WHAT TO EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT? 20 FOODS THAT HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

What to eat to lose weight? 20 Foods that help you lose weight

Current thinking suggests that losing weight is not all about cutting back on everything; it’s about eating more of the right foods and less of the wrong. You don’t need to go through the day with that empty feeling in your stomach and suffering those embarrassing tummy growls. In fact, if you deprive yourself of food, it can potentially harm your body, and you will more likely put weight back on, as well. There are foods that can help you lose weight by filling you up, but not filling you with the calories and there are also foods that can increase the rate of your metabolism, which helps you to burn off the fat faster. The best option is not to go overboard on one fat burning food, but to eat a balanced and varied diet, consisting of the many foods that can help you lose weight. Add a selection of the following foods to your diet and it will help you achieve your weight loss goals…So, what to eat to lose weight? Let’s find out together:

1. Lentils

Lentils are high in protein, so can be used as a replacement for meat in dishes, such as pasta. They also have been proven to help prevent the spikes in insulin levels that can cause your body to create excess fat.

2. Wild salmon

Wild salmon is one of the popular foods that help you lose weight. Not only is it good for your heart, but the omega-3 fatty acids, contained in salmon, also help to prevent those insulin spikes and help promote muscle growth and, the greater muscle mass you have, the more calories and energy you will burn.

3. Apples

What to eat to lose weight? Eat an apple. A study found that people who ate an apple, as a snack, before eating a pasta meal, consumed less calories overall, than those who did not. Apples make a great ‘on the go’ snack and they will also give you a healthy dose of vitamins and fiber that will subdue your appetite.

4. Mozzarella cheese

Rich in calcium, this really tasty cheese is a superb way of adding that extra something to any dish or salad for just a small number of calories. 100 grams of Mozzarella cheese contains only 280 calories. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who eat one serving of cheese daily were less likely to gain weight over the long term.

5. Satisfy your sweet tooth cravings with dried dates or mango

The smaller dried fruits, such as raisins are easy to overeat, but if you choose a dried fruit like dried mango or dried dates, they take more time to chew, so you are less likely to eat too much. You can add them to your fruit salads or eat them alone. Dried dates or mango will give you your daily dose of vitamin C, along with iron and vitamin A, and they will satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.

6. Couscous

Couscous is a low fat, low calorie food that will fill you up quickly. 100 grams of couscous contains only about 110 calories. It is an excellent source of low release energy and it actually swells in the stomach, so it will keep you feeling full for longer.

7. Grapefruit

Grapefruit is another one of great foods that help you lose weight. You don’t need to live off grapefruit alone to get all the benefits that it offers, but grapefruit does contain phytochemicals, which reduce insulin levels and encourage your body to convert food to energy, rather than store it as fat.

8. Salad

What to eat to lose weight? If you get into the habit of eating a small salad before your main meals, the salad will fill you up and help stop you from overeating at your main meal. Be sure though not to smother your salad in high-calorie dressing, a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice or balsamic vinegar will do.

9. Chiles

Another popular food that help you lose weight is chili. Adding spice to your food can burn off the calories quickly. Chiles and similar hot spices, contain capsaicin, which is the chemical that creates the heat and that heat that you feel is caused by a process called thermogenesis, which burns calories for you, as well as providing the heat.

10. Carrots

Carrots and other root vegetables, like parsnips, are very high in fiber, so they fill you up without the calories and they pass through your system quickly. A good way to get your daily requirement of fiber is to juice vegetables like carrots; it will still give you the fiber, vitamins and fill you up.

11. Celery

If you wonder what to eat to lose weight, don’t overlook celery. Celery is almost the perfect diet food, as you burn more calories eating it, than you gain from consuming it. Add it to your pre-meal salad and the fiber in celery will help fill you up with absolutely no gain in calories.

12. Avocado

You may have read bad things about avocados, but if you eat them in moderation, they can be good for weight loss. The ‘alligator pear’, as avocado was nicknamed because of its shape and color, can not only do wonders for your body, but you also can use avocado as a face mask to nourish your skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. They do contain a lot of calories, but, calorie for calorie, they fill you up more, than many other types of food, so they can make a good addition to your diet. Avocados are rich in good and healthy fats, potassium, dietary fiber, magnesium, iron and vitamins A, B-6 and C.

13. Spinach

Fresh spinach is a low fat way to get many of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs, without piling on the pounds. It contains vitamins C, A, K and B and is high in antioxidants. One serving of spinach, with a poached egg on top, is a complete meal all by itself.

14. Green tea

We also included green tea in our list of foods that help you lose weight. Green tea is filled with antioxidants and it provides your metabolism with a boost every time you drink it. A study found, that if you drink five cups of green tea a day, you can double the amount of your weight loss when dieting.

15. Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate should come with a health warning in a list like this, because it is not low fat and it is not low calorie. It is, however, the best way to fend off a sugar craving, when you are dieting, especially, if you are a bit of a chocoholic, just like many of us! Just a few squares should do the trick, when you are yearning for a chocolate treat, and the strong flavor will probably stop you from eating too much.

16. Cinnamon

Just a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon a day can help lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and it can also help ward off the after meal insulin spikes that can make your body store calories as fat.

17. Buckwheat pasta

Buckwheat pasta contains both carbohydrates and protein, which makes it far more satisfying and filling, than regular pasta. Chose buckwheat pasta, the next time you go shopping, and you will find it far harder to overeat it.

18. Green leafy vegetables

What to eat to lose weight? Eat your greens! Adding healthy portions of green, leafy vegetables to your meals will fill you up and give you many of the vitamins and minerals that you need. The leaves and stalks of vegetables will satisfy your hunger, but contain only one seventh of the calories found in pasta, for example.

19. Blueberries

Blueberries are also included in our list of foods that hep you lose weight. Blueberries are well known for their health benefits, especially their anti-aging properties, thanks to a high antioxidant content, but they are also a fantastic fruit that can be included in a diet plan for weight loss. Just a one cup serving will give you 4 grams of fiber, all those vitamins and antioxidants, and it will only set you back around eighty calories.

20. Oats

What to eat to lose weight? Eat a healthy oatmeal breakfast. A serving of oatmeal in the morning can make you feel full all day long. Oats are a good source of fiber and they also contain resistant starch, which is a healthy carbohydrate that can boost the metabolism and help you to shed the pounds.

Do you have some other tips on what to eat to lose weight? Feel free to share your own healthy eating tips in the comment section below.

Stay happy and healthy!

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