What to eat every day to speed up weight loss… from 6 portions of carbs to 2 of dairy
There's no end of weight loss advice out there so it's hard to know exactly what to eat
THERE'S no end of weight loss advice out there - from tea detoxes, to new diet fads and workout regimes.
While many of them can work in theory, they can also depend on lots of factors unique to you - not to mention leave you hungry.
But an expert has now claimed you can lose weight, without having to starve yourself.
Dietitian Melissa Meier has offered her advice on exactly what you need to eat every day to speed up your weight loss results.
She recommends starting with small realistic changes that you can accumulate over time, telling : "It’s a far more sustainable approach than a crazy crash diet."
Melissa explains that the first place to start is with the core food groups.
Women aged between 19 and 50 are recommended to eat the following each day:
1. Five servings of vegetables
Try and have mostly the non-starchy kind. One serving is a cup (about 200g) of raw vegetables or half a cup (100g) of cooked veg.
2. Two servings of fruit
For one serving think an apple, two kiwi fruits or a cup of berries.
3. Six portions of carbs
Preferably wholegrain... one portion is equivalent to one slice of bread, half a cup of cooked rice, pasta or noodles, or a quarter of a cup of muesli.
4. Two and a half servings of protein
One serving is just 65g of cooked red meat, 80g of cooked poultry or 100g of cooked fish.
Two eggs, a tin of tuna or 170g of tofu also count as a portion.
Spreading this protein content throughout the day is recommend, too.
5. Two and a half portions of dairy or alternatives
Stick to mostly reduced-fat. One serving is one cup of milk, three quarters of a cup of yoghurt or two slices of hard cheese.
Melissa said: "When I’m working with clients to lose weight, the first step I usually take is to compare their current diet to these guidelines, and recommend a few key changes to get them on track to healthy eating.
"Most of the time by simply tweaking their intake to focus on their core food group targets, they see results pretty quickly.
"Once the core food groups are down-pat, the next step is to focus on discretionary choices - think chocolate or wine.
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"These foods are a common culprit for lots of extra calories that can lead to weight gain over time.
"So, it pays to be portion wise and cut down on these foods as much as possible – but of course, balance is important.
"For what it’s worth, to me that means enjoying a small portion of chocolate a couple of days a week or some wine on the weekend – but certainly not every day."
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