As a personal trainer, I get this question all the time, “Can I eat the foods I love and still lose weight?”

There is a lot to unpack in that question, as it infers to some degrees what clients are attempting to figure out what they can eat, sometimes what is the bare minimum of nutritious food they can eat while also still eating the foods they love.

I am a fitness trainer who teaches people that they do not necessarily need to count their calories, at least not at the beginning of their training plan.

Studies reveal that over 70% of fitness health relates to nutrition. If I were to give unsolicited advice to people looking to lose weight, gain muscle, and have a better fitness lifestyle, I would suggest focusing on nutrition first because it truly is more important than fitness training.

However, principles of eating, in my opinion, are more critical than counting calories in the beginning stages of targeting fat loss.

Basic Principles of Nutrition

Always eat breakfast, even if it is a bit of fruit or a protein bar.
Drink water consistently throughout the day.
The goal is to eat MORE healthy foods than unhealthy foods. This goal means limiting fast-food restaurants; it does not mean you cannot eat your favorite fatty foods, but schedule them into your schedule and stick to it. That way, you will avoid overeating fatty foods and overdoing it when going to unhealthy restaurants if already in your plan. You may use it as a reward for doing well in other areas of your fitness. Over time you will realize that you will naturally crave those fatty foods less and less.

For the people that still want to know how many calories to aim for

Ok, if you still want to know what calories to seek, check out

myplate.gov, where you can enter your information and get a detailed list of the foods and calories you should be aiming for daily.

Here is an example of the MyPlate chart revealing my results and the types of foods I should be eating.

What about the number of calories you need to eat if you want to lose weight?

A typical rule of thumb is the 40/30/30 rule. In other words, you can eat 40% of protein, 30% carbs, and 30% fat.

Myplate.gov gives you the calories to aim for, i.e., 1600-1700, which means about 160-170g protein, 120-128g carbs, and 53-57g of fat.

Please keep it simple, find the foods you enjoy, and a slight calorie deficit is ok, but do not overdo it. Eat more snacks throughout the day so that you will not go too crazy for dinner.
Do not forget your protein, which increases better fat loss. Thus, foods like chicken and fish are excellent sources of protein. If you are not a meat-eater, something like lentils and tofu is unique.
Planning is key! Now that you have an idea of your calorie intake make time for grocery shopping and meal planning throughout the week. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be to stay on track. There are tons of resources for healthy meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner online, so find the foods you love and get the job done!

Could you give me a freebie?

Ok, ready to start? Here is what you can eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

After an hour of training, make sure to replenish your muscles with protein or even shake. Oatmeal with berries and a glass of milk will total about 290 calories with 30g of protein, 39g of carbs, and 4g of fat.

If you have a slow cooker, have some chicken on deck and make some tacos aiming again for the 40/30/30 rule.

Lastly, end dinner with some protein and veggies like fish or chicken with broccoli or steamed veggies.

So you’ve meal planned your HEALTHY meals for the week by knowing an estimate of your calorie intake for each day, you’ve gotten a mix of veggies, fruits, protein, and carbs, as well as you’re drinking plenty of water throughout the day.

You can now PLAN some of those fatty foods you love, like ice cream Tuesday and Thursday after dinner or going to your favorite restaurant Saturday night. Planning in those few times where you splurge will help motivate you to keep on track as the weeks go on. Meal plan FIRST, SPLURGE second. This strategy works because most people eat many fatty foods with no goal or aim of stopping. If you have a plan, you’re less likely to overdo it, as well as more likely to stay consistently eating more good foods than bad foods.

For more ideas, feel free to reach out to me. I am happy to assist you on your fitness journey. Happy Training!