Foods to Eat When You Want to Lose Weight

     When you decide to embark on a weight loss program, you're likely to include both an exercise and diet element to reach your goals. You can try any number of different exercise routines to build more lean muscle and burn fat, but it is likely in the diet portion where you'll notice the bulk of your results. The contemporary eating style of processed foods, high sugar, white flour and low fiber make it nearly impossible for many people to lose weight. Convenience foods and fast foods are virtually devoid of any nutritional value, and can pack on the extra pounds quickly.

If you switch to a more wholesome diet with more natural foods, you'll probably notice your waistline begin to shrink and you may even be able to lose weight fast. When your new eating pattern is combined with regular exercise in your overall weight loss program, the results will be even more dramatic. You can find most of the foods you need to lose weight right in your grocery store.

Lean sources of protein are a must if your goal is to lose weight. Fatty cuts of meat will only add more saturated fat to your diet and make it impossible for you to lose weight fast, or at all. Choose leaner cuts of beef, chicken and turkey and cook them in a way that doesn't add a lot of extra calories, such as grilling or broiling. Eggs are another low calorie source of lean protein that you can eat at any time of the day to enhance your weight loss program.

For a good source of lean, low calorie protein that contains a lot of fiber, beans are a good menu choice. Black beans, kidney beans, white beans, lentils, chickpeas and others will give you a jolt of protein and fiber. Fiber is crucial for proper bowel function, which in turn is crucial to lose weight fast or at a slower pace. You can eat beans in salads, soups or in wraps to add fiber to your diet. Fruit and vegetables also have a lot of fiber, plus the vitamins and other nutrients you need for optimum health. With fruits, try to eat the whole fruit rather than it's juice, as you may notice spikes in your blood sugar that could hurt your weight loss program. Choosing whole grains for breads and wraps will help you to avoid white flour and bump up the fiber level even more.

Despite what some believe, fat is still an important part of your diet to lose weight and have optimum health. Foods like raw nuts, olive oil and avocados have healthy fats that will provide a great benefit to your weight loss program. One strategy when shopping at your grocery store is to stay more on the outskirts of the store and avoid the middle aisles, where most of the processed junk foods live. If you have access to a dietitian or nutritionist, take advantage of their expertise and base your diet to lose weight around their suggestions. Once you get your eating right, you'll discover how easy it can be to lose weight fast.

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