Hey, good luck with your weight loss!
As a 2 year maintainer of a 75 lb weight loss (after 20 years of failed dieting) the best advice I can possibly give you is find something you can do long term. If you start a diet and lose weight and then stop the diet, you will likely gain all the weight back. A lifestyle change is the best option!!
For calories, it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1 lb. A moderate daily caloric reduction of 250 calories combined with physical activity that burns around 250 calories will net a 500 daily deficit or 3500 calorie deficit per week (1 lb weight loss per week). This is a nice, safe, non restrictive, satisfying weight loss that won't make you feel deprived or possibly make you binge. To determine a daily 250 calorie deficit, you can find a decent online calculator that will give you an estimate of how many calories you need every day to maintain your current weight. You would subtract 250 from that total per day. Here is a
link to a nice calculator from the Mayo Clinic. Remember, it will be an estimate, so tweak as you go to find out what works for you.
What you DON'T want to do is think "wow, if I cut 250 calories a day and work out, I can lose a pound a week. What if I cut 1000 calories a day, I could lose 10 lbs a week!" or something crazy like that. I did that for 20 years, I went from a 140 lb 15 year old to a 200 lb 35 year old with THAT little gem. Starving made me binge, binging made me hate myself and give up. I did that for 20 years. Don't be afraid to EAT.
Healthy food tips:
* Don't make your meals around "diet foods." Sugar free this, fat free that - full of chemicals, not satisfying to the body
* Plenty of fruits and vegetables every day. 5+ servings of vegetables
* Be picky about bread/bread products. Read labels. The first ingredient should be WHOLE WHEAT. Check out how much fiber a serving has, watch for frankenfood like high fructose corn syrup
* Try to eat as many whole foods as possible. Instead of a packet of instant, sugary oatmeal, try regular oatmeal with some dried fruit. It takes about as much time to make and is so much better for you.
* Try to get used to whole wheat tortillas, whole grain pastas, whole wheat pitas, brown rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, quinoa etc.
* Proteins are great to help you feel satisfied and full - lean meat (especially chicken breast/turkey), salmon/tuna, low fat dairy, eggs, tofu/tempeh, beans
* Healthy fats are not evil, they are necessary, just watch the serving sizes. Good healthy fats - avocodo, olive oil, nuts, salmon, peanut butter
* Think of your plate as divided into 4 quarters. When filling it, make sure 1/2 is vegetables, 1/4 is protein, 1/4 is a healthy carb. A good example would be a vegetable stir fry with some chicken over brown rice.
* Try a new healthy recipe every week
* On Sundays, pack your lunch for every day of the week
* Have healthy snacks on hand at all times so you don't get so hungry you make bad food choices
* Make the house a junk free zone
* Buy a food scale, use measuring cups, figure out serving sizes (1/4 cup of nuts is a serving, etc).
* Be aware of how much/what you are eating, use the internet to look up restaurant info before you go. Be informed and mindful.
* Limit or avoid foods that are just plain bad for you or have zero nutritional benefit - soda, fast food, packaged baked goods, alcohol
* Try to stay flexible, life is messy and complicated. If you slip up and eat something off plan, it's okay. Don't restrict for the rest of the day, but don't say "oh well, the whole day is blown anyway, I'll eat whatever and start over tomorrow." Just keep going, try to figure out why you slipped up and have a plan ready for the next time you are in that situation
Be thinking long term all the time. Your goal should not be "I want to lose weight" your goal NEEDS TO BE "I want to lose weight and keep it off." Everything you do should include your plan for maintaining your weight loss.
Starting a Diet
