The three most important goals you need to meet every day to help you get started losing weight and keep the weight off.

When I meet a new client, we spend a significant amount of time going through their history. We develop a personalized supplement protocol based on health and hormone history. They provide me with a metabolic questionnaire that helps me identify hormone and metabolism symptoms to request they get certain labs done with their doctor. All of that takes at least 45 minutes. It was one of the things I was so excited to start my practice, to be able to spend the time with my clients that I needed to spend.  

So, there is a ton of individualization that goes into meeting with a client one-on-one. That being said, after the initial getting to know you process, I jump into the nutrition education segment. I break down the plate for them, and usually, I set the same three goals for at least 90% of my clients during the second half of our appointment.  

Today, I’m sharing those goals with all of you! So, if you want to know what changes you can make to start losing weight now. These are it! 

Don’t forget to keep DM’ing me on IG or emailing me with your questions about weight loss!

1. Hydration 

Are you drinking half your body weight in fluid ounces? If not, that’s goal number 1.  

Why do I set that as the first goal? Even just slight dehydration, like ten percent or less, can cause:

• Increase hunger
• Fatigue (leading to increased hunger) 
• Poor exercise performance (leading to fewer calories burned)
• Water retention (so, the scale goes up) 

When you ask your body for weight loss, you’re asking it to break down fat for energy. That is a massive series of metabolic reactions that require a fluid medium.  

Struggle with drinking enough water? Here are my best tips!

2. Veggies

Hold up your fists. They are proportional to your body, different from your spouse, sibling, or whoever. Are you getting 4-5 fistfuls EVERY SINGLE DAY? Or at least two full cups at two meals a day.   

Veggies keep you full, and they keep you healthy. You can’t run from them, and you can’t hide. The fiber and the hydration they provide are ESSENTIAL to keeping you full AND keeping you energized. In addition, they are nature’s vitamins, so they will nourish your body while in a calorie deficit. 

Veggie Quota Rules: No. Greens powders do not count. Sure go ahead and take them, they are full of antioxidants and nutrients, but they don’t count for your veggie goal. Yes, you can put spinach in your smoothies, and that counts. But, no, green juice does not count. (Love my green juice, but that doesn’t count.) Yes, any veggie counts that isn’t corn, peas, or potatoes (those are considered starches.) No, carrots and squash do not have too much sugar. No, I don’t care if you eat them roasted, steamed, raw. Just eat them. 

The vast majority of my new weight loss clients receive this goal, the exception is sometimes my vegetarian, and vegan clients are meeting this goal (but they fall short on the next one.)  To achieve this goal, most people have to start eating veggies when they otherwise wouldn’t and pairing random vegetables with meals they otherwise wouldn’t.  

Example: You made enchiladas. To meet your goal, you have to eat whatever is available, such as frozen asparagus or two handfuls of baby carrots with dinner. You have to let go of the idea that the veggies you eat exactly fit meal style, especially when you cook many family-style meals.  

Need ideas? Tips to get enough veggies |How to add veggies to classic meals

3. Protein 

This is usually one of two goals. First, you either need to get enough protein at breakfast or, if you do that already, get enough protein throughout the day.  

How much?  

For most women and men at breakfast, we’re looking at 15-30 grams and 30-40 grams, respectively, depending on your body composition and activity level.  

Not a breakfast eater? Read this post I wrote to learn how to become one.  

Need ideas? 20 High Protein Low Carb Breakfast Ideas | 10 Portable and Healthy Breakfast Ideas | 90+ Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Vegetarian? High Protein Breakfast Ideas For Vegetarians (no eggs)

Need help with meal prep? 3 Tips To Meal Prep Breakfast for Weight Loss

No time? 18 Unique and Delicious High Protein Smoothies

Throughout the day, we’re generally looking for 90-100 grams per day. Again, this could vary WILDLY depending on someone’s body composition and activity level. That would be WAY too low for someone like my 6’2″ husband, but perfect for, say, a 5’4″-5’6″ female who just got back into working out.  

This goal requires you to learn where protein is in what foods you typically consume.  

For example, a lean grilled chicken breast provides little fat to a meal, and you’ll need to add some to balance out the meal. On the other hand, a ribeye steak contains a lot of fat. We don’t need to add any to that meal. For my vegetarian friends, lentils and edamame are higher in carbs so, we need to pull back on other sources of carbs at that meal. This is where some of the individualizations for lifestyle starts to kick in.  

Learn more about getting enough protein and the best sources of protein in this post. 

More Helpful Weight Loss Information Posts:

• Weight Loss 101: How These Four Stressors Prevent Weight Loss
• How Fast Should You Lose Weight?
• Why 1200 Calories Is Not The Right Number
• Why Your Hormones Need Carbs
• What’s Up With Hormones and Weight Gain
• Is Fasting Bad For You?
• How to Get Off Keto Without Gaining Weight
• Carb Cycling What Is It And How Does It Work?
• The Rule of 3 or Sometimes 4
• Why Weight Loss Backfires and All About Leptin Resistance
• What’s Up With Hormones and Weight Gain
• 10 Tips to Prevent Late Night Snacking
• Are Food Sensitivities Preventing Your Weight Loss?
• Are Cheat Meals Bad For Weight Loss?