A healthy person seeking to lose weight in a healthy manner may do so through reducing calories, increasing physical activity or a combination of the two. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, or NIDDK, says, "No food can burn fat," and as far as natural or herbal weight-loss supplements, "These products are not usually scientifically tested to prove that they are safe or that they work."
Background
To produce one pound in your body, 3,500 calories much be consumed. To lose one pound in your body requires 3,500 calories to be burned. Healthy weight loss is achieved by losing one to two pounds each week, advises Mayoclinic.com. Reducing calories by an average amount each day will result in weight loss. Cutting daily caloric intake by 500 calories, for example, should lead to a one-pound loss in one week.
Considerations
The registered dietitians at Health Castle have a list of five "super" foods for weight loss. These foods aren't called "super" because they make you lose weight, but because they help fulfill the recommended five servings per day of fruits and vegetables with foods that are packed with nutrition. Health Castle's super foods fall into five main groups: super red, super purple, super orange, super green and super white and include pink grapefruit, tomatoes, watermelon, concord grapes, prunes, blueberries, spinach, carrots, pumpkin, oranges, spinach, broccoli, collard greens, cauliflower, bananas, mushrooms and onions.
Misconceptions
There is a myth that switching to a vegetarian diet will bring health and weight loss. The NIDDK says, "Research shows that people who follow a vegetarian eating plan, on average, eat fewer calories and less fat than nonvegetarians." Overall, vegetarians also tend to have lower body weight in proportion to their heights, NIDDK adds. However, vegetarians can also make food choices that could lead to becoming overweight, such as choosing high-fat foods. Vegetarians must be just as prudent as their meat-eating counterparts when choosing food and selecting portion sizes to ensure adequate nutrition and balanced calories.
Expert Insight
Mayoclinic.com says sometimes weight loss comes as a surprise. If an unexplained weight loss represents 5 percent or more of your body weight, you should consult your health-care provider because an underlying health condition may be the real reason.
Warning
Proceed cautiously whenever you learn of a new "cure" for weight loss. The ingredient ephedra has been banned from dietary supplements, but because there is such a large market for a weight loss cure, companies will find other ingredients of questionable safety sooner or later. Consult with your pharmacist or health-care provider before beginning a weight loss or exercise program.
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