What To Eat To Lose The Pounds

Making suitable food choices is an important part of a weight loss program because the foods you choose must provide you with adequate nutrition without excessive calories. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that it is healthy to lose 1 to 2 pounds weekly. With a healthy diet, this goal is achievable.

Types

There are six types of foods you should eat when you are trying to lose weight: vegetables, fruits, milk, lean protein, grains and oils. When choosing fruits and vegetables, choose fresh or fresh frozen, as canned and dried varieties contain added sugar or salt. Milk products should be non-fat or low-fat because these provide the same nutritional value as whole milk products but don't include the fat. Lean proteins include fish, white meat chicken without the skin, bean and lean cuts of other meats. When choosing grains, try to choose whole grains, such as oatmeal or brown rice. Oils are necessary in moderation because all of your organs need some oil to function. Mayonnaise, salad dressings, olive oil and canola oil are some suitable oils.

Identification

When trying to lose weight, you will have to stay away from high-calorie foods. The Food and Drug Administration notes that high-calorie foods have 400 or more calories per serving. As you eat foods, you must keep track of the number of calories you eat; you must eat 500 fewer calories than you use every day of the week to lose 1 pound per week. A 1,000-calorie deficit is needed daily if you plan to lose 2 pounds per week.

Prevention/Solution

You can sabotage your weight loss if you don't pay attention to the number of calories you drink each day. Many drinks, such as soft drinks and sugary drinks, contain empty calories. The American Academy of Family Physicians states that an empty calorie is a calorie that doesn't have any, or very little, nutritional value. Water, zero-calorie flavored beverages and all natural fruit juice are some good beverage options when trying to lose weight. Black coffee and unsweetened ice tea are also acceptable in moderation.

Considerations

Because you need a caloric deficit each day, you need to exercise in addition to eating a healthy diet. Moderate-level exercise for 60 to 90 minutes on most, if not all, days of the week is recommended for people trying to lose weight, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Fast-paced walking, playing tennis or full-court basketball and swimming are some of the exercises you can do. It is also beneficial to add some strength training, such as weight lifting, into your exercise routine to help you build lean muscle mass, which helps to rev up your metabolism.

Warning

For people with medical conditions, such as ulcerative colitis or heart disease, a traditional weight-loss program may not be suitable because of dietary requirements to control the condition or because of food interactions with the medications used to treat the condition. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, contact your doctor or a dietitian.