What should I be eating?
There is a huge tendency to overcomplicate this. Everyone has opinions. Everyone is quick to tell you what you're doing is completely wrong. Everyone is marketing the “magic solution”.
Because simple doesn’t sell.
If your goal is to lose weight, the only thing you need to do is consistently consume less calories than your body is using.
Period.
You can be vegetarian or keto or paleo or low-carb, high carb, intermittent fasting, all-purple-foods-except-on-Sundays, but you will only lose weight if you are consistently in a calorie deficit.
The key here is consistently, and that's where it can get tricky.
You can't be in a deficit Monday through Friday, then party all weekend and expect to make progress. The math just doesn't work.
I'm not talking about the occasional cookie or slice of pizza. You should include foods you love in your eating plan. In fact, enjoying them in moderation is psychologically beneficial, making you feel content, relaxed, and satisfied.
It's only a problem if you're eating them more than you're eating whole, nutritious foods. Every day, all day. Over time that's just not going to serve you well.
So if I don't have to worry about eating keto, what should I be doing?
For my clients we focus on prioritizing:
lean proteins (so you can build/retain muscle mass),
veggies (lots of fibre and high volume/low calorie),
whole, nutrient-dense foods (full of vitamins/minerals), and
water (to keep our body functioning properly)
while taking the time to eat slowly and mindfully.
Your objective should be to eat AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE while still being in a deficit. (Think abundance not scarcity.)
So the next time you feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting information, or confused by someone else's success story, remember that it doesn't need to be complicated.
Calories in vs calories out wins every time.
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