The number one diet question my clients ask? How do I get started?
Well, that’s why we wrote our book, The Formula, A Personalized 40-30-30 Weight Loss Program.
Unlike other diet books, The Formula is personalized and provides you informed solutions for your specific requirements. The Formula is based on the revolutionary 40-30-30 dietary ratio of 40% of total calories from carbohydrate, 30% from protein, and 30% from fat. This ratio helps stabilize blood sugar to maximize your ability to burn stored body fat for energy. It’s much more than a diet, it’s a dietary prescription to look, feel and perform better. To make getting started as easy as possible, follow these three easy steps:
- Determine your requirements.In order to lose weight, you must first determine the overall amount of food and the number of calories you need daily to maximize fat loss. Based on your gender, current body weight and activity level, choose from five different meal planners: A, B, C, D, and E, found in our book. Each planner contains the identical meals, but they are broken down for your specific protein requirements.In my case, I prepare the same meal, but my husband’s plate contains more food than mine.
- Keep it simple.Choose only one or two breakfast, lunch, and snack choices that sound the best to you. There are hundreds of meals to choose from. Learn how to make those few meals for your requirements and eat them often. My favorite breakfasts are the O.J. Smoothie and Cottage Cheese and Fruit. Since I’ve made them many times, I no longer have to look up the recipe for specific amounts.
- Stock your kitchen.After choosing your favorite meals, make a shopping list for all the items you will need. I keep plenty of fresh oranges, orange juice, protein powder, slivered almonds, grapes and cottage cheese around. I also have a variety of Balance Bars in my pantry for those times when I don’t have time to make a perfectly balanced meal or for an afternoon or pre-workout snack. Balance Bars contain the precise 40-30-30 ratio with a mere 200 calories and 15 grams of quality protein.
Don’t think of this as a “DIET.” The 40-30-30 ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat is simply a healthy balance of macronutrients designed to control blood sugar from meal to meal. Your entire family will benefit from balanced daily meals and snacks. One last thing to remember, if you mess up and “pig out,” don’t worry. You can get back in “the 40-30-30 zone” as quickly as your next meal. If you follow this balanced dietary lifestyle at least 80 percent of the time, you will begin burning body fat efficiently and see and feel the benefits for a lifetime.
Joyce Daoust is a Certified Nutritionist and national best selling co-author of: THE FORMULA, A Personalized 40-30-30 Weight Loss Program