9 Foods To Help You Lose Weight

Frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. Roasted chicken in place of a hot dog. Nuts, not potato chips. A fruit smoothie over a milkshake.

Focus on consuming more nutritious foods rather than attempting to evade the unhealthy ones. Can you actually eat more and still lose weight?

According to Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian and licensed dietitian, it is achievable. She guides us in what to consume and provides us with advice on including nourishing foods into our daily routines.

Do Certain Foods Aid Weight Loss?

Many of the current popular diets involve some type of limitation, such as eliminating carbohydrates, fat, or dairy, which makes them difficult to maintain. Generally, when you cease abiding by the diet’s rules, the weight will return immediately.

Rather than limiting the foods you eat, Zumpano recommends including more nutritious foods in your meals to have the best chance of losing weight and keeping it off. It will be easier to stick to healthy eating if you don’t feel like you are being deprived of anything.

If you focus on including a significant portion of nutritious foods in your meals daily, such as striving for between 7 and 9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, you may find that you naturally reduce the unhealthy options.

Foods You Should Incorporate in Your Weight Loss Plan

Consume these items to slim down and enhance your overall well-being.

Fruits

Fruits are not only a fantastic choice for blending smoothies or for snacking, but they also contain numerous vitamins and antioxidants.

Choose fruits such as apples, blueberries, bananas, oranges, strawberries, and pineapple.

Zumpano emphasizes the importance of controlling the amount of fruit consumed because it contains high levels of natural sugar and carbohydrates. One portion of fruit is roughly 4 ounces or slightly less than 1 cup. Fruit can satisfy your craving for something sweet without the need for any extra sugar or indulgences.

Vegetables

Look to vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, and cauliflower to get an ample supply of fiber.

The fiber swells in your stomach, making you feel full, so you can lessen the size of your main meal to account for the additional calories.

Remember that vegetables are the most calorie-friendly food group, offering around 25 calories per portion, while most of the carbohydrates in fruit are in the form of fiber, which does not get digested or taken in and is therefore passed out of the body, as Zumpano explains. You can eat as many vegetables as you want and still shed pounds.

Whole grains

You can include whole grains such as oats, brown rice, and quinoa in your meals. Whole grains are an excellent option to consider when constructing your diet as they provide fiber and protein.

Studies have demonstrated that consuming whole grains can be beneficial in aiding weight loss.

Do not mix up unrefined grains with processed grains such as white bread, rice, pasta, and pastries. It is alright to consume them occasionally, however they do not offer the same dietary benefits as whole grains.

Whole grains contain fiber and protein which make you feel fuller, balance your blood sugars, and provide great satisfaction – all of which can assist in achieving your weight loss objectives, according to Zumpano.

Legumes

Including beans and lentils in your diet, regardless of whether they are in their dried, canned, or frozen form, is an intelligent decision.

If you’re looking for a meal that does not include red meat or poultry, legumes such as chickpeas, black beans, lentils and kidney beans are excellent substitutes. Studies indicate that consuming more meat-free dishes can aid in slimming down.

Zumpano recommends legumes as an excellent source of protein when you want to have a lighter meal. Incorporate beans into a salad, sauté, wrap, or pasta meal instead of meat for a healthy helping of protein, B vitamins, and potassium.

Plant-based oils

A broad selection of plant-based oils are available, such as olive, avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, and peanut.

Utilizing these oils will provide you with the advantage of monounsaturated fat, a nutritious fat. Studies indicate that using extra virgin olive oil can be beneficial to your heart health.

When you are cooking by baking, sautéing, or grilling, it would be beneficial to use either peanut or avocado oil.

Zumpano states that using plant-based oils as a substitute for saturated or animal fats, such as butter, lard, cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and cream, can have beneficial health effects like reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, and inflammation.

Nuts and seeds

Include nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, pecans and almonds in salads, or grab a handful of them as a snack.

Eating them can be beneficial for your heart health, and they are also a good source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Studies suggest that consuming nuts can aid in shedding pounds.

“Nuts can be a great snack. They’re filling, crunchy and portable,” says Zumpano. Consume one ounce of nuts or less each day to aid in weight reduction. The calories can add up quickly.”

