Weight Loss: Tips and Information

Information to take best advantage of your meal plan

With our Weight Loss Meal Plans, you stack the odds in your favour. To take maximum advantage of our meal plans, take the time to read the information below.

Important Advice and Useful Tips for Weight Loss

What you should do

  • Set realistic weight loss goals. As a first goal, experts recommend losing 5% to 10% of your body weight. With such a weight loss, several health benefits will already be noticeable. To help you set such a realistic weight loss target, calculate your body mass index (BMI) and measure your waist circumference. This will help you determine your healthy weight.
  • Drink enough fluids, i.e. 1 to 2 liters/quarts each day, including water, milk, soup, tea, coffee, juice, etc., distributed throughout the day. Make sure your urine remains clear throughout the day.
  • Take time to eat quietly.
  • Move! Being physically active on a regular basis promotes weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight. Don’t hesitate to ask for professional help to get started.
  • Learn to assess your hunger.
  • If you eat outside or can’t follow our meal plans, make sure to distribute your protein intake throughout the day to improve satiety and preserve lean muscle mass. Aim to have a maximum of 20g of protein per meal (including breakfast) and include protein-rich snacks as needed. Make sure to choose options that are lower in salt, fat and sugar.
  • Since you don’t always need the same amount of food, depending on your daily activities, it’s important to recognize the signals of satiety (fullness). Some of these include: clothes beginning to feel tighter, meal not being as tasty as when you started eating, not bothering to stop eating, etc.
  • N.B. Consult your Doctor if you have a medical condition. We also recommend that you consult a Registered Dietitian and tell her/him that you follow the SOSCuisine Meal Plans.

What you should watch out for

  • Eat a snack as needed to balance your calories intake throughout the day and avoid being too hungry at meal times.
  • Limit the use of the bathroom scale. Weighing yourself once a week is enough. Ideally, always weigh yourself at the same moment of the day and in the same conditions (fasting and with the same clothing).
  • Limit restaurants and take out. If you must eat out, focus on lower fat, salt and sugar options.
  • If you have a chronic disease, consult a doctor or a registered dietitian before starting on a weight loss program. You can also opt for customized nutrition assessment with our VIP Dietitian service
  • If you take prescribed medications, it might be necessary to adjust the dose following a weight loss. Keep your health care provider informed.
  • Kids, pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as elders should consult their doctor and/or their dietitian before starting a weight loss program.

What you should NOT do

  • Follow fad or “miracle” diets.
  • Lose weight too quickly : weight loss should not exceed 1 kg (2 pounds) a week.
  • Get a large portion of your calories from alcohol, juices, flavored coffees and sweetened beverages. Make sure to limit your added sugar intake.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Weight Loss

I have diabetes, hypertension and I want to lose weight. What meal plan should I choose?

We recommend that you consult your doctor and/or a registered dietitian, that will give you the best advice in this regard.

This being said, you can choose one of the Diabetes Meal Plans, offered in three caloric levels: 1,500, 1,700 and 2,100 calories per day. To lose weight, you must choose a caloric level that is lower than your energy needs. A deficit of 500 calories per day will typically allow you to lose one pound (half a kilogram) per week, which is safe. Calculate your energy needs. If, for example, your energy requirement is 2,000 calories, choose the 1,500-calorie Meal Plans to achieve weight loss. Most of our female subscribers choose the 1,500-calorie Meal Plans, and most male subscribers choose the 1,700-calorie Meal Plans.

With regard to hypertension, the good news is that our Diabetes Meal Plans contain less than 7% of daily calories coming from saturated fat, zero trans fat, very little sodium (1,725 mg/day on average), plenty of fruits and vegetables (9 servings/day on average), fully comply with Canada’s Food Guide recommendations, and can therefore contribute to reduce your blood pressure.

Every time I tried a diet to lose weight, I was always hungry. How is your weight loss meal plan different?

First, the meals we suggest are rich in fibers and proteins which fill you up and prevent hunger to strike shortly after. Second, our meal plans are calculated so you can have snacks between meals. If you are still hungry, it is possible to eat another snack while checking carefully the nutritive value on the product or on our web site. Quick tip: drinking water before and between meals will help you to manage your hunger.

