To lose weight fast, cut your total fat intake and move from added sugar to artificial sweeteners for a while. This strategy targets the greatest calorie offenders --- fat and sugar --- and leaves room in your diet for more beneficial fiber, minerals and vitamins. You'll get the nutrition you need, along with reasonable amounts of essential healthy fats, in fewer calories. The remaining healthy food choices will provide plenty of dietary fiber, which satisfies your hunger to keep your diet on course.
Grains
Cereal makes a low-calorie, high-nutrition breakfast that is a good source of fiber. The American Diabetes Association suggests choosing a cereal with 3 g or more of fiber and 5 g or less of sugar. Other fiber-rich whole-grain diet foods include brown rice, bulgur, rye crackers and whole-wheat or corn tortillas. To lose weight, limit portions of cereal or side dishes to ½ or ¾ cup.
Low-Calorie Dairy
Get your calcium while reducing food calories by consistently choosing nonfat milk and nonfat plain yogurt in meals. Yogurt without added sugar will promote the quickest weight loss. Low-fat cheese makes an acceptable meal or snack addition.
Legumes
Cooked black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes represent huge fat savings in your daily totals over animal-based protein foods. Legumes are low in fat and high in fiber, and they are filling. Scatter them on salads or spread purees on whole-grain crackers. Until you achieve a healthy weight, keep your servings to ½ cup or less. Peanut butter provides healthy monounsaturated fats along with protein, but stick to 2-tbsp. servings to control the calories in this concentrated food.
Fruits and Veggies
Broaden your nutritional intake on low-calorie fruits and vegetables, which are also excellent sources of filling fiber. Lose weight by choosing low-calorie apricots, papayas, melons, pears and grapefruits, and avoiding fatty avocados and coconuts. Keep veggie dishes to 50 calories or less per 1-cup serving by cooking spinach, broccoli, peppers, carrots and squash without added oil or butter.
Low-Fat Animal Protein
Fish are your best bet when losing weight, with high protein and less fat than many meats. Serve 3 oz. of fish such as baked or broiled flounder, tuna, haddock and orange roughy for entrees of 100 calories or less per serving.
Sweets
Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and desserts while you pursue your weight-loss goals. Drink water for zero calories, or get one-third of your daily calcium from 1 cup of nonfat milk. Diet colas and fruit cups that contain artificial sweeteners keep calories low while satisfying your sweet tooth.
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