Hello everyone! I’m excited to share with you how I’ve been able to lose about 5lbs a month over the last three months (another 15-20 lbs to go). In this blog post, I’m going to go over a brief outline of what you need to know about weight loss, some tips to help you along the way and my favorite healthy meals! The best part about these recipes is they are super delicious so you don’t have to worry about compromising weight loss for enjoying what your eating! It’s all about knowing how to balance nutrition (calories, carbs, fats, protein, sodium, and sugars). I use to count calories but that is just merely scratching the surface, and does not account for the whole picture that you really need to look at! Just counting calories without looking at nutrition is like choosing between hotels that cost the same but not looking at the reviews.
I am NOT a doctor, just someone who has been super interested in learning about fitness and nutrition since I was in middle school. With that being said you should always consult a doctor before starting any new diet or exercise routine. Also, this post may contain affiliate links in which I could make money if you make a purchase through the links. Thank you in advance for supporting my blog!
Weight loss Equation
Calorie intake – Calories burned = Calorie Deficit = WEIGHT LOSS!!
Simple right?! Okay, that equation is all I had to write, haha jk! First of all, there are some basics I have to go over first before I can give you an example of this weight loss equation and how it’s broken down. It’s a lot more detailed than what is shown which is why a lot of people struggle with it. Losing weight technically IS a mathematical equation when it gets down to it. However, you need to think about it as 5 calories of starburst candy vs 5 calories of a carrot.
First, you must break down “Calories Intake” into carbs, fats, protein, sodium, and sugars. This could take up a whole post talking about this so I will just say that healthier foods such as veggies or foods lower in fat and sugars are better for you and will make you FEEL better. Feeling full off of healthy foods makes it easier for you to lose weight also because well your, well…not hungry!
Second off, you must also break down “Calories Burned” into your resting metabolism rate, metabolism rate, and exercise. All of these are different for each person and many factors come into play such as age, height, fat-free body mass, weight, and gender. Your resting metabolic rate is the rate at which you burn calories while doing nothing such as sitting around and watching Netflix or HBO. You have to add this to the light activities you do every day such as walking around your house to get a “true metabolism rate”. Exercise is the calories that you burn through rigorous physical activities such as weightlifting, cardio, outdoor and indoor sports.
EXAMPLE TIME!!!
Our equation looks a little different now…
Calories intake – Calories Burned ( Metabolism rate + Exercise) = Calorie Deficit = Weight Loss
Example: Intake 1,300 Calories – Calories Burned ( 1649 Metabolism rate + 500 exercise) = 849 calorie deficit.
There are 3500 calories in one pound. As a result, you are put into a deficit of 850 calories a day, which means I will lose one pound after about 4 days. I would personally suggest losing weight slowly (1 – 1.5lbs a week) to avoid stretch marks and to keep up your energy and overall health up. I used an online calculator to get my metabolism rate. Also, you can also use online calculators to see how many calories you burn for your weight, height, and gender for different exercises
My Favorite Healthy Meals!
True story, I have only dieted once in a life with a friend who was doing low carb. It went awfully because I had to change EVERYTHING I was eating and couldn’t have certain foods. Maybe, that’s fine for some people but it was not for me. Needless to say, I only lasted about 2 weeks. I encourage you to learn how to control your portions throughout the week. My goal is to have ONE cheat MEAL throughout the week. “Cheat Days” are taboo, will ruin your progress, and I won’t even start a rant about them right now.
With that being said, the recipes below are foods I enjoy eating! You can really find anything you LOVE to eat and make it a little healthier with a swap. I swapped out the sour cream for nonfat yogurt in the buffalo chicken recipe. LIFE TIP: NEVER SWITCH OUT REGULAR PEANUT BUTTER FOR REDUCE FAT PEANUT BUTTER. hahaha. I’ll save you the trouble of telling you that it tastes nothing like regular peanut butter.
I will mix and match any of these recipes plus more on any given day. I use the MyFitnessPal app by Under Armour to track my nutrition because as you will see there are a lot of numbers and tracking that goes into this! There’s no way I would ever track this on paper. Noteworthy, the recipes below all contain an average number based on foods that are in the MyFitnessPal app, so some of the information may be off a little or missing. Another Tip I have found is that some foods do not work well with each other on the same day. What I mean by this is, when I eat a banana that contains a lot of sugar, I will not yogurt on the same day which also contains a lot of sugar. This ensures that I do not go over my sugar goal for the day.
