Meal Types for the best way to lose weight
Each of us is used to a certain meal type. For someone the daily diet is separated to five meals, for someone – to two and someone even practices fasting. Every meal type has the right to exist, but it is not suitable for everyone. For example, four and five meals a day, as a rule, is necessary to growing body. In addition, these meal types are used in some treatment protocols and during the body recovery period, for example, after prolonged stress; they actively used by bodybuilders. Three meals a day is the meal type to which should strive for every person, because it is the format considered as the most optimal for human. By eating three times a day, human significantly improves health indicators helping lose weight fast. Often, even those who use a treatment protocol with four and five meals a day eventually switch to three meals a day, since they feel much better using it. In addition, if we talk about losing weight, then using the same diet caloric content, on three meals a day human loses weight more effectively than on five meals a day.
Three meals a day in your diet plan for weight loss
We choose three meals a day and recommend that you do so. This nutrition type has a beneficial effect on our body and, in general, its application is accessible to most people.
What are the features of three meals a day as the meal plan for weight loss?
Three meals a day is the intake of food into the body only three times a day. Snacks or taking any drinks is not allowed between meals. In the “fasting” intervals, you can drink only water and certain beverages (see the Water section). To make it easy for you to follow three meals a day, learn to plan your diet. Always basing on personal CPFC (Calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates) calculations pick foods up in advance for the day / week. Learn to plan on a day earlier what your next breakfast, lunch and dinner will be. Further we shall tell you how to distribute the daily PFC rate during the day properly, so that the planned nutrition to be even more beneficial for the body.
Fasting intervals between meals
Before going to a new meal, the body must get hungry. Why is this so important? When human feels hunger, body begins to produce ghrelin actively. Ghrelin production stimulates the synthesis of the growth hormone. The growth hormone is the hormone of our youth and beauty. Production of growth hormone positively effects metabolic processes in the body, ensures the muscle tissue growth. In addition, the growth hormone maintains the skin water balance and affects the body cell renewal speed and body growth in general.
Remember! The growth hormone is the main female fat burning hormone! In the body, it increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin, which also helps to reduce insulin resistance. Therefore, following the fasting intervals between meals, you can lose excess weight much faster. With age, the natural growth hormone production is decreased, so it is very important to stimulate its synthesis additionally in order to maintain health. By the way, to help in this cannot only comply with the diet, but also physical activity and full sleep. More about this we shall tell you in the Activity and Recovery articles.
Composing A Weight Loss Diet For A Day
Option 1. The most correct diet composing option is one that is based on an individual calculation of CPFC, but, for convenience, you can also use one of the options suggested below.
Option 2. Proteins 25-30% – Fats 40% – Carbohydrates 25-30%
In this option, it is necessary to pre-calculate only the daily calorie requirement, and then compose your diet based on the figures listed above. The fat proportion in such a diet will be up to 40% of eaten in a day and proteins and carbohydrates will be present in the diet in approximately equal parts.
Option 3. Proteins 33% – Fats 33% – Carbohydrates 33%
This diet composing principle is similar to the second option, with the only difference that the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates are present in the diet in equal proportions.
There is also One-Palm Diet and Healthy Plate Rule but at the initial weight loss stage, we do not recommend to use these options without counting calories, since they can be quite inaccurate in terms of caloric content. They can be used when you will be able to feel satiated of the required food amount and to determine the desired dish portion visually.
