Managing your weight to stay healthy and fit is a balancing act. It requires a mix of behaviors that include eating well, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly.
Young elite athletes compete in sports where body weight is a key performance indicator. These sports are often referred to as “leanness sports” [32]. In these sports, athletes typically emphasise weight reduction.
Track Your Food Consumption
Food tracking can be time consuming, but it is a useful tool to help you get a more complete understanding of your daily intake. Tracking will allow you to see where you may be over/under consuming calories, fat, carbohydrates, and proteins, and identify meal patterns that may be working against you. Additionally, it will help you learn about portion sizes so that you can understand how much a palm-sized piece of chicken or a cup of yogurt really is.
Use a food journal, or download an app like MFP (My Fitness Pal), Healthi, or iTrackBites, to write down everything you consume throughout the day. Be sure to note the type of food, the serving size and any additional details like cooking methods or condiments used. It is also helpful to note how you felt after each meal so that you can start connecting foods with emotions and symptoms.
Reshape Your Plate
Using a portion control plate can help you get your food in shape and lose weight. A portion control plate helps you visualize the proportions of fruits, vegetables, proteins and grains that you need to eat at each meal.
Non-starchy super veggies should fill half the plate, along with a serving of lean protein. Avoid fatty meats like bacon and processed meat, and opt for grilled chicken, skinless fish, low-fat cheese or a small whole-wheat roll.
One quarter of the plate should contain healthy carbs such as whole grains, legumes and fruit. These foods are less likely to spike blood sugar and provide your body with important nutrients. Avoid high-calorie add-ons, such as heavy cream with coffee, mayonnaise and salad dressing.
Eat Healthy Fats
Fats are essential to your body’s health but some fats are unhealthy. Processed meats and foods made with refined vegetable oils are high in disease-causing trans fats. Instead, try to eat healthy fats such as avocados, full-fat dairy and oily fish. These fats help provide omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential fatty acids your body can’t make. Remember, though, that fats contain nine calories per gram, so be careful with portion sizes. Keep your servings small — an ounce of nuts is plenty.