Eager to jump into calorie counting but unsure where to start? Check out the basics for creating a meal plan for a successful blast!
There is always a plan B. Check them out all!
- Creating Meal Plan
- Weekly Meal Plan -Basic5
- Weekly Meal Plan -PPCR- Fun5
- Monthly Meal Plan – Basic5 – 5+2
- Weekly Meal Plan -PPCR- Basic4
- Weekly Meal Plan – Basic3
- Weekly Meal Plan – Churros3
- Weekly Meal Plan – Dairy, Gluten, Sugar free – Fun4
- Weekly Meal Plan – USDA Processed Food Meal Plan
- Healthy Diet – WHO Recommendation
Protein intake
Protein is one of the most if not the most important nutrition that our body needs on a daily basis. Protein is basically a complex form of nitrogen that is required not just for our muscles but for any organic cells to grow. It’s so important that protein level regulates hunger hormone levels in the body. If we don’t eat enough protein per day and per meal we tend to overeat from carbs and fat which leads to excess calories and fat weight gain.
Providing enough protein is not always a clear cut case because it depends on our activity level. A healthy body needs 0.8g – 1.6gs of protein for each kg of body weight. Pro athletes and body builders may go over this limit for additional gains but that’s another matter.
What’s really unfortunate is, that our body can’t store protein or more precisely, our protein storage is our muscles. So, if the body needs protein for recovering from injuries or illnesses and we haven’t got enough protein floating around, it will break down our muscles to get the necessary protein for cell recovery. This is why it’s important to eat enough protein during recovery from illnesses so our hard earned muscles may stay in shape.
Protein floor
When we create our meal plan for a day it’s imperative to first calculate the required amount of protein for our activity level and lean body weight. The lean body weight part is important because fat doesn’t need protein yet having too much protein can put pressure on the renal system or simply converted into energy and if in excess stored as fat.
Once we have our daily required protein amount, all we need to do is evenly distribute it across our daily meals for optimal absorption not exceeding 20-30g per meals depending on body size leaving 2-3 hours between meals. As mentioned before the body is not really capable of storing excess protein so providing too much too quickly will not be used for its intended purpose.
Fat intake
In the common western diet we don’t really need to worry about eating the required minimum fat as everything is soaked in it but once we start dieting or counting calorie intake the most obvious thing that we reduce is the calorie dense fat.
WHO Recommends that adults
- Limit total fat intake to 30% of total energy intake or less
- Within this 30% recommendation the bad fats should be even more reduced
- saturated fatty acid intake to 10%
- trans-fatty acid intake to 1%
It’s important to include sources of both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in our diet while being mindful of the types of oils and fats we consume. Apart of causing all sorts of health issues, including hormonal inbalance, we’ll have a much harder time resisting food while on calorie deficit if we don’t have the minimum amount of fat required for healthy body.
Aim for a balanced intake of fats and replace unhealthy saturated and trans fats with healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to support our overall health and well-being:
Fiber intake
Fruits, vegetables and whole grains
- Nutrient-rich
Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They provide a wide range of nutrients that are vital for the proper functioning of the body, including vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, folate, and fiber. - Disease prevention
Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains has been associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer, and obesity. The antioxidants and phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables help protect the body against damage from harmful free radicals and promote overall health. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been linked to increased energy levels, improved mood, and better overall well-being. The nutrients found in these foods contribute to the optimal functioning of the body, supporting various systems and promoting vitality. - Fiber content
Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are excellent sources of dietary fiber, which is important for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Fiber helps regulate bowel movements, prevents constipation, and can contribute to a feeling of fullness, which aids in weight management. The fiber content in fruits, vegetables and whole grains aids in proper digestion and prevents digestive disorders such as constipation and diverticulosis. It also supports a healthy gut microbiome by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.
It is recommended to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables of different colors to ensure a diverse intake of nutrients and maximize the health benefits they offer:
Calorie ceiling
Calories are a unit of energy. In the context of food and nutrition, a calorie refers to the amount of energy our body gets from consuming food and drinks. Our body needs this energy to function—everything from breathing and circulating blood to physical activities like walking or running. When we provide more energy to our body than it requires to function the excess energy will be converted to fat.
On the other hand if we provide less energy to our body that it needs to function -by eating less energy or moving more- it is forced to use up its energy storage hence we lose fat weight.
The basic math
1kg / 2lbs fat is about 7700kcal.
If we do a 500kcal deficit daily for 7 days, at the end of the week we’ll accumulate 3500kcal of deficit.
That is about 0.5kg/1lb fat weight loss in a week.
Multiply that with any number of weeks and we have a timeframe and weight goal to follow.
Meal plan framing
Once we have the required minimum amount of protein intake all we have to do is introduce a calorie ceiling that fits within the time limits of our goals and our meals are pretty much framed.
Meeting the minimum required fat amount daily is a fairly easy task yet paying special attention to swap the unhealthy fats to healthy ones tends to be more challenging.
Providing the body the required amount of energy and essential nutrition is very easy and the meager amount of food can look rather disappointing on our plates. Here is where the fiber part comes into play:
- Whole grains provide not just essential nutrition, fiber and energy but a bit of extra volume too.
- Vegetables excel where whole grains fail. Apart of providing essential nutrition, vegetables add volume to our meals but very little energy.
- Fruits are nature’s candy. They provide vitamin and fiber but uncontrolled consumption will inevitably lead to reach our calorie ceiling rather sooner than later.
Summary
- Calculate the minimum required protein intake per day and per meals.
- Calculate the max calorie intake to reach the desired weight within a timeframe.
- Throw in a bit of possibly healthy fat here and there.
- Add a lot of vegetables for volume.
