My healthy eating plan

As I mentioned in my previous post, I worked with a dietician to create an eating plan that would help me lose weight and then maintain it later on.

It’s important to eat three balanced meals a day (protein, fruit/vegetable, starch).

In my case, for more weight loss, I don’t eat starch at dinner and instead load up on vegetables and have a bit more protein. I also eat a minimal amount of dairy and have cut out all gluten. 

The dietitian also set my daily caloric intake to 1200. However, this can vary based on a number of factor (your age, activity level, etc.). 

What is low-glycemic?

The glycemic index is the measure of the effect on blood glucose level after you’ve eaten food containing carbohydrates. Glucose is set at 100, and foods are compared against that number. Foods that are on the lower glycemic index have less of an impact on blood glucose and insulin and tend to have slower digestion and absorption rates. 

Portion control is key. Even though a food may have a low-GI, you should still eat in moderation.

Check out the Glycemic Edge’s food list.

Getting started

As you embark on your lifestyle change journey, clean out your cabinets and get rid of any food that is bad for you. No more white foods - eliminate white breads, cereal, etc. in favor of whole grains.

Get your entire family on board with you; by only making one meal, you'll be less tempted to eat your "forbidden" foods. Besides, it'll benefit them too! Low-GI is for everyone. 

If you're trying to lose weight, eliminate bagels, bananas and white potatoes from your diet as they are high in carbohydrates.

Of course, you can treat yourself from time to time. But, have your treats outside of home or work so that you don't bring them back with you and create more temptation. 

Drink water throughout the day. Get yourself a nice refillable water bottle or cup and carry it everywhere with you. Don't like water? Try infusing it with lemon, lime, cucumber, etc. 

Keep a food diary/journal. There are great tools that can help you with that – I’ll write about those in another post.