Avocados

Avocado toast is popular for a reason.

This specific fruit has a good quantity of monounsaturated fat, fiber, and water. Consuming avocados not only helps you stay full for longer, but studies also indicate that it aids in the absorption of essential vitamins such as A, D, E, and K.

Zumpano states that avocado can be employed as a substitute for unhealthy fats such as cheese on a salad, mayonnaise or even butter on toast.

Lean protein

Do not forget to include lean sources of protein such as fish, chicken without skin, eggs or egg whites, and soybean curd in your diet.

These choices not only leave you feeling content but can also assist in developing and preserving muscle. The United States Department of Agriculture suggests that a proportion of 10 to 30 percent of your daily caloric intake should be comprised of protein.

You can figure out how much protein you need by taking half of your body weight in grams. As an illustration, if you are 150 pounds, you require a minimum of around 75 grams of protein, though this quantity may vary depending on your activity level and diet choices.

Zumpano states that protein is the dietary component necessary for the reconstruction and regeneration of muscles and other bodily tissues. When engaging in physical activity, it is essential to ensure you are consuming adequate amounts of protein so that the muscles that have been damaged from the workout, particularly resistance exercises, can repair themselves.

Calcium-rich foods

Milk does the body good, right? Milk contains calcium that not only serves to construct robust bones and teeth, but, as per studies, it can also aid in slimming down.

Calcium might raise one’s metabolic rate by raising the internal body heat.

In addition to drinking milk, think about including other sources of calcium in your diet such as low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese.

Think about other sources of calcium if dairy doesn’t fit into your diet. Consider incorporating fortified tofu into your diet or opting for a nondairy milk such as almond, soy, coconut, or oat milk or yogurt. Vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, and almonds, as well as the skeleton of salmon, also have calcium.

Supplements for Weight Loss Explained

Chitosan

This sugar is derived from the shells of lobsters, crabs, and shrimp. Supporters assert that it can stop fats and cholesterol from being taken in by your body.

Does it help you lose weight? An independent organization that evaluates studies on dietary supplements, Natural Medicines, has concluded that there is an insufficient amount of dependable data to provide a rating. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has not demonstrated that chitosan is a successful means of shedding pounds.

No adverse reactions are typically associated with chitosan, although certain individuals may experience an upset stomach or constipation. If you suffer from allergies to shellfish, it is advised that you avoid taking chitosan, as it is derived from shellfish.

Chromium Picolinate

Chromium is an element that boosts the production of insulin, a hormone that’s instrumental in converting food into energy. Your body requires it to keep carbohydrates, fats, and proteins stored.

There are claims that chromium supplements can:

Lower your appetite.
Help you burn more calories.
Cut your body fat.
Boost your muscle mass.

An assessment of 24 studies, involving doses of 200 to 1,000 micrograms of chromium per day, has revealed that there are no sizable advantages. Natural Medicines states that chromium may not be effective for reducing weight.

Adults usually do not experience any adverse effects if they take chromium supplements in amounts that are less than 35 micrograms per day. Higher doses can cause:

Insomnia
Irritability
Problems thinking
Headache

Some individuals have experienced renal harm after taking chromium. You shouldn’t use it if you have kidney problems.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

This is a widely used supplement that contains compounds derived from linoleic acid, a type of fatty acid. It has been suggested that it might assist in decreasing body fat and help with feeling sated.

The research on CLA for weight loss is mixed. Some suggests that for some people, 1.8 to 6.8 grams of CLA per day may:

Curb body fat.
Boost muscle.

Studies indicate that it is not effective in aiding weight loss.

According to Natural Medicines, there is a possibility that CLA may be effective for weight loss.

Researchers have cautioned that extended utilization, especially for those who are overweight, may escalate insulin opposition, thus increasing the chances of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It could possibly reduce the amount of “healthy” cholesterol in your bloodstream, which increases the danger of cardiovascular issues.

In some people, CLA may cause side effects such as:

Upset stomach
Nausea
Loose stools
Fatigue

Glucomannan

This is made from the konjac plant. It is thought that dietary fibers, such as this one, can help you shed pounds by stopping fat from the food you eat from being taken in by your body.

