Important Nutrients in the Weight Loss Process

Nutrients for Weight Loss

When we think of weight loss, we often have a simplified view of how it should work. Many of us think about how much exercise we need to do or how to cut back on eating, but don’t always consider the nutrients that compose our foods and just how valuable they are.

Eating nutrient-rich foods does play a valuable part in weight loss, but unfortunately, not everyone knows what nutrients they should be getting in their diet and how to get them. In any nutrition plan, it’s important to obtain a combination of macronutrients and micronutrients, but not everyone knows what that looks like.

Understanding which nutrients are important for your body will help you promote your overall wellness and put you in the best position possible for losing weight—re:vitalize weight loss and wellness is here to help.

Macronutrients That Support Weight Loss

On any health journey, you should be familiar with three crucial macronutrients—protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Finding the right balance between these three nutrients is instrumental in weight loss.

Protein

Protein is crucial for growing tissue in your body, like repairing cells and building muscle. In weight loss, protein is valuable as it helps to keep you full longer and avoid cravings, boosts your metabolism, and even supports hormones that regulate your weight.

Protein also has the lowest impact on your blood sugar out of any macronutrient, meaning that your body is more likely to use protein for energy instead of storing it as fat. Eating protein also burns calories in itself, as the body uses energy to metabolize it and convert it into a usable form.

Plus, if you’re exercising more frequently in your weight loss journey, eating more protein helps you build muscle to advance your progress. More muscle mass also means a faster metabolism.

Common sources of protein include:

• Beef
• Poultry
• Fish
• Soy
• Dairy products
• Green vegetables
• Whole grains

Carbohydrates

Managing your carbohydrate intake is a valuable step in weight loss. Despite popular belief, carbohydrates are not inherently bad. In fact, carbs are a key nutrient, as they are the main nutrient that provides you with energy.

However, there is a difference in the types of carbohydrates you consume. The two most common are simple and complex carbohydrates:

• Complex carbohydrates – Complex carbs take longer for your body to break down. This is good because they keep you fuller longer and can be used for prolonged energy.
• Simple carbohydrates – Simple carbs are broken down easily by the body, meaning that they’re turned into sugars more quickly and are more likely to be stored as fat.

As you plan your meals, aim to consume more complex carbohydrates than simple carbohydrates. Aim to avoid starchy foods like white rice, potatoes, and white bread.

Instead, you can get complex carbohydrates from these foods:

• Brown rice
• Multigrain bread
• Oats
• Quinoa
• Starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes and potatoes
• Whole wheat pasta

Fats

Fat is another nutrient that is often misunderstood. Between its name and the reputation associated with it, people think dietary fat is to be avoided at all costs. However, this is far from the case.

Many unsaturated fats are actually good for you, and they have an important place in your diet. They provide a source of energy, support heart health, and help build up important cells in the body. They also promote healthy hormone production, which helps regulate your body for weight loss.

All that said, the type of fat you eat does matter—you should still steer clear of saturated fats and trans fats in fried foods and red meat.

Some examples of healthy dietary fat sources include:

• Nuts, like walnuts, peanuts, and pecans
• Olive oil
• Seeds, like sunflower or chia seeds
• Fish, like salmon and tuna

Micronutrients That Support Weight Loss

Micronutrients are the group of vitamins and minerals that the body needs for healthy function. These nutrients are not essential for energy, but they do support many bodily systems. They help promote the health of your metabolism, facilitate cell growth, and improve cellular health for overall wellness.

Fiber

Incorporating more fiber into your diet offers a few different benefits for weight loss. For starters, fiber will make you feel full longer, as your body takes longer to digest it and break it down. By satisfying your hunger, fiber helps to prevent you from overindulging in unhealthy foods.

Get more fiber in your diet with the following foods:

• Legumes, like beans and lentils
• Chia seeds
• Quinoa
• Oats
• Whole grains

Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are an underrated part of your weight loss journey. These nutrients play a crucial role in promoting important bodily functions. They support healthy cells, promote healthy cell aging, and support overall metabolic health. By supporting improved energy levels, these vitamins also promote weight loss and overall health.

Some vitamins to include in your diet include:

• Vitamin B – B vitamins support healthy energy levels and promote metabolic health for increased activity. A B-complex vitamin is a great way to introduce more of this nutrient in your routine.
• Calcium – Calcium is important for muscle function and healthy bones, and some studies have shown it may help promote fat burning. You can try a supplement or foods like dairy, spinach, nuts, or seeds.
• Vitamin D – Vitamin D is crucial for promoting healthy energy levels and can influence weight loss. You can find this vitamin in fish, seeds, and fortified foods.

What To Avoid

Knowing what foods to avoid is just as important as knowing which foods you should include when working toward weight loss. Avoiding the right foods will help you combat those frustrating cravings and repair your metabolism.

Steer clear of these foods:

• Refined grains – Refined grains are not as nutritious or as filling as whole grains. Avoid foods like white bread and white rice to keep yourself full and avoid storing excess fat.
• Saturated fats – Saturated fats are often correlated with high cholesterol and have a negative impact on your heart health.
• Trans fats – These fats are found in many processed foods and can clog arteries, raise cholesterol, and affect your heart health.
• Sweeteners – Sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup are loaded with sugar that your body is more likely to store as fat. Even “healthier” sweeteners like honey and maple syrup are not as great as they seem since they’re still full of sugar.

Improve Your Diet for Weight Loss Success

When pursuing weight loss, nutrition is key, and consuming the right nutrients goes a long way toward supporting your weight loss efforts and promoting your overall wellness. Still, everyone is different and may have different nutritional needs, so it’s helpful to have guidance in the process.

At re:vitalize weight loss, we’ll help you understand the nutrients that are optimal for your weight loss and overall wellness. We use our unique BioScan™ technology to identify these nutrients and set the foundation for a personalized nutrition plan. Our programs are centered around energy-giving whole foods, plants, and fruits and vegetables.

Nutrition is just one component of our Weight Loss & Metabolic Reset Program and Flexible Weight Loss programs, along with the guidance and support of our expert team of board-certified nutritionists and health coaches to promote lasting weight loss success. We offer both in-person and virtual programs to meet any lifestyle.

Schedule a consultation with our team today to get a benchmark for your wellness and officially start your path to sustainable weight loss.