The Best Weight Loss Foods To Eat
Trying to lose weight can be a difficult and frustrating process. You may feel like you're doing everything right, but the scale needs to budge.
What you eat plays a significant role in weight loss, so it's crucial to fuel your body with the right foods. In this article, we'll share with you some of the best weight loss foods to eat so that you can finally start seeing results.
General food rules for weight loss
Considering these principles, you can evaluate any food for its weight loss potential.
Low carbs, low sugar
Carbohydrates are the most important consideration for weight management due to hormones. Carbs play the predominant role in how your hormones respond to eating. When you feed your body many carbs (incredibly refined carbs), you get a more considerable insulin spike and glucose spike.
The higher you raise your hormones in response to eating, the more likely you will gain fat from the calories you just consumed. This is well understood but often ignored by many in the calories in, out crowd. While calories do matter, hormones matter more.
The best way to simplify weight loss and make it easy on yourself is to avoid high-carb, high-sugar foods.
Refined or processed vs. whole food
A potato vs. a potato chip is an entirely different food.
The only thing they have in common is the raw state, the potato, that they both start. Beyond that, they become something else entirely, with one having a minor effect on hormones and health and the other (chips) having a significant and mostly negative impact.
Stick with whole foods and cook your foods from scratch. You will avoid many problems associated with processed and refined foods and inflammatory ingredients like seed oils, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners. Avoid processed foods.
Satiety
The final consideration when evaluating a weight loss food is how much it will fill you up. Ideally, you are eating nutrient-dense, high-satiety foods that fill you up.
Protein is the perfect example. It's tough to overeat protein. (I've tried many times.) Your body gets so full so fast that under-eating protein is often the thing we have to watch.
Now compare that to eating potato chips or brownies. Refined and highly palatable foods high in carbs and sugar are designed to make you eat more.
Your reward centers light up, and you keep eating far beyond enough. This is how you get that sickly feeling from overeating. This is another danger of processed foods... they tend to be over-consumed.
Now that we've covered how to evaluate foods and their weight-loss potential let's look at some specific foods you can use to form the foundation of a weight-loss eating plan.
What are the best weight loss foods?
When it comes to weight loss, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one person may only work for one person.
However, certain foods can help promote weight loss (and certain foods encourage weight gain). Here are some of the best weight loss-friendly foods:
- Salmon and other fatty fish are protein and nutrient-packed gifts from the sea. Just make sure you buy wild caught and not farmed.
- Cruciferous vegetables are low-carb and proven weight-loss foods. They fill you up and are very low in calories and carbs. They should be a staple in every diet where weight management is a goal.
- Beef is a superfood, though most people don't recognize it. Opt for locally raised grass-fed options.
- Eggs are always one of the best things you can eat. It is as close to a perfect food as you can find.
- Low-carb soups are a great low-calorie, low-carb way to make you feel full.
- Cottage cheese is packed with protein and nearly zero carbs.
- Avocados are full of clean fats and help satiety.
- Low-sugar fruit like berries
- Water: Staying well hydrated is vital for overall health. Drinking plenty of water can also help promote weight loss by making you feel full and preventing overeating.
Some weight loss recipe ideas
Some recipes that include these weight-loss foods are:
- Omelette with spinach and mushrooms
- Stir fry with chicken, broccoli, and peppers.
- Beef chili
- Cottage cheese and berries
- Egg salad
- Hard-boiled eggs with salt
- Roasted salmon with Brussels sprouts and sweet potato
Conclusion
Aside from weight loss, eating the right foods can also help improve your overall health. These foods are packed with nutrients that can help boost your immune system, improve your digestion, and more.
Eating a healthy diet is one of the best things you can do for your body, so make sure to include these weight-loss foods in your meals and snacks!
When it comes to weight loss, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, incorporating some or all of the best weight-loss foods into your diet can help you reach your goals.
Remember, though, that eating healthy foods is just one part of the equation — you also need regular exercise and lifestyle changes to achieve lasting results. But if you're looking for a place to start, adding these foods to your diet is a great way to boost your health and kickstart your weight loss journey.