No doubt: Weight loss comes down to simple math. You have to eat fewer calories than you burn.
"Certain foods can help you shed body weight," says Heather Mangieri, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, "because they help you feel full longer and help curb cravings."
Some even kick up your metabolism. So take this list when you go to the supermarket:
1) Yogurt
Whether you prefer Greek or traditional, yogurt can be good for your waistline. A Harvard study followed more than 120,000 people for a decade or longer. Yogurt, of all the foods that were tracked, was most closely linked to weight loss. That doesn’t prove that yogurt caused weight loss, but it stood out among other foods.
2) Soup
Start a meal with a cup of soup, and you
may end up eating less. It doesn’t matter if the soup is chunky or
pureed, as long as it’s broth-based. You want to keep the soup to 100 to
150 calories a serving. So skip the dollops of cream and butter.
3) Dark Chocolate
Want to enjoy chocolate between meals?
Pick a square or two of dark over the milky version. In one study,
chocolate lovers who were given dark chocolate ate 15% less pizza a few
hours later than those who had eaten milk chocolate.
4) Pureed Vegetables
You can add more veggies to your diet,
enjoy your “cheat” foods, and cut back on the calories you’re eating,
all at the same time. When Penn State researchers added pureed
cauliflower and zucchini to mac and cheese, people seemed to like the
dish just as much. But they ate 200 to 350 fewer calories. Those healthy
vegetables added low-cal bulk to the tasty dish.
5) Eggs and Sausage, and maybe bacon?
A protein-rich breakfast may help you
resist snack attacks throughout the day. In a study of a group of obese
young women, those who started the day with 35 grams of protein — that’s
probably way more than you’re eating — felt fuller right away. The
women ate a 350-calorie breakfast that included eggs and a beef sausage
patty (and sometimes bacon). The effect of the high-protein breakfast
seemed to last into the evening, when the women munched less on fatty,
sugary goods than the women who had cereal for breakfast.
6) Nuts
For a great snack on the run, take a
small handful of almonds, peanuts, walnuts, or pecans. Research shows
that when people munch on nuts, they automatically eat less at later
meals.
7) Apples
Skip the apple juice and the applesauce
and opt instead for a crunchy apple. Whole fruit blunts appetite in a
way that fruit juices and sauces don’t. One reason is that raw fruit has
more fiber. Plus, chewing sends signals to your brain that you’ve eaten
something substantial.
8) Beans
Inexpensive, filling, and versatile, beans are a great source of protein. Beans are also high in fiber and slow to digest. That means you feel full longer, which may stop you from eating more.
9) Grapefruit
Yes, grapefruit really can help you shed
pounds, especially if you are at risk for diabetes. Researchers at
Scripps Clinic in San Diego found that when obese people ate half a
grapefruit before each meal, they dropped an average of 3 ½ pounds over
12 weeks. Drinking grapefruit juice had the same results. But grapefruit
juice doesn’t have any proven “fat-burning” properties — it may just
have helped people feel full.
Be careful:
You
cannot have grapefruit or grapefruit juice if you are on certain
medications, so check the label on all your prescriptions, or ask your
pharmacist or doctor.
Remember to Shop Smart
Load
your shopping cart with lots of lean protein, fresh veggies, fruit, and
whole grains. The most important thing, when it comes to lasting weight
loss, is the big picture of what you eat, not specific foods.
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