If you’re not noticing any significant weight loss even with regular exercise, it might be because of the hidden calories in your diet; calories you’ve been overlooking. Here’s a rundown on the best and worst foods you can eat when you’re trying to lose weight, and how a dietary supplement may be your key to success.
How to Lose Weight by Eating these 7 Foods
Whole Grain Bread:
- White bread is highly refined and loaded with carbohydrates. Once your body breaks down carbohydrates they become simple sugars. Because of this it can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels[1]. Research shows that eating just two slices of white bread each day, is associated with up to a 40 percent risk of overweight and obesity[2].
- How? Research shows that combining your weight-loss program with a diet rich in whole-grain breads and cereals increases your chances of losing more body fat from the lower abdomen than people who eat refined grains, such as white bread and rice[3]. What’s more, subjects in the study who were following the whole grain diet also experienced a 38 percent decrease in C-reactive protein (CRP), a chemical that indicates a pro-inflammatory state. Elevated levels of CRP has been linked to heart disease. The results suggest that as well as helping the body burn fat, while grains can also reduce the risk of heart disease.
Water:
- Avoid cans of fizzy drinks, they are full of empty calories. An average can of soda contains nine teaspoons of sugar. Diet drinks are calorie-free, but concerns still exist about the health implications of artificial sweeteners[4]. One concern is that people who use artificial sweeteners may replace the lost calories through other sources which would offset their zero-calorie benefit. Another concern is that artificial sweeteners are able to stimulate the sweet taste buds much more than natural sweeteners. Doing so causes the brain to acclimate or get used to that level of stimulation and cause naturally slightly sweet fruits and vegetables to be unpalatable.
- How? The benefits of water are numerous are numerous. First of all, it helps you maintain a balance of body fluids, which in turn help with the absorption and metabolism of nutrients, production of saliva, circulation of your blood, and maintenance of body temperature. If you want to jazz up your drinking water, consider adding a slice of orange or lemon, tea, some slices of cucumber, fresh mint leaves, or cubes of seedless watermelon.
Protein Bars:
- Cookies, cakes and pastries are loaded with unhealthy ingredients like refined sugar and flour. Many also contain artificial trans-fats which have been connected to a number of different diseases[5]. Though low in nutrients, these foods are very high in calories.
- How? By satisfying your sweet tooth with protein bars you are getting a healthy substitute. There are many delicious, low-calories flavors to choose from, like chocolate and peanut butter, blueberry and apple and cinnamon. If you want to indulge in a little chocolate, choose 70% cacao dark chocolate. It is lower in calories and fat that regular chocolate treats and it’s also good for your hear[6].
Protein:
-
Processed meats such as bacon, sausage, salami, and hot dogs are high in saturated fats, which increase your risk of obesity and heart disease[7]. They are also high in calories, so avoid eating them on a regular basis.
- How? A diet that is low in saturated fats and high in protein can help you lose weight faster[8]. High protein foods include: spinach, guava, artichokes, peas, lean chicken, grass-fed beef, light canned tuna, farm raised salmon, turkey, eggs, lentils, beans, grains, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt.
Yogurt:
- Just half a cup of regular vanilla ice cream contains up to 270 calories and 18 grams of fat. Flavored varieties have as many calories and up to 20 grams of fat.
- How? Yogurt is another great alternative to ice cream. Whether you prefer Greek or plain yogurt, unsweetened and fat-free yogurt can help you lose weight[9]. It also contains beneficial probiotics which help your digestion and boost your immune system[10]. Adding raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries can boost your weight loss. They are packed full of nutrients. Not only are they excellent sources of fiber and antioxidants, they are loaded with vitamin C and are low in calories. What’s more you can use them with whole grain cereals and salads to help satisfy a sweet tooth.
Baked Potatoes:
- Just one small 3oz portion of French Fries contains 267 calories and 11 grams of fat. Steer clear of fries and other fried food as much as possible if you want to drop the pounds.
- How? Baked potatoes have fewer calories and is high in fiber, and if you don’t slather it in butter, it has as little as 8 grams of fat. Other alternatives include roasted bell pepper sticks, baked asparagus, roast zucchini and radish chips, or baked kale chips.
Snacks:
- A single serving bag of potato chips contains 153 calories and 11 grams of fat. It’s easy to keep reaching for more.
- How? Seaweed and baked whole-grain snacks are a tasty alternative and far fewer calories and they’re rich in fiber. If you’re not in the mood for seaweed, try 1oz of air-popped non-buttered popcorn which has less fat, fewer calories and is just as filling.
Weight Loss Tips: Eat Less and Burn More Calories with these Two Dietary Supplements
Losing weight fast and maintaining your desirable weight can be tricky, especially as you get older. In general there are two goals that every diet supplement should have. Diet supplements should 1. Activate your internal fat burning machinery and 2. It should help you eat less or absorb less of the calories you eat.
This is why DrFormulas Alean Weight Loss with Forskolin Fat Burner could be the answer you've been looking for. It is formulated with a natural blend of saffron and Coleus Forskohlii. Coleus Forskohlii helps cells burn calories by activating the cGMP pathway[11] which promotes the breakdown of glycogen, or sugar stores, inside your body. Saffron Extract has the interesting effect of appetite suppression without stimulants.
DrFormulas Patented White Kidney Bean Extract is another weight loss supplement you can take to help reduce caloric intake. It contains a patented, clinically studied amylase enzyme inhibitor that prevents your body from absorbing the complex carbohydrates that you actually eat. Amylase breaks down carbohydrates so that they are absorbed into the body. With amylase inhibited, carbohydrates pass through the body without being absorbed. Stack both supplements together for even better results.
PS: One good trick to eat less and lose more weight is to simply eat more slowly. Often times we are too stressed out and too busy to really sit down, enjoy, and eat our meals. Eating slowly allows time for the brain to respond to the presence of food in the stomach and to inhibit the appetite center in the brain.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10885323
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25335643/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22357746
[4] http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23572785/
[6] http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/sweet-dreams-eating-chocolate-prevents-heart-disease-201506168087
[7] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/diet-and-weight/
[8] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/best-diet-quality-counts/
[9] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/best-diet-quality-counts/
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1482314/
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129145/
About the Author:
Dr. Bryan Do, D.O. is an osteopathic physician whose research interests include gastroenterology, immunology, and dermatology. He is particularly interested in the role of probiotics in the gut-brain-skin axis and has written many articles on the topic. He graduated from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) before graduating from Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana and becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathic physicians are taught to take a holistic approach to medicine and to consider mind, body, and spirit when treating a patient. Osteopathic physicians receive training in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) in addition to the standard rigorous medical school curriculum. Both physicians with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree as well as a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) can practice medicine.