Let’s not gloss over anything. Healthily and permanently losing weight is not nearly as easy as so many books, blog posts and diets make it out to be.
If there is one change in your outlook that will help you to shed pounds and keep them off, it is that there is no one single tip, trick, diet, exercise or anything else that will, by itself, automatically get you to lose weight.
Healthy weight loss results from a combination of a number of factors that includes eating a balanced diet, getting the proper nutrition and engaging in as much activity as you feel comfortable doing.
In other words, it takes a variety of well-planned steps to achieve the weight loss you want, and to maintain it.
Why Some People Are Overweight
The simplistic explanation is that overweight people consume more calories of energy than they burn. While that statement is true, the underlying causes of both sides of the equation are far from simple.
There are many physiological and psychological reasons for eating more food than we need. From eating as a way to reduce stress, to succumbing to the billions of dollars in advertising focused on getting you to eat high-calorie processed foods, when we consider having to eat less and/or changing our diets, the overall process of losing weight becomes very daunting. And that stops many people from even trying.
Weight Loss One Step at a Time
If you break down the overall process of weight loss, the smaller steps become easier to accomplish than the larger, intimidating process. So if it’s a simple equation of eating more calories than you burn, but you like to eat for a variety of underlying reasons, then why not eat foods that make you feel fuller, while not delivering too many, or any, more calories?
1. Pistachios
Many nuts deliver lots of healthy protein and help to fill you up, but pistachios are among the best. 48 pistachios deliver the same number of calories as 28 peanuts and 22 almonds. Pistachios are also high in heart-healthy mono- and poly-unsaturated fats.
2. Colourful, Non-Starchy Vegetables
Veggies like cucumbers, asparagus, broccoli and carrots are mainly made up of water and fibre, both of which are filling and have few calories.
3. Cheese
Yes, cheese is not on many weight-loss diets, and its saturated fat gives it a bad name. But cheese is very filling and, when eaten in proper proportions, delivers a boost of calcium that helps increase your body’s metabolic rate. Look for reduced fat, partly skimmed varieties.
4. Raspberries
One of the things dieters miss most is sweet foods. But raspberries deliver all the sweetness you could want in a delicious, low-calorie, high-fibre package that you can take with and enjoy anywhere.
5. Greek Yogurt
You probably know about the benefits of Greek yogurt, including it being high in protein and calcium. But you’ve also probably tried it and come away unimpressed. So here’s how to take advantage of all the healthy weight loss benefits that Greek yogurt delivers in a tastier way. Add some of the foods we’ve listed above, including raspberries and nuts. Not only will you enjoy the yogurt more, but it will fill you up more too.
6. Breakfast Cereal
Long the subject of questions about nutrition and high sugar, a number of high-fibre, low-sugar breakfast cereals are now available to help you enjoy that “eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner” convenience in a way that won’t pack on the pounds. Look for wholegrain varieties and check the nutrition label for sugar content – even if the cereal looks like one that wouldn’t have too much sugar.
7. Hummus
Hummus is the snack food that keeps on giving. Not only are the chick peas from which it is made chock full of protein and fibre, but it goes great with many of the filling vegetables listed above, including carrots, broccoli and cucumbers. Even low calorie, high-fibre celery gets a flavour boost from hummus.
There are two things to remember when you read about foods that are good for weight loss:
- Just because they are healthier and less fattening than some of the other foods, that doesn’t mean you can eat endless quantities. Overeating is overeating, regardless of how good the food is for you.
- You could start eating healthier foods in healthier quantities, but that’s just one step towards reaching your goal of a healthier weight.
The nutrition consultants at your local Herbal One Centre can help you learn more about which foods are best for losing weight and how to make them a part of your diet.