If you were asked, could you name the top six foods for weight loss? I'm sure you'd be able to name off some of them, but if you'd like to lose weight without dieting, you'll want to read my list to find out for sure! I created it only after I lost weight myself, by following this same list. Read on to learn these easy secrets!
Here's how the list was born. Rich and I were in Mexico and decided to lose weight together. But we had a problem. You see, we were heading back to the U.S. and traveling for 30 days. This meant that and we wouldn't have time to focus on our diet. Yet, we wanted to lose weight - and certainly didn't want to fall into the "travel-weight-gain" rut while eating with family and friends. (in other words, we wanted our cake and eat it too!)
So before we left, we decided to concentrate on the foods we'd been eating, which were helping us lose weight already. And guess what? A month later, we each weigh about 8 pounds lighter...all while enjoying good times visiting, traveling and dining out. We were so surprised, since this has never happened before.
Now I'd like to share these Top 6 Foods for Weight Loss with you!
Six Top Foods for Weight Loss:
Okay, technically these are groups or categories of foods, but here goes!
Food #1 - Veggies, veggies, veggies!! During that month, our diet consisted of 50% veggies. We ate onions, peppers, fresh pico de gallo, hot peppers, garlic, broccoli, squash, sweet potatoes, avocados, salads, and so on.
We'd bake a potato or sweet potato and top it off with a veggie stir fry, then adding salsa and a dash of unsweetened Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. It was delicious, and paired with fish, making a great meal!
Food #2 - Juice: Stay away from most processed veggie juices, as well as sweet fruit juices. Instead, drink pure, fresh carrot juice! If you don't want to make it yourself, you can buy a jug of 100% Odwalla carrot juice, which is fresher than most processed juice.
For lunch I'd blend up some fresh spinach, carrot juice, hemp protein, and a bit of unsweetened almond milk for a tasty lunch drink. We'd try and have juice for lunch or breakfast 5-7 times a week.
Food #3 - Lentils and beans: We ate lentils and beans instead of grains. They're all 'slow carbs', meaning they don't spike your insulin levels- so your liver doesn't store your meals as fat. You can top lentils off with salsa, too. Get creative with your lentils and beans. Make a 3-bean salad, or a lentil soup - adding veggie broth, a few carrots and celery.
Food #4 - Clean proteins such as fish and eggs: Wild caught fish is great for you, as it provides an excellent source of Omega 3 oils, as well as a clean protein that's easy to digest and use for fuel. We simply pan fried a white fish in oil, garlic, onion and hot peppers. Or, for a change we'd fry our white fish in coconut oil, adding coconut flakes, ginger and almond slivers. We also ate a few organic eggs every morning - with lentils, beans and a helping of salsa or a touch of freshly-made guacamole. Rich eats some meats, but tried to limit them to 2-3 times a week, as they're full of antibiotics and hormones.
Food #5 - Healthy Fats: I mentioned the coconut oil a moment ago. We use it because it has a higher flash point, which means it's better for cooking over hot heat as it doesn't turn rancid like olive oil does. It's high in saturated fat, but unlike most other saturated fats, it's processed differently in the body, so used in moderation, is an excellent choice.
My favorite cooking oil is macadamia nut oil, which is low in saturated fats AND has a high flash point! For salads and cold dishes, olive oil is still my top choice. Raw almond butter on celery or raw almonds are an excellent snack in moderation, too.
Food #6 - Healthy seasonings and condiments: I used to prepare my food with plenty of salt, pepper, margarine and mayo. During my stint living in Mexico I adjusted my taste buds for the better. The seasonings we used instead were cayenne pepper, cilantro, rosemary, mustard seed, dill and other herbs, red pepper flakes, fresh ground black pepper, chili-lime seasoning, cumin, and a dash of sea salt.
Other condiments included fresh pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, Greek yogurt, and an occasional dab of organic butter.
About 80% of our diet focused around these foods. So what else did we eat?
As with many things in life, the 80/20 rule worked for us!...
The other 20% consisted of beverages such as coffee (2 cups a day with creamer and stevia - no sugar), and about 3-6 beers per week -since it was hot in Mexico! Other foods included a few bananas and a little pineapple or berries, 3-4 ice cream bars per week, a couple of small chocolate bars, 4-6 corn tortillas (no wheat), a little deep fat fried fish (in our fish tacos), a little chipotle sauce, and one or two fast food meals like pizza, soda and fries!
How did we eat these foods and still lose weight?
Here are a few rules we followed:
Limiting sugar! We consumed no more than 30 grams of sugar per day- and ate it at one sitting, rather than eating sugar throughout the day. (30 grams equates to an ice cream bar or small chocolate bar). This helps avoid insulin spikes while eating meals. Now, it's not easy, since you have no sugar in your coffee and you don't eat many processed foods. We also limited fruits some because of the fructose, another form of sugar. This one guideline really helps you lose weight the most!
Limiting processed grains: While not as bad at producing insulin spikes, processed grains do add fat to your belly. This is partly because of the gluten they contain (think paste). Rice and corn doesn't have gluten, so those were our choices most often when we did eat. Breads made with sprouted grains are another good choice.
Eliminating most dairy: Consistent dairy consumption fattens you up, just like the baby cows. I made an exception with my creamer in my morning coffee - and with a little Greek Yogurt or occasional feta cheese. Salsa and pico does wonders for replacing cheese on many dishes.
That's it! We're happy to continue eating this way now, too. All told, Rich has lost 30 pounds in 4 months, I've lost 25 pounds, and we've never felt better!
Eating these foods tastes great, provides variety, feels good in your body - and you'll lose weight, too...simply by focusing on these top six foods for weight loss.
Katherine researches and writes articles about health, weight management and wellness topics. She has a Holistic Life Coach Certificate and has been writing for over 10 years.
Click here if you want to learn more about top six foods for weight loss. You'll also find a nutrient-rich diet you might want to check out on her website, called The Diet Solution Program.
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