One thing I see a lot of is people getting overwhelmed with macro nutrients. In my opinion it just doesn’t need to be that complicated. Macro nutrients certainly deserve some attention. But ultimately weight loss comes down to calories in and calories out. As long as you are choosing nutrient dense foods and staying in a caloric deficit you will lose weight.
Personally I aim to have most of my diet include lots of lean protein and healthy fats. Most people don’t eat enough healthy fats. As for carbohydrates I consider myself to eat more of a moderate amount. When I say a moderate amount it just means I don’t eat super low carb but I also don’t consume a ton of carbs unless it is a cheat meal of course.
One extremely important factor when it comes to food in general but especially carbohydrates is portion control. I believe this is where many people go wrong. For example, if you are eating a protein source, a vegetable and a starch or carb source for dinner, the carb source should be the smallest thing on your plate. If I am having salmon, asparagus and sweet potato for dinner I always buy a small sweet potato.
Choosing healthy carbohydrate sources is another important factor. Some of these include sweet potatoes, some of the dark potatoes, black rice and brown rice, quinoa and whole grain products. A good rule of thumb is to limit the white stuff as much as possible. That includes foods such as white rice, white potatoes, white bread, white pasta, white tortillas etc. These turn into sugar quickly after you digest them and we all know how bad sugar is for us.
So be sure to get in the habit of choosing nutrient dense foods most of the time and you will get solid results over the long haul. I encourage you to focus less on the word “diet” because typically diets have an end point. Healthy nutrition and fueling your body with the nutrients it needs on a regular basis should have no end point. This should be the standard you live by the majority of the time so you can enjoy your cheat meals more when those are planned.
Don’t let the world of nutrition and terms like macro nutrients overwhelm you. Focus on what you know is best for your body and get consistent. That is the ultimate key to you redefining your Dad Bod and becoming the healthiest version of you.