What to Eat to Lose Weight Quickly and Safely?

The cornerstone in weight loss is a good diet. First-time dieters should understand that dieting requires commitment and self control. Dieting is not about eating less. It is about eating more of the right stuff. While on a diet, food should not be viewed as a reward. Most people reward themselves by bingeing on their favorite food after a hard day's work. While trying to lose weight, three meals a day is not even recommended. Instead, experts recommend having five to six, small but frequent meals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar level up and to keep you from overeating.

Certain types of food help you lose weight simply by increasing your metabolism. An increased metabolism results in more calories burned without having to exercise. Foods that are famous for their metabolism-boosting properties include caffeine-containing food, spicy food, and fruits like apples, berries (blue, black, and cherries), especially those belonging to the citrus family such as grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges, and tangerines.

Coffee, tea, and chocolate all contain caffeine. Ingesting seventy-five to a hundred and fifty milligrams of caffeine (about two cups of coffee) increases your general metabolism for several hours. It does this by stimulating your body's sympathetic nervous system response leading to an increase in your body temperature and breath rate. Coffee also contains antioxidants that help your body repair itself. While this may be good news to avid coffee drinkers and chocolate lovers on a diet, you should always keep in mind that the goal of dieting is to use more calories than you eat. Drinking mocha lattes and chocolate shakes throughout the day would not at all help you lose those pounds. What experts do suggest is switching to natural teas for your caffeine fix. Coffee and chocolate drinks usually have milk, cream and heaping spoonfuls of sugar added to them. Teas on the other hand, may be drunk with a twist of lemon or lime, yet another kind of food that helps you lose weight.

Last but not least, adequate hydration is important in any weight loss program. Dehydration actually slows down metabolism so drinking eight glasses of water a day is a must. Also, drinking a glass of water before every meal and taking sips of water after every bite helps you not to overeat. A consistent diet coupled with a regular exercise regime will help you shed those pounds before you know it.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright (c) Ryan Mutt, All Rights Reserved.

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