On The Table

A collection of knowledge-based articles to inspire overall wellness.

Eating to Lose Weight

Too often do people think diets are only about eating less. Under-eating can actually have the reverse effect.

Eating to Lose Weight

If exercising isn’t in the cards for you, there are plenty of other ways to lose weight. Eating to lose weight is one of them.

If you’re eating to lose weight, you don’t have to stick to a grueling diet plan that will limit what you can eat. You don’t have to obsessively count calories. And you don’t have to eat restrictive portions. The secret to eating to lose weight is using healthy ingredients, eating proper portion sizes and following these simple tips:

Never skip a meal

Never skip a meal. That’s a cardinal rule in dieting. Skipping a meal causes unwanted fluctuations in your blood sugar and interferes with your metabolic rate. If you feel hungry and it’s not quite time to eat your next meal, eat a small snack to tide you over. Fruit or vegetables are great for this. Eating to lose weight is all about not letting your hunger get the best of you.

Make sure you’re eating the proper nutrients

If you’re going to lose weight the healthy way, there are essential vitamins and nutrients that you should put into your body. Our program uses this approach: 1,100-1,400 calories daily with 40-50% total caloric intake from lean, adequate protein, 20-25% of calories from healthy fats, and 30-35% from complex carbohydrates. With bistroMD, every menu and every recipe is created so that your body receives the proper macronutrients. Our entrees contain a scientific balance of complex carbohydrates, like vegetables, whole grains and fiber along with lean protein and healthy fat ratios.

Make sure you’re enjoying proper portion sizes

Portion control can make or break your weight-loss initiatives. Eating to lose weight is highly dependent upon portion control. Here are some basic guidelines: 1 cup is roughly the size of a baseball; ½ cup is roughly the size of a light bulb; 1 Tablespoon is roughly the size of a poker chip; 1 slice of bread should be the size of a cassette tape; 3 ounces of chicken or meat should be the size of a deck of cards; 3 ounces of fish should be the size of your checkbook; 1 ounce of lunch meat should be the size of a CD; a 3 ounce muffin or biscuit should be the size of a hockey puck; and 1 ½ ounces of cheese should be the size of three dice.

Generally, you should fill half your plate with a bright and colorful assortment of different vegetables. You should fill ¼ your plate with low-fat proteins—baked or broiled—not fried. And you should fill another quarter of your plate with whole-grain starches like yams, potatoes and corn.

A diet delivery program like bistroMD

A diet delivery program is one of the best ways to shed some pounds if you’re eating to lose weight. It’s fast, easy and convenient. It’s perfect for people on the go, but our program is not limited to that lifestyle.

BistroMD was created by board certified bariatric physician with over 20 years of experience, Caroline Cederquist. Our Registered Dieticians work with Dr. Cederquist to ensure the proper vitamins and nutrients are implemented into our delicious entrees.

Speaking of entrees, we have over 200 recipes and a customizable menu so you’ll have no problem finding something to make your mouth water.

It only takes a few weeks to see results. Try us out. You don’t have anything to lose—but the pounds.