This app helps me keep track of my daily goals to lose 1lb a week for my body type which currently are:
Daily Goals:
Calories: 1210
Carbs: 151g
Fats: 40g
Proteins: 61g
Sodium: 2,300 mg
Sugars: 45g
*These numbers will be readjusted when I am in my weight maintenance phase.
Avocado Egg Toast
Ingredients:
1 Fried Egg
72 calories, 0g carbs, 5g fats, 6g protein, 71mg sodium, and 0g sugars
1 Whole Wheat Bread Slice
60 calories, 10g carbs, 1g fats, 2g protein, 110mg sodium, and 2g sugars
1/2 medium Avocado
117 calories, 6g carbs, 10g fats, 1g protein, 5mg sodium, and 0g sugars
Hot sauce
0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 fats, 0 protein, 0 sodium and 0 sugars
Total
248 calories, 17g carbs, 16g fats, 10g protein, 186mg sodium, and 2g sugars
Avocado Cucumber Ham Sandwich
Ingredients:
4oz Boarshead Low Salt Ham
120 calories, 4g carbs, 2g fats, 20g protein, 920g sodium, and 4g sugars
2 Whole Wheat Bread Slices
120 calories, 21g carbs, 2g fats, 5g protein, 220mg sodium, and 3g sugars
1/2 Medium Avocado
117 calories, 6g carbs, 10g fats, 1g protein, 5mg sodium, and 0g sugars
Cucumber
4 calories, 1g carbs, 0g fats, 0g protein, 0g sodium and 0g sugars
Total
361 calories, 32g carbs, 14g fats, 27g protein, 1,146mg sodium, and 8g sugars
Buffalo Chicken Wrap
Ingredients:
Short Cuts Perdue Grilled Chicken Breast
180 calories, 0g carbs, 4g fats, 32g protein, 760mg sodium, and 0g sugars
1 Xtreme Wellness Whole Wheat Wrap
50 calories, 16g carbs, 2g fats, 4g protein, 310mg sodium, and 0g sugars
Celery
7 calories, 1g carbs, 0g fats, 0g protein, 50mg sodium, and 0g sugars
1/2 Siggi’s Nonfat Plain Yogurt Cup
45 calories, 3g carbs, 0g fats, 8g protein, 28mg sodium and 2g sugars
Hot sauce
0 calories, 0g carbs, 0g fats, 0g protein, 190mg sodium and 0g sugars
Total
282 calories, 20g carbs, 6g fats, 44g protein, 1338mg sodium, and 2g sugars
Yogurt
Ingredients:
Strawberry Yogurt
150 calories, 17g carbs, 4g fats, 11g protein, 45mg sodium, and 16g sugars
Total
150 calories, 17g carbs, 4g fats, 11g protein, 45mg sodium, and 16g sugars
Turkey Burger with Pepperjack cheese and Bacon
Okay okay, I won’t blame you if you use what bread or a wrap haha!