Proteins, Fats And Carbohydrates (PFC) Distribution During the Day
Having three meals a day, we eat only three times a day. The intervals between meals should be at least 4-6 hours. The table shows the optimal time for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, if your work schedule does not allow observe the set time, you can compose your own. Remember that you need to focus on the fact that the intervals between meals should be at least 4-6 hours.
| Meal | Time | % or part of the daily norm | ||
| Proteins | Fats | Carbohydrates | ||
| Breakfast | 6:00 – 8:30 am | 1/3 part | 60-70% | 50-40% |
| Lunch | 12:00 am – 2:00 pm | 1/3 part | 30-40% | 50-60% |
| Dinner | 6:00-8:00 pm | 1/3 part | No more than one spoon of oil for dressing salad is allowed | Only salad of of non-starchy vegetables is allowed |
Breakfast
Breakfast is always mandatory. It should be quite dense, mainly consisting of proteins and fats. Breakfast sets the mood for the day, that is, having a hearty breakfast, you will be full a longer time. We do not advise to ignore breakfast. The only exception may be the day when you just do not want to have breakfast. In this case, you can refuse breakfast in favor of two meals a day. 
Lunch
At lunch, your plate will also be rich in proteins. The fats should be within 30-40% of your daily allowance. In addition, carbohydrates can be eaten a little more than for breakfast.
Dinner
Dinner should be at least 3-4 hours before bedtime. For dinner, you can eat proteins only. As a side dish (carbohydrates), greens and a salad of non-starchy vegetables (mostly green vegetables) are acceptable. The use of fats in evening time should avoid, but as a salad dressing, you can use 1 teaspoon or tablespoon of oil.
Recommendations
- One meal duration should be 20-40 minutes. Chew your food thoroughly. Enjoy every bite. Put aside gadgets and work.
- Control your posture during meals, it should be straight. It is in this position your digestive tract will operate correctly and, accordingly, digestion will be good.
Food on A Plate
When filling a plate with food, always focus on the fact that its half should be filled with vegetables, ¼ part should consist of protein foods, and a whole-grain side dish, if it provided in this meal, should take no more than ¼ of the plate.
Snacks
The snacks is an additional small amount meal between the main meals. Since we recommend follow three meals a day with clean intervals between the meals, it is better to exclude snacks from your diet. The snacks in common are not fat burning foods.
However, there are exceptions when a snack will be acceptable:
- During the lactation, as well as at hypoglycemia at first, 1-2 snacks are acceptable.
- If you are engaged in intensive power training, 1 snack is acceptable.
If you are not in any of the above options, please follow three meals a day. For a snack, you can use only those foods that include proteins and/or fats (for example, nuts or coconut oil, no more than 10 grams).
Dessert
Dessert is any sweet dish or food, including fruits, some vegetables and grains. As the dessert, you can consider all the “forbidden” foods that we recommend remove or minimize in the diet. The desserts are not foods that burn belly fat
The main dessert rules
- We always eat dessert for dessert. It can only be a supplement to the main meal, but not a replacement for it in any way. Therefore, it should be eaten only after the main meal.
“We always eat dessert for dessert” – you can print this rule and keep it in view. For example, hang it at home on the refrigerator and/or take it to work.
- Dessert can be eaten only in the first half of the day, that is with breakfast or lunch. You can’t have dessert for dinner.
- The recommended dessert portion no more than 100-120 kcal.
Please do not forget that the eaten dessert is necessary to take into account in the daily CPFC calculation.
Dessert in the weight loss diet
At the weight loss stage, especially at first, we strongly recommend to refuse all possible desserts. But what to do if there is a strong desire to eat something forbidden? First of all, you should analyze your weight loss diet. Is there enough protein and fat in it to lose weight fast? Is there a strong cut of the carbohydrates? Do you follow the recommendations for the daily calorific content or do you have a big deficit? If your weight loss diet is not balanced and/or its caloric content is greatly reduced then adjust the diet according to your personal needs. Calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be in the diet in sufficient quantity!
If your weight loss diet plan is composed correctly, but you still want the dessert, please use the rules from the previous paragrapf.
Food Stop List In Your Weight Loss Diet
The stop list is a list of foods that should be excluded from the diet at the weight loss stage and minimize their presence in the daily diet, that is, do not use them more than 2-3 times a week.
