should I Eat?"

Your body burns calories throughout the day just to perform metabolic processes for survival. Everything you do, from breathing, to peristalsis, down to the the transcription of DNA within your cells. All of these activities require energy. In order to lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn in a day--taking in account your physical activity level.

So you're wondering, "What types of foods should I eat?" Well, foods can be broken down into two categories, nutrient dense or energy dense. As I've mentioned before, a 'calorie' is simply a way of measuring energy. When I go grocery shopping, I focus mainly on lean meats, complex carbohydrates, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. These are your nutrient dense foods.

My protein sources include fat free chicken breasts, sirloin steak, 95% lean ground beef (limited), salmon, eggs, haddock, and whey as the major sources. I fill my cart with antioxidant-rich foods such as strawberries and blueberries, and potassium-rich bananas, and foods high in fiber such as your vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, peas, etc). My carbohydrate needs are met through whole grain brown rice, quinoa, oats, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and whole wheat pasta. Personally, I try to maintain a cleaner diet--meaning, I consume minimally processed foods. Fats are also a very important macronutrient that can be found in extra virgin olive oil, omega-3 fatty acids (which are beneficial to your heart) in salmon, eggs, almonds, avocados, and my favorite, dark chocolate.

Keep in mind, my dietary needs may vary from yours. I may consume three times as much protein in a day and eat more frequently than you because I have different needs based on my personal goal (which happens to be weight gain since I am building muscle). Again, if you are trying to lose weight, you must consume less calories than you are burning in a day. Frequency and dietary restrictions/requirements are an entirely different subject, which I can touch on in another post!

Feel free to contact me with any questions!

-Maria