Ingredients:
Ground Turkey Burger Patty
160 calories, 1g carbs, 7g fats, 24g protein, 85mg sodium, and 0g sugars
1 Boars Head Bacon Slice
35 calories, 0g carbs, 3g fats, 2g protein, 95mg sodium, and 0g sugars
Boars Head Pepperjack Cheese
100 calories, 0g carbs, 9g fats, 6g protein, 180mg sodium, and 0g sugars
Roman Lettuce Leaves
15 calories, 3g carbs, 0g fats, 1g protein, 7mg sodium and 1g sugars
Total
310 calories, 4g carbs, 19g fats, 33g protein, 367mg sodium, and 1g sugars
Zucchini Bagel Bites
Ingredients:
1 Medium Zucchini
33 calories, 6g carbs, 1g fats, 2g protein, 16mg sodium, and 5g sugars
Garlic Lover’s Pasta Sauce
60 calories, 10g carbs, 2g fats, 2g protein, 520mg sodium, and 6g sugars
1/2 cup Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese
180 calories, 2g carbs, 14g fats, 12g protein, 360mg sodium, and 0g sugars
Total
273 calories, 18 carbs, 17g fats, 16g protein, 896mg sodium, and 11g sugars
Peanut butter, Banana, and Rice Krispies Wrap
Ingredients:
Banana
105 calories, 27g carbs, 0g fats, 1g protein, 1mg sodium, and 14g sugars
1 Xtreme Wellness Whole Wheat Wrap
50 calories, 16g carbs, 2g fats, 4g protein, 310mg sodium, and 0g sugars
1tbsp Peanut butter
95 calories, 4g carbs, 8g fats, 4g protein, 70g sodium, and 2g sugars
.2 Cups Rice Krispies
26 calories, 6g carbs, 0g fats, 0g protein, 38mg sodium and 1g sugars
Total
276 calories, 53g carbs, 10g fats, 9g protein, 419mg sodium, and 17g sugars
Turkey, Cucumber, and Sriracha Aioli Sandwich
Ingredients:
3oz Boarshead Mesquite Roasted Turkey Breast
90 calories, 0g carbs, 2g fats, 18g protein, 660mg sodium, and 0g sugars
2 Whole Wheat Bread Slices
120 calories, 21g carbs, 2g fats, 5g protein, 220mg sodium, and 3g sugars
Cucumber
4 calories, 1g carbs, 0g fats, 0g protein, 0mg sodium, and 0g sugars
1tbsp Sriracha Aioli Sauce
80 calories, 1g carbs, 8g fats, 0g protein, 90mg sodium, and 0g sugars
Total
294 calories, 23g carbs, 12g fats, 23g protein, 970mg sodium, and 3g sugars
Protein Shake
Protein Shakes along with Oatmeal are some of my go-to’s in the morning for breakfast! I love the one that I have posted here (BSN SYNTHA-6 Whey Protein Powder, Micellar Casein, Milk Protein Isolate Meal Replacement Powder, Chocolate Cake Batter, 48 Servings) because it tastes good and was cheap but you can really get any protein powder from Amazon! Sorry for the self-timer in the picture haha,
Ingredients:
Protein Shake
200 calories, 10g carbs, 6g fats, 22g protein, 220mg sodium, and 2g sugars
Total
200 calories, 10g carbs, 6g fats, 22g protein, 220mg sodium, and 2g sugars
KEY TO SUCCESS:
Oh and One last thing, the key to success is to track this every single day for the rest of your life! I have fallen into the “I can eyeball it” after feeling comfortable but you will gain the weight back if you fall into this trap! Continuous monitoring and tracking is the key to success in anything that you do. It’s taught in business schools for running a successful business and it should definitely be taken seriously if you want to seriously lose weight.
Never stop finding things that work for you! If you are interested in adding some natural ingredients to improve your metabolic function and support healthy weight loss management check out this Tumeric Benefit Article!
GOOD LUCK!
Leave in the comments below if you loved this post and let me know if you tried out any of these Healthy Meals recipes! Download and add me on the Myfitnesspal app today! Leave me comments about your results as well!! I’d LOVE to hear about your success!!!
John Richard says
“PEANUT BUTTER, BANANA, AND RICE KRISPIES WRAP” is definitely my favour for those who doesn’t want to eat vegetable but still want to stay fit.
Anna says
So, your body naturally burns about for example 1600 kcal a day, you don’t have to burn 1600 calories in a workout if thats what your intake is?
thank you 🙂
kitstanwood@gmail.com says
Hello Anna! Yes, you can find out your resting metabolic rate using an online calculate , this one from body building is good, https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calrmr.htm
They state: “Resting metabolic rate is the energy required by an animal to stay alive with no activity“ If you wanted to maintain your weight, you would figure how many calories you naturally burn using this calculator and then eat that many to maintain. If you burn 1600 calories resting, then you can eat 1600 daily to maintain. It’s gets a little more complicated because you shouldn’t per say eat 1600 calories of sugar because that will turn to fat and make you feel bad. You still wanna make sure your eating healthy and exercising to stay toned. Thanks for reading!!
Andrea says
How do you cook the zuchinni bagel bites?
kitstanwood@gmail.com says
Hello!! I first cook them in the frying pan for about 4-5 minutes on each side, and then I bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes, and then I put the tomato sauce and cheese on them and cook them for another 10 minutes