If you want to lose weight without going hungry, choosing the right foods makes all the difference. On a 1,500-calorie-a-day diet, you could eat a slice of Cheesecake Factory's Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake and a snack-size bag of Lay's potato chips. Or you could eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks for the same number of calories.
Unlimited Fruits and Vegetables
The Mayo Clinic Diet guarantees you'll never go hungry while losing weight unless you forget to make a trip to the grocery store or farmers market. The diet permits you an unlimited amount of fruits and vegetables daily and recommends you eat at least three servings of fruit and four of vegetables. On a diet aimed at helping you lose a pound or two a week, you can also eat up to seven servings of protein and dairy, eight servings of carbohydrates and three to five servings of fat. The diet also permits a small bite of cheesecake or other sweet that contains no more than 75 calories.
Eat All You Want on Vegan Diet
A vegan diet, which permits no animal products, can help you lose weight without counting calories or going hungry, according to Leslie Beck, a Canadian nutritionist who writes regularly for "The Globe and Mail." She cites a study led by Dr. Neil Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, in which people who ate as much as they wanted on a vegan diet lost more weight than those on a standard calorie-restricted diet for diabetics. According to the report, published in 2009 in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association," those following the vegan diet reported fewer cravings and had an easier time sticking to their plan for 18 months than other dieters.
Tips on Veganism
If you want to try a vegan diet, Beck says you begin gradually by replacing animal protein at three meals a week. You could have a veggie burger instead of a hamburger, tofu instead of chicken in a stir-fry and a soy milk smoothie instead of a glass of milk. Beck says vegans need to be mindful about getting enough calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D and iron. Fortified orange juice and fortified soy drinks contain calcium, as do almonds, dark green vegetables and some tofu products. Nutritional yeast and some soy products contain B12, which you can also take as a supplement in pill form. Some soy beverages contain vitamin D, but you may need to take supplements to get enough. Iron can be found in whole grains, nuts, leafy green vegetables and enriched cereals, and foods rich in vitamin C will help you absorb iron, Beck says.
Choose High-Fiber Foods and Complex Carbohydrates
Nutritionist Lori Pirog says you can you feel satisfied on a 1,500-calorie-a-day diet if you include high-fiber foods and complex carbohydrates in your meals. A bowl of oatmeal will fill you up more than whole-wheat toast, and an apple is more satisfying than a half cup of apple juice, which contains the same number of calories. She also advises portion control. A serving of meat is two ounces, for instance, and a serving of pasta is a half cup.
Drink Water Before Meals
Drinking water before meals can also fill you up and lose weight. In a study conducted by Brenda Davy and others at Virginia Tech University, people who drank two glasses of water before meals lost about 5 lbs. more in three months than those who did not drink water. Davy, who reported her findings at an American Chemical Society meeting, said that the water-drinking participants consumed about 90 fewer calories at meals.
References
- Calorie Lab: Cheesecake Factory Nutrition Facts
- Women and Weight: 1500 Calorie Diet Plan
- "Daily Record"; Water Way to Lose Weight; Two Glasses Before Eating is Best Way to Shed the Pounds; Janice Burns; Aug. 24, 2010
- Mayo Clinic: Healthy Weight Pyramid
- "The Globe and Mail"; Vegan Diet has Surprising Stick-to-it-iveness; Leslie Beck; Feb. 4 2009
Member Comments