What to Eat to Lose Weight

Eating healthy is one of the easiest ways to lose weight. The reason many overweight people cannot lose weight is because they enjoy greasy and sugary foods and they are continuously bombarded with conflicting information about what to eat and what not to eat while on a diet to lose weight. When people eat healthy and exercise, many find that it is not difficult to lose weight. Consider the following dietary tips for quick guidance on the same.

Eat a low-calorie, balanced diet: To lose weight, you should ideally follow a low-calorie diet of 1200-1600 calories per day. According to the latest recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adults, 45% to 65% of this diet should come from carbohydrates; 20% to 35% from fat; and 10% to 35% from protein. You should include the type and quantity of each food group in your meal plan accordingly, determining how many calories you should be eating daily. You can also break it down into what percentage of calories will come from proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Eat protein: Protein increases metabolism and enables you to lose weight much easier than starving your body which slows down metabolism. Get your daily dose of protein no matter how little you eat during your weight loss routine. Get your daily proteins in lean beefs, chicken, eggs or nuts. You can also find abundant proteins in fresh fish including Salmon, Rainbow trout and Herring. The next selections are chicken and turkey breast, shellfish, egg whites, non-fat cottage cheese and top round steak.

Eat the optimal amount of carbs and fats: According to many, foods high in carbohydrates and fats should necessarily be avoided to prevent weight gain. In reality, calories, not carbohydrates or fats make you fat. Carbohydrates and fats, being an essential source of energy, are necessary for a balanced diet and they only become high in calories when eaten in large portion sizes or when covered with high-fat pings like butter, sour cream, or mayonnaise. All you have to do is eat them in moderate quantities. Choose foods like beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables for carbohydrates. Likewise, there are desired fats and undesired fats (e.g. olive oil versus bacon grease), and you need to eat some of the desired fats to convince your body that it's perfectly alright to release your body fat to lose excessive weight.

Eat fiber: Studies show that people who have included fiber into their daily diets have had better weight loss results than those who have dieted without including fiber. Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of dietary fiber. Include fruits like apples, oranges, grapefruit, grapes and pineapple in your diet. Have a salad of green leafy vegetables for lunch. Add in other vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and mushrooms as they all contain a significant amount of fiber.

Eat calcium: According to the American Dairy Association, those people who have the lowest amounts of calcium have higher amounts of stored fat. Likewise, according to Medscape medical news (March, 2008), calcium-rich diets play a direct role in the prevention of obesity. Similarly, by simply getting adequate calcium in your diet, as many as 80% of you can help yourselves lose excessive weight. It has been also found that people who consumed 1000 – 1200 mg of calcium daily lost about 10 pounds after a few weeks. Foods that are high in calcium include low fat dairy products e.g. skimmed milk, soy milk, low-fat cheese, yogurt and baked beans, dried figs, broccoli, darkest green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified food like cereals and orange juice. If your diet is not high in calcium, some good calcium supplements e.g. chewable calcium tablets should be considered.

In light of these facts, overweight or obese individuals who are interested in working toward better health should consider increased intake of the above-mentioned foods along with an overall healthier lifestyle. While it’s great to know what to eat to lose weight, you also need to add resistance training, exercise, and set goals to accelerate your plan for a slimmer, healthier body.