Want to Lose Weight? Eat More!

If you have been on the diet roller coaster, you know how difficult it can be to lose weight and keep it off. There is no magic pill. You might think cutting calories alone is enough, but it isn’t. A healthy diet combined with exercise is the best recipe  for permanent weight loss. You should not sacrifice nutrition for weight loss. The average person needs about 2000 calories per day, but what are you getting from those calories? Don’t deprive yourself of nutrition or energy, but change your eating habits for weight loss.  You can eat more food without packing on the pounds — if you eat the right foods. In addition to eating more fruits and vegetables, eat more often. Instead of 3 big meals each day, eat 5 smaller meals. More frequent eating stimulates your metabolism to keep your body burning calories all day long.

Fruits and vegetables are powerhouses of nutrition. These delicious foods contain vitamins, trace minerals and fiber, which helps you feel fuller faster and longer.  An apple contains about 4 grams of fiber, as well as vitamin C and potassium. Green beans are loaded with fiber and vitamin C, too. Sweet potatoes can help satisfy a sweet tooth while providing your body with more than 200% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A. You’ll also get some vitamin C, vitamin E and the trace elements iron and magnesium. You get all this nutrition (not to mention delicious flavor) at the cost of about 100 calories. Strawberries have 3 grams of fiber and a full day’s dose of vitamin C. Eat more whole grains, too, and switch from white flour processed pasta and bread to whole grains. You can eat more of your favorite grain foods without adding more calories. You’ll enjoy the benefits of more fiber, too.

When snacking between meals causes you to add the pounds, trade your chocolate, cookies and cheese crackers for fresh or dried fruits. Avoid canned fruits which are often packed in high-calorie syrup. Grapes, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries contain plenty of fiber, vitamins and cell-saving antioxidants.  You can also take fresh or dried fruits to work for a snack during breaks. Check the labels on dried fruits to make sure that they are natural without sugar and preservatives.

Beware of liquid calories! You probably don’t realize how many calories you add to your day in beverages. Plain coffee has only 2 calories but adding only one teaspoon of whipping cream adds more than 50 calories. One teaspoon of table sugar has 49 calories. Half and half is an addition 20 calories. Even fat free milk adds 5 calories. Have a look at the WebMD website to see how many calories your favorite beverage adds to your diet. Opt for flavored drinks, unsweetened tea and plain coffee instead of sweet drinks and soft drinks.