Rule 1: Aim to eat about 1,500 calories a day (three 400-calorie meals and two 150-calorie snacks). Balance your diet with low amounts of fat (less than 30% of total daily calories), moderate carbs (40-50%) and moderate amounts of protein (20-25%). Add an additional 100-150 calorie snack if you are taller than 5'6", very active or more than 30 pounds overweight.
Rule 2: Include some form of protein with each meal or snack, whether that’s lean meat or poultry, low-fat dairy or plant-based protein sources like nuts or beans. Protein is important for building lean muscle and it will also help you feel more satisfied. Include small amounts of healthy fat with each meal/snack to keep you fuller longer and to improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. And cut back on your amount of refined carbs (think: white rice, bread, pasta, plus cakes, candies, cookies). At the same time, eating whole grains in moderation (3 servings per day) can help decrease belly fat. Whenever possible, choose whole grain, high fiber options.
Rule 3: Try to have no more than 2,300 mg of sodium in your daily diet. Too much of the mineral can you can leave you feeling bloated and undermine your results. Slash your intake by avoiding packaged and canned foods as much as possible and reaching for the whole, unprocessed kind instead. While shopping, look for low-sodium broths, soups, lunch meat, and so on. While cooking, season with herbs and spices before grabbing the salt shaker. Avoid packaged, processed foods (the less you eat of these, the better!)
Rule 4: Drink lots of water! Aim to drink at least eight 8 oz glasses of water or seltzer a day. Keep a water bottle on your desk or take it with you on the go to help you stay hydrated.
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