How to Lose Five Pounds of Body Fat: Lose 5 Pounds Easy Each Month – Part II: Healthy Eating Strategies to Lose Weight

Healthy eating is an important factor in losing five pounds a month. Since we’re only talking five pounds here (about 1.25 lbs a week weight loss), there is no need for drastic changes. Losing 5 pounds a month is doable with a few, healthy changes. This is Part II on my series of easily losing five pounds a month, go here for Part I.

A basic healthy eating strategy should consist of meals and snacks that give you a bang for your calories instead of a bang for your buck. With the rise of all-you-can-eat buffets and the mindset that “more is better value!”, Americans are facing many unneeded calories. Basic portion control is a must. Many food manufacturers are tricky. Take a 20 oz bottle of soda. For example, it says 100 calories per serving. But, look at the serving size: 2.5? Who drinks 2.5 servings from a soda bottle? No one- you’re not going to measure it out. You’re going drink the whole thing and consume 250 calories, while perhaps assuming you’re only drinking 100.

Most people find that they are fuller longer and more satisfied by eating smaller meals and snacks throughout the day. You should consult with your doctor to see how many calories you should be eating per day, but a good rule of thumb is to eat around 400-500 calories for each meal and keep snacks around 100-200 calories. Again, this is dependant upon your sex, weight, level of activity and other factors. Ask your doctor or a nutritionist – don’t go by calorie calculators online, they are typically not accurate. Eating less calories than necessary will eventually slow your progress and so will eating more calories than necessary. Your doctor or nutritionist can help you figure out a good number of calories to consume on a daily basis to help you meet your goals.

Once you know how many calories you should be eating daily, do your research, and make a list for each meal of the day and separate it into the following categories:

• Breakfast – Column for Protein, Column for Fruit, Column for Carbohydrates
• Snack – Column for Protein, Column for Fruit or Veggies
• Lunch – Column for Protein, Column for Veggies, Column for Carbohydrates
• Snack - Column for Protein, Column for Fruit or Veggies
• Dinner – Column for Protein, Column for Fruit, Column for Veggies, Column for Fats.

Under each column, you’re going to need to research at least five items that will fit well into your calorie range and that you enjoy eating.

Then, after you’ve listed 5 items under each column, for each meal (obviously there can be repeats) you pick one or two items (depending on your calorie needs and meal type) to create a balanced, healthy, meal.

For an actual example of this, check out my articles on Low Calorie Breakfast Ideas or Low Calorie Lunch Ideas to see how my personal plan works. There, I provide lists of proteins, carbs and fruits and veggies for each meal. Then, I simply pick one food item from each category to create a good, balanced meal for myself. Plenty of options = lots of variety and a better attitude towards healthy eating!

The idea is for you to create your own lists for every meal of the day, like I did, so you can always have great ideas on hand for a satisfying, balanced meal.

Depending on your gender and caloric needs, a good rule of thumb for food combinations for each meal is as follows:

Breakfast –

• 1 Protein serving
• 1 Fruit serving
• 1 Complex carbohydrate serving (2 for males)

Snack –

• 1 Protein serving
• 1 Fruit serving

Lunch –

• 1 Protein serving
• 1-2 vegetable serving(s)
• 1 complex carbohydrate serving

Snack –

• 1 Protein serving
• 1 Fruit or veggie serving

Dinner –

• 2 protein servings
• 1-2 veggie servings
• 1 complex carbohydrate serving (2 for males)

The trick here is doing your research and building your own, personal customized lists of foods that you like and their serving sizes. Then, you won’t have to worry about calories, just pick one item from each category and combine for a satisfying, well-rounded meal or snack!

Now that you know about some healthy eating strategies for losing five pounds a month, you can go here to read about the last important factor of healthily losing weight each month: Recommended Exercises to Lose Five Pounds a Month. Or, backtrack to Part I: Slow Weight Loss