The word calorie deficit is getting thrown around a lot lately, especially for those looking to lose weight. But, if you don't know how to properly count calories, you may be struggling to lose weight. In some cases, you may even be putting more weight on.
One of the hardest parts about this diet craze is knowing how many calories you are intaking, especially when a quick Google Search will yield so many different results and numbers. So unless you are specifically counting everything (which can be time-consuming), you may feel as though you're at a loss.
But fortunately, while your calorie intake is still super important, eating the right nutritional foods can help you reduce your calories. This is especially beneficial to someone who isn't looking to tally up every macro but still wants to slim down.
Before we get into the foods that can help you lose weight, there are some things we need to cover.
What is good nutrition?
Good nutrition; in its simplest form, means you are eating a wide variety of foods that help you stay fuller for longer. These are the kinds of foods that can help you feel energised and can help you take every day head-on. They are high in vitamins and minerals. They include everything your body needs, including protein, carbs and fats.
Nutritional foods will rarely be packaged or processed. They are as natural as possible. This means they don't contain copious amounts of salt and preservatives, which are excruciatingly high in calories. These natural foods also don't contain high levels of refined sugar, which is known to be a catalyst of obesity.
Now, we aren't here to limit what you can eat. But something as simple as making your own pasta sauce rather than purchasing a pre-made kit can eliminate a huge amount of salt and sugar from your diet.
Of course, there are always going to be things that are inconvenient to make. Going back to our pasta example, unless you have a whole day to prepare dinner, you wouldn't necessarily have time to make dough. But focusing on what you can makes all the difference.
I thought a calorie deficit was the only way to lose weight. How can good nutrition help?
A calorie deficit is one of the most efficient ways of losing weight. Eating nutritional foods will actually help you achieve a calorie deficit.
As we mentioned above, nutritional foods help you feel fuller for longer. This being said, you are less likely to feel hungry again a few hours after eating. In fact, it's nutritional deficiencies which often make us crave quick energy-fix foods, such as packaged chips, cookies and ice cream.
Again, we don't believe you shouldn't treat yourself now and then. But limiting this unhealthy snacking to one day a week or even less often can help you see a noticeable difference in your body.
Back on the topic of nutritional eating; if you are consuming the right whole foods, you will likely only need to eat three large meals a day or five small ones (depending on your meal plan). This means you limit how much you eat on the side, which cuts out excess calories from your diet.
The result? A calorie deficit with none of the maths and calculations.
What else can nutritional eating help with?
Nutritional eating can do more for your body than just support weight loss. It can even help:
- Reduce the risk of diseases
- Provide boosts to immunity
- Speed up recovery from ailments
- Moderate cholesterol
- Moderate blood pressure
- Help you look and feel better
- Give boosts to energy
What foods are high in nutrients?
Countless nutrient-dense foods are readily available to you. Though you may not want to sacrifice some of your favourite foods, incorporating these nutrient-dense foods in with them means you will require smaller portions, which can help reduce your calorie intake.
Some of the foods you can incorporate more of into your diet include:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Seafood
- Unprocessed lean meat
- Skinless poultry
- Nuts
- Legumes
At Jomeis Fine Foods, we understand how hard it can be to incorporate nutrition into your every day. We have created a range of products, including our Nutritional Lattes and Superfood Breakfast Bowls. These have all been designed to help you feel fuller for longer so you can achieve your weight loss goals.
