diet chart for weight loss
Weight loss and weight gain rely on your calorie intake per day. Our diet chart for weight loss will give you an idea of what a weight loss diet should be. Before that, you need to understand how weight loss and weight gain happen.
Our body needs the energy to function correctly. This energy comes from the food we eat. Our food contains water, minerals, vitamins, essential metals, fiber, etc. But the major factor for weight loss and weight gain is sorting out the total food intake and balancing the macronutrients.
A diet chart for weight loss is mainly a calorie deficit, whereas a diet chart for weight gain is primarily a calorie surplus. If you eat fewer calories than your maintenance calories, you will lose weight.
Macronutrients in our food are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These three macronutrients affect overall weight loss and weight gain. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source.
Carbohydrates get converted to energy easily as compared to proteins and fats. Our brain, muscles, and other cells need carbohydrates to function. This is why carbohydrates are essential.
Carbohydrates convert to sugars (glucose) that enter the bloodstream, which can be used anytime. There are two types of carbohydrates: simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates are made up of one or two sugar units which can be broken down easily. In contrast, complex carbohydrates consist of long strings of sugar units that can not be broken down as quickly as simple carbohydrates. Break down of complex carbohydrates takes more time.
Simple carbohydrates can hike your blood sugar levels and then drop suddenly. But, complex carbohydrates have a stable impact on blood sugar levels.
So, it would be best to consume simple carbohydrates when you are about to do some physical work like exercising or jogging or anything that requires instant energy. Most times, it is recommended to consume foods that contain complex carbohydrates. (1)
| Simple carbohydrates | Complex carbohydrates |
|---|---|
| Sugar | Whole grains |
| Honey | Cerials |
| Fruit juice | Pasta |
| Candy | Brown rice/bread |
| Soda, Soft drinks | Beans and legumes |
Proteins are macronutrients that provide amino acids to the body. They are basically the building blocks for muscle, brain, nervous system, hair, skin, and blood. Proteins help you build muscle strength and endurance.
20 different types of amino acids form proteins. Out of which our body produces 11 on its own. So, we need to get the other 9 nine amino acids called “essential amino acids.”
Protein sources that have all the 9 essential amino acids that our body can not produce on its own are called complete protein sources. Other protein sources contain some amino acids, and these are called incomplete protein sources.
We should consume both complete and incomplete protein sources that fulfill our body’s protein requirements.
| Complete protein sources | Incomplete protein sources |
|---|---|
| Seafood | Nuts |
| Eggs | Grains |
| Milk | Seeds |
| Poultry | Vegetables |
| Quinoa | Beans, lentils, and legumes |
Fats are the macronutrients that our body needs for proper functioning. Fats are of two types: saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats mainly come from meat and dairy.
The fats that come from meat should be avoided to a certain extent due to negative impacts on the cardiovascular system. The full fats from dairy have a neutral or positive effect on the cardiovascular system.
There are two types of unsaturated fats – monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats have a smaller shelf life as compared to saturated fats.
Unsaturated fats come from plant sources, eggs, dairy, and fish and are tremendously beneficial. They decrease the risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes.
There’s another type of fat called trans fat which is polyunsaturated fat processed for longer shelf life. Processed foods contain trans fat. (2)
| Saturated fats | Unsaturated fats |
|---|---|
| Meat | Nuts |
| Full-fat dairy products | Seeds |
| Butter | Vegetable oils |
| Cakes | Seafood |
| Biscuits | Avocados, olives, peanuts |
A balanced diet chart for weight loss or weight gain must have macronutrients in a particular ratio. A combination of simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Protein sources with all the essential amino acids. Good fat sources help to keep the body healthy.
This diet chart for weight loss contains a diet less in calories and rich in nutrients. Your diet should include plenty of vegetables.
Vegetables have fewer calories but contain many vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water essential for the body. Overall the calories of your diet should be less than your maintenance calories.
Before breakfast: You can drink lemon water with chia seeds and honey upon getting up. You can even drink apple cider vinegar in warm water or just honey in warm water. This helps you detox and lose weight. It cleans your digestive tract and boosts metabolism.
Breakfast: Oatmeal is the best breakfast you can have as it has all the required nutrients in it. It will provide the body with all the essential nutrients for the day. You can add any fruit to your oatmeal, but adding milk to the breakfast may cause bloating.
You can even have your typical traditional breakfast if it contains nearly the same type and amount of nutrients in it. But make sure to calculate the overall calories of the day. You can add tea here.
Lunch: Brown rice and whole wheat roti contain complex carbohydrates and fiber, making it best for lunch. You can also have dal, paneer, potatoes, or cauliflower. You can also add curd or yogurt to your lunch.
If you are a non-vegetarian, you can have eggs or seafood. Make sure it is not deep-fried. Having too much chicken in your meals may hinder your weight loss goal.
Evening snack: Oatmeal or a vegetable sandwich will give you enough energy and nutrients for the evening. It would be best not to stuff your stomach with heavy food in the evening.
Having green tea or black coffee in the evening is beneficial. It reduces fatigue and stress and elevates your mood by improving blood circulation. It is also great for digestion.
Dinner: Roti at night is beneficial because of its complex carbs and fiber content. Having 2 Rotis with mixed vegetables or paneer/soybean will provide enough energy and nutrients.
Make sure that you have your dinner at least 3 hours before bed to get enough time for complete digestion.
Before bed: A glass of milk at bedtime improves digestion and smooths your bowel movements. Milk has almost every nutrient. This makes it perfect to have at bedtime, taking away your hunger and helping you get a good sleep.
Make your own diet chart for weight loss with the above idea. Just make sure to be in a calorie deficit, and you will reach your goal in weeks.
30 grams of chia seeds contain 179 mg of calcium, 95 mg of magnesium, 2.19 mg of iron, and 115 mg of potassium. They also contain omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.
Health benefits of Chia Seeds:
How to use chia seeds for weight loss:
Soak a teaspoon of chia seeds in water for 10 mins and drink it in the morning. You can add honey or lemon to it. Add it to your fruit and vegetable salads.
The omega-3 fatty acids help in increasing testosterone which helps lose fat. It keeps the brain active, which helps in stress relief.
Oats are one of the best grains. They are very healthy and have many benefits. They are gluten-free. Oats contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Oats contain manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B1, and B5.
The macro breakdown of 80 grams of oats is 51 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat. It also contains 8 grams of fiber. This is why oatmeal is the best and most complete meal for everyone.
Health benefits of oats:
Every fitness enthusiast has oatmeal at least once per day. You can prepare your own oatmeal recipe. Adding chopped bananas, apples, dry fruits, chia seeds, milk, peanut butter, etc.
Have this meal twice a day to get a complete package of nutrients. Whether you are on a weight loss program or weight gain program, you need to add oats to your diet. You can also make a smoothie using oats. (3)
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