Why is there is cheese and even desserts in your weight loss meal plan?

Our weight loss meal plan is not another of those drastically restrictive food regimen. We offer flavorful and well balanced meals which respect a targeted calorie count to help you to lose weight. It is essential to enjoy your food and to learn to savour it… with moderation!

I reached my goal of losing weight by following the Weight Loss Meal Plan. Now I want to maintain my new weight. How can SOSCuisine help me?

Upon reaching your weight loss goal, it is important to continue maintaining good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle. Several options are available to you depending on your personal circumstances (pregnancy, menopause, high cholesterol, etc). For example, if you previously followed the Weight Loss 1400 kcal Menu, you could continue with Weight Loss 1800 kcal Menu, or with “Healthy with Pleasure” Menu. Do not hesitate to contact us if needed; we can advise you on a suitable menu for your condition. We can change the type of meal plan you are subscribed to, at no additional cost for you.

I find that there is a lot of bread and pasta. Aren’t we supposed to avoid those in order to lose weight?

Contrary to popular belief that we should avoid bread and pasta to lose weight, it has been proven that including whole grain products can promote weight loss due to the high fiber content of whole grain products. Our weight loss meal plans are compliant with Canada’s dietary guidelines in that they contain balanced servings of grain products. It is important to maintain an adequate intake of bread, pasta and cereals since they are rich in many essential nutrients. Among these, there are folic acid, vitamins B1, B2, B3, and fibre.

I was surprised to see that you are proposing pasta for dinner. I heard that we should avoid them at night. Could you please clarify the situation?

The glycemic index of al dente pasta is relatively low. This means that they do not induce a major increase in blood sugar and they are efficient to control hunger. Often served with a source of protein such as meat, eggs, or seafood, pasta dishes are adequate for dinner. Moreover, our weight loss meal plans are conceived to be less caloric at night which allows you to burn, throughout the day, most of the calories you consume.

I am suffering from gastric reflux and I also wish to lose weight. Which meal plan should I choose?

You should consult your Doctor if you have a medical condition and it is recommended that you also consult a Registered Dietitian. Having said that, the 1,600-calorie Gastric Reflux meal plan would likely be a good choice, as it will help most people lose weight while alleviating symptoms and preventing recurrence of acid reflux.

I think the Weight Loss Meal Plans contain a lot of meat. Does this menu exists in a “meat-free” version?

The Weight Loss Meal Plans are rich in protein, which helps you feel full at and between meals. However, if you want to follow a meatless version of this menu, we offer it in lacto-ovo-vegetarian and pescetarian versions, for 1400 kcal and 1800 kcal. These alternatives are also rich in protein, but contain no meat. We also offer a semi-vegetarian version, which contains no red meat.

Why is there white rice in the meal plans? Brown rice is rich in fibre, and I thought it was recommended to avoid white rice.

It’s true that whole grain rice is richer in fibre than white rice. However, since our meal plans are based on the Mediterreanean diet and are full of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes in large quantities, your daily fibre needs are easily met. Too much fibre can encourage faster intestinal movements and discourage adequate nutrient absorption.

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Nutritional Information for Weight Loss

Adequate caloric intake, to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. We currently offer 2 caloric levels to best meet your needs: 1,400 and 1,800 calories per day.

  • Low energy density of food
  • Optimal intakes of vitamins and minerals
  • Optimal intakes of fats, carbohydrates, dietary fibre, proteins within meals and snacks
  • Optimal intakes of ‘good’ fats such as poly- and monounsaturated, and optimal omega-6 / omega-3 ratio
  • The recommended proportions of the various food groups
    • Vegetables and Fruits, including the essential dark green and orange vegetables
    • Protein foods
    • Whole grain foods
  • Optimal starch, vegetable and meat content of the evening meal
  • Optimal intakes of foods that are specifically recommended (foods that induce thermogenesis, etc.)
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Weight Loss Articles

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IMPORTANT: The information provided on this website does not replace a medical consultation and is not intended for self diagnosis. We recommend that you seek the advice of your doctor or healthcare professional before undertaking a change to your diet or lifestyle. See Terms & Conditions.

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