Losing weight requires a caloric deficit, meaning you must eat fewer calories than you burn through physical activity on a consistent basis. Three basic steps for successful, lasting weight loss include making healthy choices from each food group, choosing primarily nutritious foods and balancing your food intake with exercise. Aim for gradual weight loss, or up to 2 lbs. per week, avoid quick-fix diets and seek your doctor's approval for heightened benefits.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are nutrient-rich foods that provide ample fiber and relatively few calories. Because of these attributes, eating more fruits and vegetables allows you to enjoy more food volume without feeling hungry or deprived while managing your weight. Since fruit juices, canned fruit stored in heavy syrup and dried fruit are dense in sugars and less satiating, choose whole fruits and vegetables most often. Fruits and vegetables particularly rich in fiber and nutrients include berries, cherries, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, kiwi, tomatoes, spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, string beans, broccoli, squash and sweet potatoes. Fresh fruit, all-fruit frozen bars or fruit-topped yogurt provide nutritious alternatives to sugary desserts.
Whole Grains
Whole grains contain all nutritious parts of the original grain plant. As a result, they digest slowly and promote satiation, digestive function and blood sugar balance. While refined carbohydrate sources, such as enriched breads, white rice and processed snack foods may lead to weight gain, whole grains promote the opposite. Examples of nutritious, satiating whole grains include 100 percent whole grain breads and cold cereals, old fashioned oatmeal, long-grain brown rice, wild rice, barley soup, quinoa dishes and air-popped popcorn. When purchasing prepared breads, cereals and baked goods, check food packaging to ensure that whole grains are listed as main ingredients.
Protein-Rich Foods
Protein-rich foods, such as meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and fish, provide amino acids--the building blocks of protein. One reason high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets promote weight loss stems from the fact that protein-rich foods digest more slowly than carbohydrates and may help suppress your appetite. Since low-carb diets also pose numerous risks and tend to produce short-term results, MayoClinic.com suggests that weight-loss seekers consume a balanced diet, inclusive of lean protein sources, such as skinless chicken breasts, egg whites, low-fat milk and fish, instead. For additional benefits, use low-fat cooking techniques, such as baking, broiling, poaching and boiling, when preparing protein-rich foods and trim visible fat away from meats.
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