Losing Weight and Feeling Great

Weight loss foods aren’t a magic bullet by any means, but by adding them to your current diet, you can maximize your weight loss — a good thing!  Just keep in mind that you can’t add these foods and still continue to overeat (like I said, they aren’t a magic bullet); you have to at least try to eat healthy.  But they can certainly help you out!

Weight Loss Food Group #1

Protein, in proper amounts, can really help a diet.  Now I’m not talking Atkins here — no eating all you want of protein and fats.  No, this is a healthy intake of protein that can boost your weight loss efforts.

Here we’re talking lean and dairy proteins.  Skinless chicken and turkey, tuna in water, string cheese, yogurt, salmon…these are power proteins.  Add egg whites and even a tiny amount of lean red meat, and you’ve got some weight-loss winners!

Fat is Not Your Enemy

Forget about a no-fat or extremely low-fat diet — throw it out the window!  You need some fat in your diet, and your goal is to have the proper fats in the appropriate amounts.

Think of olive oils, fatty fish like salmon, walnut oil and the like — high in the good omega fats.  Stay away from vegetable and corn oils as much as you can, and definitely ban trans-fats from your diet.

In addition to helping to lubricate your body (and digestive system) fats also help level your blood sugar.

Now remember, I’m not advocating fast-food fats — nope, just good fats in proper amounts.

Carbs — What Your Body Needs

Carbs are not bad for your diet…at least not the right carbs.  When it comes to weight loss foods, what are good carbs?

Think of veggies, eaten raw or lightly steamed — broccoli, cauliflower, summer squash, tomatoes, spinach, peppers — you get the idea.  Add a spritz or two of "I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter" if you need the extra flavor, but really — these veggies have a great taste all by themselves!

Fruits are part of healthy carbs, but in smaller amounts, due to their natural sugar content.  Think of fruits like fresh berries (loaded with anit-oxidants), cantaloupe, apples with the skins, citrus.  Be cautious of  really sugary fruits like watermelon, pineapple and the like, because fructose is sugar.

Whole Grains — Eat and Enjoy

While you don’t want a lot of grains in your diet, you do want healthy grains.  They help with roughage and they add a filling sensation.  Not to mention they taste good!

Be careful when you are looking for whole grain foods, though.  Make sure that wheat flour isn’t in the top 3 ingredients.  What you want is *whole* wheat flour.  Regular wheat flour is too highly refined, and acts like sugar in your bloodstream.

Also think of whole wheat or alternative grain pastas (spelt pasta is really tasty).  Think brown and wild rice, or even alternative grains like couscous and amaranth.

Weight Loss Foods Summary & Extras

You might also want to consider adding green or white tea to your diet (minus any sugar), as well as cooking with spices like fresh ginger, chile peppers (even the milder versions), garlic and onions.

Now if it sounds like weight loss foods are suspiciously like a healthy diet…you’re right!  Forget the fads and cutting out food groups.  A healthy, balanced diet with the right kinds of foods is your best long-term weight loss strategy!