How to Focus on Balance of Nutrition When Losing Weight

When you are working on losing a few extra pounds, it can be hard to figure out what to 
eat, or what not to eat. After all, weight loss is about 80% diet and 20% physical activity. 
This means you should be focusing on what you are eating before anything else. The 
trick is to have a good balance of nutrients for every meal and snack, then stop eating 
when you’re satiated. Here are some tips for keeping that balance.


Balancing Out Your Plate

The first thing to learn is how to find the tight balance on your plate. This is going to vary 
a little depending on your own requirements, food intolerances and allergies, and 
personal preference. For example, if you are on a gluten-free diet, the carb section on 
your plate might be a little different than someone on a vegan diet where many of the 
foods they eat are carbs.

However, here are some ways to balance out your plate so that you have all the 
nutrients you need with every meal and snack:

Protein, Carb, and Fat – The simplest way to create a balanced meal is to make sure 
you have at least one protein source, one carb, and one fat. This could be grilled 
salmon (protein and fat), brown rice (carb), and veggies (carb), or a big salad with 
chicken (protein), walnuts (Fat), and veggies (carbs). There are many ways to use this 
type of balance for your meals.

Half Your Plate in Vegetables or Salad – Another way is going to help make sure you 
get enough vegetables and fiber into your diet. This is when half your plate for lunch or 
dinner is a salad or vegetables, with the other half being split up into your protein and 
other food sources, such as carbs or fats. 

80/20 Rule – This is good when you want a little treat with your meal, without going 
overboard. To balance it out, have 80 percent “healthy” food, with 20 percent being your 
“treat”.


Healthy Foods for Each Nutrient

Another way to focus more on nutrition than diets when you are trying to lose weight is 
make a list of the most important nutrients you need, then find foods you enjoy for each 
of these nutrients. Here are some examples:

Protein – Eggs, meat, poultry, fish, tofu, nuts, cheese/dairy, beans/legumes

Carbs – brown rice, potatoes, quinoa, oats, most vegetables

Fiber – Chia seeds, whole grains, brown rice, vegetables, fruits

Fats – coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts, fatty fish (salmon)


Stop with the All or Nothing Mentality

Through this balance of nutrition, you are going to stop dieting and restricting, and stop 
with the all or nothing mentality. There are no “bad” labeled foods, but instead you are 
going to just aim for a healthy balance between foods that nourish your body, and little 
treats that help to keep away those cravings.




