Foods That Can Help Me Lose Weight

The Healthy Decision

You’ve just come from your doctor’s office and you’re concerned. You’ve put on some weight - more than you thought after being weighed - and now you find you may be at risk for some weight-related illnesses unless you do something about it. Every person is different and every person has a certain amount of weight they should be carrying for their height and age. If you are more than 50 to 100 pounds over the weight you should be, you may need to turn your life around.

If you have decided to turn your eating habits around, congratulations! You have made a good choice, but know that it is not going to be easy, despite what those celebrities and talk shows may say. You may be looking at years of bad habits that will need to be changed and the first thing that needs to go are those foods that are helping add pounds to the hips and stomach. But you may have no idea where to start.

“What are the foods that can help me lose weight?” Read on!

Water

That glass of water you get with your meal at a restaurant can help you lose weight. Water helps deliver nutrients to the body and helps with your metabolism. Studies have shown that people who drink water before a meal actually take in roughly 75 calories less. Water has no calories, so you can drink as much as you like. Healthcare professionals recommend drinking 8 glasses of water per day.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are part of the daily pyramid of foods that everyone should include in their daily meal plans. Each carries different nutrients that lower the risks of several different conditions, like heart disease and diabetes. They also contain fiber, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C and a host of other vitamins and minerals. These are important because they lower chances of heart disease, help keep the blood pressure healthy and level, and help with the formation of red blood cells, especially for women in child bearing ages, and are usually very low in calories.

Good fruits and vegetables include:

• sweet potatoes
• beans (all types)
• broccoli
• tomatoes
• leafy greens

Fiber and Whole Grains

Fiber helps to reduce constipation and the risks of coronary heart disease. But mostly, it helps to keep you full. That’s important because it makes your stomach feel full, helping to keep you from munching on cookies and chips.

For women, especially teens and those in the child bearing years, many of the grains that carry fiber also carry iron. Iron is important as it carries oxygen to the blood. Everyone should eat foods containing iron, but it is especially important for women, as they lose iron every month during menstruation. Women in childbearing years from age 19 to 50 should consume 15 mg daily of iron.

Foods high in fiber include:

• Whole grain cereals (like corn flakes or shredded wheat)
• brown rice
• whole wheat pastas, breads, and snacks

Changing eating habits is hard, but when you know which ones will help in your weight loss, your goals are that much closer.