To lose 1 lb. of body fat, you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories. Rapid weight loss may be tempting, but a goal of 1 to 2 lbs. per week, or an average daily deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories, may be healthier and more sustainable for most people, according to the Mayo Clinic. Foods to eat for rapid weight loss are filling but low in calories so you can stick to a low-calorie diet.
Vegetables
Vegetables can help you lose weight quickly because they are low in calories and you can use them to make your snacks, main courses or side dishes more filling. Entrée or side salads can include spinach, lettuce or mixed greens and other vegetables such as sprouts or radishes. Add vegetables to tomato sauce, casseroles, omelets or sandwiches to make them bigger, but not much higher in calories, so that you get full faster and lose weight. Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, provide fiber, vitamins and minerals, but they are higher in calories than other vegetables.
Lean Proteins
Instead of fried or breaded meats, full-fat cheese, or meat with visible fat, choose lean protein foods to save hundreds of calories at a time and help you lose weight quickly. White-meat, skinless chicken and turkey, light tofu, tuna fish and grilled shrimp are examples of low-calorie, high-protein foods that may suppress your hunger. Fat-free cottage cheese or plain yogurt and hard-boiled egg whites are good, high-protein snacks for rapid weight loss because they are convenient and they can prevent you from being so hungry that you overeat at the next meal.
Fruit
Fruit can be a good food to eat for rapid weight loss if you substitute it for high-calorie desserts. Baked goods, such as cakes, cookies and pies, dairy desserts and candy are top sources of calories in the average American diet, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Apples, berries, grapes, oranges, tangerines, pears and peaches are lower-calorie options for dessert or snacks to help you lose weight quickly. Dried fruit and fruit juice count toward your daily servings of fruit, but they are high in calories and they may slow your weight loss.
Soups
Foods high in water and dietary fiber may be low in calories and good for weight loss, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Substitute broth-based soups instead of creamy or cheesy soups, and make them with plenty of low-calorie vegetables, such as broccoli, onions, celery or tomatoes. Beans, such as kidney, lima, navy and black, make good additions because they are low in fat and high in dietary fiber and protein.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Fruits and Fruit Juices
- Harvard School of Public Health: Protein: Moving Closer to Center Stage
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Eat More, Weigh Less?
- Mayo Clinic: Fast Weight Loss: What's Wrong with It?; Donald Hensrud; November 2009
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