In our most recent blog we discussed that successful long term weight loss is a lifelong commitment and requires permanent lifestyle changes. The ultimate key to safe and sustained weight loss is to adopt healthy eating habits that can be maintained for life. Healthy eating isn’t just about ‘eating greens’ and cutting out the late night pizza – it’s about ensuring your body gets good nutrition to maintain your health for you to feel good and have energy.

There are 10 golden rules that Dr. Faruq Badiuddin has put together to ensure his patients on any weight loss program reach their target weight and maintain the healthy weight long term. During the last blog we emphasized the importance of following a structured eating plan. In this blog we will focus on the second golden rule.  

Have the right composition and proportion at each meal to support weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.

When it comes to weight loss, temporary deprivation is never the solution; balanced meals are. Optimal weight loss results come from carefully planning the composition of nutrient intake so that the body gets all the essential nutrients without ‘rocking’ the energy balance scale.

Our bodies need energy (calories) to function and we get our energy from food. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are the main energy components of food. Protein by far is the most important macronutrient of the three energy sources. Fiber is important to maintain gastro-intestinal health and vitamins and mineral in the right dose are essential for our bodies to work properly.

Therefore a healthy lifestyle needs to include the right portion of macronutrients along with micronutrients.

So how much of carbohydrate, protein, fat, fiber and vitamins do we need and what should the portion size be?

50% protein, 30% vegetables, 20% carbohydrate.

Most of us that have followed any diet or visited a dietician for weight loss, know that the first rule to lose weight is to limit or even eliminate carbohydrates and to have only 3 meals a day comprising of mainly proteins and vegetables. This rule is indeed at the core of any weight loss program and any successful weight loss diet revolves around having the right portion of each macronutrient.

Dr. Faruq Badiuddin always advises his patients to have 50% protein, 30% vegetables and 20% carbohydrates at each meal. In order to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight our plates or lunchboxes at each meal should look similar to this plate:

Half of our plate should be protein. This can be in the form of meat, eggs, pulses or low-dairy foods. Undoubtedly, protein is an essential nutrition. Proteins look after our muscles and ensure we don’t lose muscle mass. Moreover, proteins are incredibly filling; they give our bodies energy that can keep us satiated for the next 4-5hours. It is highly recommended to always eat proteins first. In our upcoming blog we focus in more detail about prioritizing proteins and the role of proteins for a healthy lifestyle.

Equally important are micronutrients and fiber. Any meal is incomplete without fiber. Vegetables provide various vitamins and help with digestion as all vegetables are a source of fiber. Vegetables also contain a good amount of water and thus help keep us feeling full between meals. You should aim to eat (not drink) a variety of vegetables daily. That way we can ensure our bodies are supported with the necessary micronutrients to function properly.

The last thing our forks (or fingers) should pick up should be carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, particularly refined carbohydrates should be absolutely limited at each meal. In fact, Dr. Faruq Badiuddin always tells his patients; make the carbohydrate component of your meal the last thing you eat. Often we can become well-satiated from the protein and vegetables and we can do without the bread, rice and pasta. This is particularly important for those looking to shed off those extra pounds. Refined carbohydrates are pure energy foods that our bodies end up storing in the form of fat (if we don’t burn it off). Thus the foods that should be kept to a minimum or eliminated from our daily meals- should be bread, rice, pasta and any foods containing potatoes. That’s why those on weight loss programs are often advised by physicians to limit or in some cases exclude carbohydrates from their meals.

The same at each meal.

At any meal, our plate should look like the above. With many of us always being in a rush and keeping up with today’s fast-paced life, its so easy to get carried away in having hurried to-go sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For those of us looking to maintain our target weight- it pays off to follow the 50:30:20 food plating at each meal. Prioritizing proteins at each meal is a golden rule itself.

In our upcoming blog we will discuss in detail the great impact protein has on successful long term weight loss.