Weight Loss Tips

Knowing what to eat - part I

This is part one of the two part series on "Knowing what to eat". We will discuss what you should eat in order to control your weight gain. These are some well known and very effective weight loss tips.

Drink plain old water.
Many people eat thinking they are hungry, when they are really thirsty. You need eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Drinking water will fill you up and ease your appetite. Do not worry about retaining water. Drinking lots of water actually trains your body not to retain water. It only retains water when it is chronically dehydrated. If you give it a steady diet of water, your body won't feel the need to hold on to every last drop.

Pick low-fat version of your favorite foods.
Fat has nine calories per gram while carbohydrates have just four. Choose an apple (about 100 calories) over a piece of apple pie (aout 400 calories). Instead of a piece of fried checken, have a grilled chicken breast without the skin. Instead of whole milk, have skim or 1 or 2 percent. Instead of regular eggs, opt for an egg substitute or egg whites.

Choose fast food wisely.
If you must eat it, pick up healthy low-calorie options like Burger King's Veggie burger (hold the sauce), Wendy's salads (hold the dressings) or Subway's veggie turkey sub (hold the mayonese).

Snack on raw fruits and vegetables.
Instead of a candy bar from the snack machine in the afternoon, have sweet, juicy watermelon chunks instead - or try broccoli florets, carrots and cauliflower with low-fat dip. Health experts advice us to have five servings of fruits and vegetables a dy because these foods are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins. As an added benefits, they are much lower in calories than the processed foods and mostly fat free. So if we incorporate more fruits and vegetables into our diets, we will be heathier and thinner.

Load up on fiber
High fiber foods like whole grains and beans absorb water in your stomach, making you feel full faster and satisfied longer. Black beans and lentil soups are good choices, as are steel-cut oats and whole wheat cereals.

Soup it up.
Soup is mm, mm good for weight loss - as long as you do not go for high-fat cream of broccoli or New England clam chowder. Ordering checken, tomato or vegetable soup as your first course will fill you up and help satisfy your hunger so that you don't gorge yourself on the entree.

Eat some fat.
Adding healthy monosaturated fats to your diet will give you the feeling of satiety you need to stay on track. Adding a few nuts (particularly almondsm peanuts and cashews), olives, olive oil or flaxseeds to the healthy low-fat dishes you are preparing will help your reach your weight loss goals.

Eat Lean Meat.
Good lean protein sources include white meat, poultry, fish, seafood, sirloin tip, pork tenderloin and leg of lamb.

Switch to complex carbs.
Refined carbohydrates like table sugar and white flour make your blood sugar rise and fall sharply, leaving you hungry. Far better choices are complex carbohydrates like whote wheat, oatmeal and beans because they are digested slowly , delaying hunger.

Spice it up.
Much of the flovor in your food comes form the fats like cream, lard and mayonnaise. Eating low-fat can leave your meals pretty dull - unless you add some spices. Mix in some garlic powder with your lean ground beef, add curry or paprika to checken dishes. Try mustard instead of mayo on tuna fish. Sprinkle herbal blends on casseroles. Use fat-free butter power on vegetables.