16 Foods To Eat To Lose Weight

Cutting calories when trying to reduce weight may be tempting, but doing so might be harmful to your health. In fact, studies show that eating less than 1,000 calories per day frequently falls short of giving your body the balanced nourishment it requires and can result in vitamin and mineral shortages linked
to major health problems 

16 Foods To Eat To Lose Weight

Furthermore,when you consume much less calories than you require, your body starts using its own muscle and organ tissues as fuel. Additionally, your metabolic rate will be slower the less lean tissue mass you have, which is not good for weight loss.

Therefore, focusing on feeding your body better meals is a more effective weight loss method than controlling your caloric consumption, advises Jamie Feit, a registered dietitian nutritionist and the creator of Jamie Feit Nutrition in White Plains, New York. According to experts, the following foods
can help you stick to a healthy and long-term weight loss plan.

Weight control is primarily a hormonal response to certain foods, says Matthew Olesiak, M.D., chief medical director of health technology company SANESolution based in Bellevue, Washington. “Hormones send signals to the brain that influence our cravings, hunger and body weight,” he says. Here’s how certain foods affect your hunger hormones:

Protein fills you up quickly and keeps you full for a long time. It also decreases post-meal secretions of the hunger hormone ghrelin, thus reducing feelings of hunger, “Protein also takes more energy to digest and increases lean muscle mass, both of which help boost metabolism,” he says.

Dietary fiber slows digestion and ensures a gradual rise in blood glucose levels, which triggers a slower release of the fat-storage hormone insulin, explains Dr. Olesiak.“As fiber moves through the digestive system, various satiety hormones (like ghrelin) are released, sending signals to the brain to reduce hunger and regulate food intake,” he says.

That means you’ll stay fuller longer, which can help prevent overeating and reduce your overall caloric intake, says Kara Landau, a registered dietitian, gut health expert and founder of snack brand Uplift Food in Brooklyn, New York. “Prebiotic soluble fiber also feeds the beneficial bacteria living in your
large intestine, which improves gut health,” she adds. 

Ultra-processed foods are low in nutrients and fiber, so they’re digested quickly, says Dr. Olesiak. “As a result, eating them (think potato chips, candy bars and toaster pastries) causes a rapid rise in blood glucose levels, which triggers a significant release of insulin,” he says. Because insulin must clear glucose from your bloodstream quickly, most of those calories are sent to your fat cells, he explains.