Initial investigations appear to demonstrate potential usefulness, yet additional data indicates it is ineffective.

Natural Medicines does not have enough proof to assess the effectiveness of glucomannan in regards to weight loss.

If you take glucomannan in the tablet form of the supplement, you could choke or get a blockage in your:

Throat
Esophagus (tube that connects the throat to the stomach)
Intestine

It seems to be less risky if you consume this supplement in powdered or pill form.

Glucomannan may impede the body’s capacity to take in medications. You should either consume your medication 1 hour prior to or 4 hours after consuming glucomannan.

Green Tea Extract

It supposedly works by:

Curbing your appetite.
Raising calorie and fat metabolism.

Natural Medicines states that there is insufficient data to evaluate its efficacy.

Side effects of green tea extract, especially in high amounts, include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Bloating
Gas
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Insomnia
Agitation

Green Coffee Extract

Preliminary investigations appear to indicate that the possibility of a slight reduction in weight may be present, however, additional research is required. Natural Medicines does not have enough reliable evidence to determine if it is effective.

Few people have side effects, but because of the caffeine in green coffee it may cause:

Headaches
Stomach upset
Nervousness
Insomnia
Abnormal heart rhythms

Guar Gum

This comes from the seed of the guar plant. It is possible that, as with other dietary fibers, this could stop fats from entering your body and may make you feel full.

A great deal of research has been conducted on guar gum and its potential for aiding with weight loss, but the majority of scientists have concluded that it is not effective.

Natural Medicines does not feel that guar gum is effective and has given it a rating of “possibly ineffective.”

Side effects may include:

Gas
Diarrhea

Hoodia

This is a vegetation that thrives in the Kalahari Desert of Africa. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that Bushmen commonly employed the stem of the root as a means to stave off hunger and thirst during extended hunting trips. It’s now marketed as an appetite suppressant.

Hoodia has P57, a component which is rumored to suppress hunger by making you feel sated. No reliable proof has been presented that suggests it is safe or reliable.

Natural Medicines does not have enough evidence to determine the effectiveness of hoodia.

Ephedra

This plant, which is also called ma huang, is a type of herb. This is not the same plant as its relative that grows in North America. Ephedra contains the stimulant ephedrine.

It is very closely related to these manmade compounds found in some drugs:

Pseudoephedrine
Phenylpropanolamine

The FDA banned supplements with ephedra after the herb was linked to serious side effects, including:

Heart attack
Arrhythmia
Stroke
Psychosis
Seizures
Death

The FDA’s restriction does not encompass traditional Chinese herbal treatments or items like herbal teas.

The FDA states that there is not much proof that the herb has any benefits besides providing a brief period of weight reduction. The agency says the health risks outweigh any benefits.

Natural Medicines says ephedra is “likely unsafe.”

Bitter Orange

The orange tree that has a sour taste originates from Africa and the tropics in Asia. It’s also grown in the Mediterranean, California, and Florida.

The rind of the bitter orange holds synephrine, a stimulant that is akin to ephedrine. It is said to be effective by increasing the amount of calories burned.

Following the prohibition of weight loss supplements with ephedra by the FDA, lots of manufacturers began using bitter orange instead, however, it is unknown if it is safer or not.

Natural Medicines states that consuming bitter orange as a dietary supplement may be hazardous, and there is insufficient proof to determine whether it is effective for slimming down.

Research indicates that taking bitter orange supplements could result in an increase in both blood pressure and pulse rate. It has been suggested that bitter orange on its own or mixed with other stimulants like caffeine could potentially be hazardous to those who consume it. The risks include:

Stroke
Irregular heartbeat
Heart attack
Death

The Food and Drug Administration has declared that the consumption of bitter orange as a dietary supplement might be hazardous. It is highly suggested that if you have any sort of heart issue, hypertension, or any other health issue, you should abstain from it.

You should stay away from bitter orange supplements if you ingest caffeine, specific drugs (for example MAO inhibitors), herbs or other supplements that increase the heart rate.