#133 Common Diet Questions Answered

I get asked questions about nutrition ALL the time. So here are some of my most commonly asked diet questions.

1. How much should I eat in a day?

This depends on your size, metabolic rate and your activity level. I have written a previous blog post on how to calculate your daily calorie intake so check that out here. It gives you calculations on how to work out your metabolic rate and then how to take into account your activity level.

2. How much of a calorie deficit do I need to be in to lose weight?

Again, this is discussed in the previous blog post I mentioned above. It has been recommended that a daily deficit of 500 calories is ideal for fat loss. But personally I struggle with hunger at a 500 calorie deficit. Any calorie deficit will see you losing weight, but I would recommend anywhere between 200 – 500 calories per day.

3. What should I eat to lose weight in say 2 weeks?

Remember that losing weight and keeping it off is due to a long-term change in your lifestyle, not a quick fix. But in saying that, it is possible to lose weight in a short period of time. Read my blog post here on how to drop body fat in 1 week for my best tips!

4. So what foods should I avoid to lead a healthier lifestyle?

Pretty much anything that comes in a packet! This is a list of all of the food that I end to avoid or limit to cheat meals.

• Gluten
• Dairy (I am intolerant)
• Alcohol
• Cereal (except oats) – I make my own granola
• Packet soups, flavourings, bottled sauces, salad dressings, spreads with added sugars, etc
• Anything sweet such as chocolate, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, chips, lollies, muesli bars, etc
• Frozen meals such as pizza, pies, sausage rolls, etc
• Anything deep fried
• I don’t drink anything except for water, almond milk and coconut water – avoid any other sugary or energy drinks

So what should you eat? Check out my free clean eating guidelines.

5. Is it OK to have a cheat meal? Do you eat cheat meals?

Yes I definitely have cheat meals! I recommend having a cheat meal either once or a few times a week to keep you sane. It is important to have balance and to be able to have a cheat meal without binging. Avoid “cheat foods” altogether can lead to you developing an unhealthy relationship with food.  My favourite cheat meals are sweets such as chocolates and cookies, as well as deep fried chips. But I try to limit these to once or twice per week.

6. What’s a good diet plan?

Just stick to lots of fruit and vegetables and lean protein, and cut out the junk! If you have any bad habits such as smoking and drinking, these also need to go. And make sure you drink at least 2L of water per day.

I have put up my daily diet, as well as a full week of exactly what I ate in a week. Have a read of these for ideas.

7. What about carbs and fats? And Paleo? And Keto?

All that information out there can be confusing. I personally don’t stick to Paleo or Keto but I do eat low-ish carb (I avoid gluten and my carbs come mostly from fruit and vegetables). I love healthy fats such as nuts, nut butter, salmon and avocado so I eat these a lot too. I think that it is a personal preference and as long as you’re eating healthy and eating the right amount of food for your body, there is no one specific diet plan that you need to categorize yourself in and stick to religiously.

8. Is it better to eat 3 large meals or 6 small meals?

Ah I’ve actually done a post on this! Check it out here. To summarize, eating 3 large meals or 6 small meals doesn’t have any affect on your metabolism. The only benefit to eating the smaller meals is that it can help with your hunger levels.

9. I’m skinny but I have belly fat. Why is this and what should I eat to lose this?

If you are skinny fat, have a read of my blog post on what to do if you’re skinny fat. The best thing I can suggest for you is to really focus on your diet because this is the main cause of storing fat around your stomach. Also make sure that your exercise program includes a combination of HIIT, cardio and weights to help you lose that belly fat!

10. I work out and eat healthy but I still don’t see results – why is this?

This is one of my most common questions so I have actually done LOTS of posts on this. Have a read of these blog posts for more information:

• Why can’t I lose weight
• 5 reasons you’re not losing weight
• How to lose weight
• 4 tips to break through a weight loss plateau
• 4 tips to help you lose those last few pounds