Enhance your weight-loss efforts by combining foods to keep you full, optimize energy production and decrease the release of insulin. Losing weight means you must eat fewer calories than your body needs for your everyday activities and for your workouts. However, if you eat too little, your body will begin to break down muscle tissue in addition to using your stored body fat for fuel. Eating the right foods at the right time helps to ensure you maintain or build lean muscle tissue while incinerating stored body fat to lose weight.
Step 1
Eat foods high in iron such as lean beef, oysters and tuna with vitamin C-rich fruits and veggies such as oranges, strawberries and sweet red peppers. Iron is an essential mineral needed for energy production, so you can exercise for a sufficient duration to burn plenty of calories and lose weight. Vitamin C enhances the absorption of the iron from your meats and seafood into your blood. If you are an adult man, eat 8 mg of iron per day, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. If you are an adult woman, eat 18 mg of iron per day, enhancing your capacity to lose weight.
Step 2
Combine a half cup serving of whole grains with 4 to 6 oz. of lean protein. Mixing whole grain carbs with protein increases the production of the fat-burning hormone glucagon, while simultaneously decreasing the production of the fat-storing hormone insulin, according to a 2008 study published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal." Following a diet in which your meals consistently have more protein than carbs will help you lose weight.
Step 3
Mix your low-carb, high-fat foods such as almonds or avocados with your fruits and vegetables to fill your tummy. Small meals between 200 and 300 calories will not satisfy your hunger for two to three hours without an adequate amount of fiber. Eat 1 oz. of almonds and a large orange for only about 250 calories and 8 g of fiber. Include two whole eggs, 1 tbsp. of dressing and 1 tbsp. of sesame seeds with your vegetable salad for a meal not much more than 240 calories, with plenty of fiber from lettuce, spinach, cilantro, peppers, carrots and broccoli.
Step 4
Drink a protein shake made with whey protein powder, skim milk and fruit immediately after your weight training workout. Combining whey protein, protein from cow's milk and the carbs from a fast-digesting fruit such as pineapple quickly replenishes your energy and builds muscle tissue, according to a 2010 study published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal." This increases your body's capacity to burn calories, helping you lose weight.
Tips and Warnings
- Eat different types of whole grains and iron-rich protein to keep your diet fresh and exciting.
Things You'll Need
- Lean beef
- Oysters
- Tuna
- Strawberries
- Sweet red peppers
- Oranges
- Whole grains
- Almonds
- Avocados
- Eggs
- Sesame seeds
- Salad vegetables
- Whey protein powder
- Skim milk
- Pineapple
References
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance"; William McArdle et al; 2007
- "ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal"; "Iron Deficiency in Physically Active Adults"; Pamela Hinton; September/October 2006
- Linus Pauling Institute: Iron
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; "The Glycemic Index and Weight Control"; R. Paul Gustafson; June 2008
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; "Protein for Sports -- New Data and New Recommendations"; Tim Ziegenfuss et al; February 2010
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