It is possible to lose weight fast and still eat. Choosing foods that are nutrient-dense, provide satiety without lots of calories, rev up fat burn, keep blood sugar level and detox your liver will go a long way toward helping you melt off pounds without resorting to a crash diet. At the same time, you must avoid high-calorie foods that provide little nutrition and hamper your body’s health.
Step 1
Remove simple sugars, saturated fats and hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils from your diet. These bog down your liver’s ability to burn fat and also can lead to a host of health conditions like obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Sugars to avoid include high-fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, white sugar, sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose and corn syrup. “Bad” fats are found in baked goods, processed vegetable oils, margarine and shortenings.
Step 2
Cut out the extra calories that you consume from beverages. It’s common to consume up to 500 extra calories daily via beverages. Instead drink water or juice mixed with sparkling mineral water. If you are getting calories in your beverages, make sure they are nutrient-rich. Such sources include fat-free and low-fat milk as well as 100-percent fruit juice.
Step 3
Add low-calorie foods that have a high satiety value to your daily diet. Such foods can help reduce the amount of food it takes to halt hunger, cut cravings and prevent binging. Foods with a high satiety value generally have high water and fiber contents. Foods high on the “Satiety Index" developed by Australian researcher Dr. Susanne Holt of the University of Sydney include beans, lentils, popcorn, salads, apples, grapes and oranges.
Step 4
Eat healthy fats. This may sound strange, but the right fats actually help pare pounds. Fish oil and conjugated linoleic acid, commonly called CLA, and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) are top fat burners, according to nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D. Fish oil supplements or fatty fish like salmon and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help reverse insulin resistance and aid in keeping glucose regulated. CLA, an omega-6 fatty acid found in organic beef, decreases body mass index by helping the body access and utilize stored fat, particularly in the belly. It also helps balance blood sugar levels. MUFAs found in olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds target belly fat as well.
Step 5
Cut your carb intake to 40 percent of daily calories, and choose slow-release carbohydrates over those that increase blood-glucose levels rapidly. Carbohydrates stimulate insulin, which works to store fat. Low-glycemic carbs keep blood sugar stable and insulin in check. These include lentils, baked beans, apples, chick peas, kidney beans and navy beans, peas, peanuts, grapefruit, cherries, dried apricots, green beans and butter beans, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s glycemic index.
Step 6
Consume good, lean proteins. These stimulate glucogon, which mobilizes fat from storage. Good choices include low-fat, grass-fed varieties of beef, omega-3-enriched eggs, lamb and fish, especially salmon. You also can try whey protein, Gittleman advises, as it’s easily absorbed and utilized by the body.
Step 7
Cook with spices that detoxify and increase fat burn. Cumin, cilantro, garlic and ginger are excellent detoxifiers. Ginger, cinnamon and dry mustard are thermogenic spices, meaning they boost metabolism. Turmeric helps to thin and decongest bile, which aids your body in emulsifying fat.
Step 8
Detox your liver gently to help it flush fat and stimulate your metabolism. Utilize up to 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar a day to stimulate metabolism. Drink dandelion tea and consume milk thistle and the Oregon grape root to detoxify. Eat fruits and veggies that have fat-flushing properties. Gittleman says these include apples, berries, peaches, cucumbers, asparagus, kale, spaghetti squash, tomatoes, watercress and zucchini.
Tips and Warnings
- Get enough calcium each day. People who add calcium to their diets lose 30 percent more weight, according to a University of Tennessee Department of Nutrition study.
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