The Stop List In Your Meal Plan For Weight Loss:
– simple carbohydrates
– trans fats
– homogenized foods
– production sauces and dressings
– milk and dairy foods
– fruits
And should also be taken with caution:
– sweeteners and foods made on their basis
– semi-finished foods, finished foods
– foods marked: healthy, fitness, dietary, etc.
– sports nutrition
Key Weight Loss Dietary Principles
To help you in your weight loss program, the following principles are important when making decisions about nutrient dense food and beverage choices to achieve a healthy dietary pattern.
MEET NUTRITIONAL NEEDS PRIMARILY FROM FOODS AND BEVERAGES
The nutritional needs should be met primarily from foods and beverages — specifcally, nutrient-dense foods and beverages. In some cases, when meeting nutrient needs is not otherwise possible, fortifed foods and nutrient-containing dietary supplements are useful. It is important to note that the nutrient density and healthfulness of what people eat and drink often is determined ultimately by how a food item, dish, or meal is prepared, at home and away from home or produced by a manufacturer. Based on the U.S. food supply and marketplace, the examples of healthy dietary patterns in this edition are achievable through thoughtful, informed choices one decision, one meal, one day at a time—and consistently over time.
CHOOSE A VARIETY OF OPTIONS FROM EACH FOOD GROUP
Enjoy different foods and beverages within each food group. This can help meet nutrient needs—and also allows for flexibility so that the Dietary Guidelines can be tailored to meet cultural and personal preferences. All forms of foods, including fresh, canned, dried, frozen, and 100% juices, in nutrient-dense forms, can be included in healthy dietary patterns.
PAY ATTENTION TO PORTION SIZE
Portion size is a term often used to describe the amount of a food or beverage served or consumed in one eating occasion. It is important to pay attention to portion size when making food and beverage choices, particularly for foods and beverages that are not nutrient-dense. A concept that can help people choose appropriate portions is serving size. This term is included on the Nutrition Facts label and refers to the amount of a food or beverage that is customarily consumed—it is not a recommendation of how much to eat or drink. Consuming less than the stated serving size results in consuming fewer calories and other nutrients or food components. Some products may have multiple servings per package.
Customize and Enjoy Food and Beverage
Choices to Reflect Personal Preferences, Cultural Traditions, and Budgetary
Considerations
Eating should be enjoyed, and a healthy weight loss diet can be enjoyable, from early life to older adulthood. A healthy dietary pattern can beneft all individuals regardless of age, race or ethnicity, or current health status.This framework approach ensures that people can “make it their own” by selecting healthy foods, beverages, meals, and snacks specifc to their needs and preferences. The food groups include a broad variety of nutrient-dense food and beverage choices. In every setting,across all cultures, and at any age or budget, there are foods and beverages.
Start with Personal Preferences
Exposure to different types of food is important early in life to better develop a child’s interest and willingness to eat and enjoy a variety of foods. Through each life stage that follows, a key starting point for establishing and maintaining a healthy dietary pattern is to ensure that individual and/or family preferences—in nutrient-dense forms—are built into day-to-day choices.
Incorporate Cultural Traditions
Cultural background can have signifcant influence on food and beverage choices. Customizing the Dietary Guidelines framework to reflect specifc cultures and traditions is an important strategy to help communities across the country eat and enjoy a healthy dietary pattern. Nutrient-dense culturally relevant foods and beverages are part of all of the food groups. Spices and herbs can help flavor foods when reducing added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and they also can add to the enjoyment of nutrient-dense foods, dishes, and meals that reflect specifc cultures. Relying on the expertise of professionals in nutrition and in
specifc cultural foodways can help people prepare foods healthfully while retaining heritage.
Consider Budget
Despite a common perception that eating healthfully is expensive, a healthy dietary pattern can be affordable and ft within budgetary
constraints. There are a range of strategies that can be used to help individuals and families follow a healthy dietary pattern including advanced planning; considering regional and seasonal food availability; and incorporating a variety of fresh, frozen, dried, and canned options.
