Eat 3 Meals Per Day—No Snacking!
Many diet plans push the mini-meal approach that involves eating small portions six to eight times a day. Only problem? Lots of people subscribe to the "six to eight times a day," but not so much to the "mini-meals." To make this strategy work, you'd have to keep most of your meals and snacks in the 200 to 300 calorie range. Easy enough for snacks, but that's generally not going to happen for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast.
Fill Up on Fruits and Veggies
Losing weight—and keeping it off—isn't just about the number of times you eat during the day: It won't do you a lick of good to reduce your meals/snacks from six to three if those three meals could feed a suburban neighborhood. First, you need to re-familiarize yourself with a "serving" really looks like. One trick to control your calories is to fill your plate halfway with fruits and veggies. Eating more of these nutrient-packed foods have been shown to be one of the most important predictors of weight loss. Then, fill the other half with healthy proteins and carbs, which we'll cover in the next slide.
Watch Portion Sizes
Slim women know that keeping portions in check is crucial for maintaining a healthy physique. Keep each serving of non-fruits-and-veggies, including carbs and proteins, about the size of your fist. It's a simple eyeball test, and while it certainly gives you some room to cheat if you're so inclined ("Well, tonight, I'm going to use Sasquatch's fist as my guide"), the point is that it teaches you to develop an instinct—and consistent behavior—for eating healthy.
Buff Your Body with Protein
Building lean muscle is an essential part of slimming down. Besides giving you that strong and sexy look, muscle also helps keep your metabolism revved so you burn more fat. Focus your meals around lean sources of protein—foods that are packed with it but don't have a lot of saturated fat. That means eggs, fish, chicken, turkey, and even some lean red meats. In particular, fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel, tend to be the best choices cited by nutrition experts. Today:1
