Most people have tried a variety of diets, incorporating different healthy foods into their diets with little results. Eating the right foods and exercising can have a positive impact on your weight and help you to reach your weight loss goals.
People set themselves up for failure because it is hard to break the negative patterns we set in our lives. It is so easy to make excuses for ourselves when it comes to losing weight. Procrastination as well as the loss of motivation in our weight loss journey leads to failure.
I have listed a few food choices and weight loss programs which have lead to successful weight loss for so many.
Foods That Promote Healthy Weight Loss
Of course, you should always incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet. But, if you’re not drinking enough water, all your efforts will fail. Water acts as a cleansing agent and keeps us hydrated. You should aim to drink 8 glasses of water per day. Depending on your activity level, you may need more. If plain water doesn’t appeal to you, try adding a little lemon juice or sugar-free crystals to your water.
You need to have plenty of fiber in your diet. Eating a sufficient amount of fiber will ensure that you will not have digestive issues. Having too little fiber can cause constipation which is what you definitely do not want when trying to lose weight. Constipation can make you feel sick and bloated. Foods that contain high amounts of fiber are beans, lentils, fruits, vegetables and grains. You have a variety of fiber-filled foods to choose from to help with managing your weight. Fiber helps you to feel full longer.
Foods that contain protein are also essential for healthy weight loss. You will want to eat a minimal amount of red meat because it can be very fatty. Instead, stick with white meat such as chicken and fish. Fish is extremely good for you. It is lean and provides nutrients that are needed to maintain healthy weight.
Reduced Calorie Diet
You can lose weight successfully simply by counting calories. That doesn’t mean that you can eat really bad stuff in small amounts. It means that you can have balanced meals that leave you feeling full with some healthy snacks in between. The main idea behind calorie counting is portion control. You can have something sweet here and there, you just can’t scarf down an entire box of donuts. As you take in less calories, you will begin to lose more weight. You should keep a log of the food you eat each day and fill in how many calories each meal is. By doing this, you can succeed at losing weight by counting calories.
These are a few of the proven programs available at various costs.
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers has been around for years. The system has helped many shed unwanted pounds. This program gives its members a chance to meet with one another which helps in developing a support system. Members can attend live meetings or the program can also be accessed online. The goal of the Weight Watchers diet is for members to lose 2 pounds per week. Weight loss is steady. The Weight Watchers diet will allow a certain number of points each day to each member based on their body composition. Participants are given a booklet that tells how many points any kind of food will cost them. It also includes meals that can be ordered at restaurants so members won’t be tempted to cheat while dining out. Weight Watchers is a safe and reliable diet. It certainly is not a fad diet and it is here to stay.
South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet was developed for overweight heart patients. It provided excellent results for these patients. While this diet is similar to the Atkin’s Diet, there are some differences. It is often referred to as the healthy version of the Atkin’s Diet. During the first two weeks on this diet, most carbohydrates must be completely avoided. This would include rice, pasta and bread. Instead, you are required to eat three meals a day until you are satisfied. These meals include meats, shellfish, turkey, chicken and fish. Nuts, fat-free cheese, eggs, salad and vegetables are also on the menu for this diet. You can expect to lose 9 to 13 pounds during this phase of the diet. During the second phase of the South Beach Diet, carbohydrates are reintroduced, but only a little. This stage of the diet will allow you to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. The third phase of this diet requires that you make a lifestyle change and eat healthy foods and maintain your weight. This diet is about balancing the good carbs and the bad carbs. This diet also has an online program with a database of recipes which also offers alternatives to vegetarians.
Nutrisystem Diet
The Nutrisystem Diet provides prepackaged foods to its participants which typically includes three meals and two snacks per day. These are shipped directly to the customer. Different options are provided for men, women and vegetarians. This diet provides a safe and healthy way to lose weight. You must be willing to stick with the meal plans. The idea behind this concept is that the meals are prepackaged, and therefore, contain the right amount of calories for your physical makeup. If you sneak other foods in on this diet, you will not get the results you had hoped for and you will be spending a lot of money for nothing. This diet plan can work but it will take hard work and determination. The meals can be pricey, but if you are someone who’s on the go, this may be the right diet plan for you.
I agree with this article. I too wrote a lot about incorporating natural appetite suppressant food in the diet. Foods that contain lots of fiber and pectin or peptide in fruits to help curb the appetite. It also makes the heart healthy and reduces the risks of heart diseases while promoting HDL cholesterol.
Hi there,
Thank you for such a great article! I agree with you totally about how people procrastinate and make excuses to lose weight! I have been one of them as well a few years ago and know how bad things can get.
Sometimes I think people try to convince themselves that they look fine and healthy but I believe things can change instantly when you start seeing yourself for who you really are.
I also agree with you about drinking lots of water. I know from experience that water helps increase the body to metabolize fat. Thank you for the advice on the different diets. I never knew about the South Beach diet! Will have a look into that.
While obesity is my greatest struggle, being cheap has got to be a close second. I have found that going the “counting calories” road is working for me. There are a number of free calorie tracking sites out there that help you measure calorie input and calories burned. The other HUGE aspect to winning the weight war is get support. Having a support group of people losing weight helps keep you honest with yourself.
Hi Michael,
Agree that having a support group of people helps tremendously. I have found that getting a group of close friends or family members to motivate each other can tide through times when you just feel like giving up.
To be honest, I hate the word “diet”!!! A good diet is not enough to help you keep fit. You need to exercise, too. I’m a little bit overweight due to the nature of my job, then I choose to take part in a water aerobics class in my region. It’s great fun!
The idea is when choosing the best foods to help lose weight try not to neutralize the food’s possible weight loss benefits, be careful with what you add! Eat a little high quality protein food with each meal or snack. One study in the UK for the Atkins diet has shown that it wasn’t the low curbs that were the reason the volunteers were losing weight, it also wasn’t the ketosis which was causing the body to boost the metabolism. In fact it was believed to be the protein content. The protein in each meal was helping to dull the appetite causing volunteers to actually consume fewer calories than those on the low fat diet.
thanks Sara, I never knew foods that contain fiber, pectin, and peptide can curb the appetite. Of the 3 programs I favor Weight Watchers because they have a support group.
Very motivating. 🙂
Discipline is very important because even with a very good diet program, there is no hope if you can’t follow the diet plan properly. The attitude you have towards diet and exercise should be positive all the time. Treat is as a fun part of your life. Always remember that eating right and improving your lifestyle will give you more energy to have fun later on.
Hi Chris, glad you mentioned the South Beach diet however a hidden reason that people set themselves up for failure is by referring to this type of diet as low carb, in other words they are giving something up. Instead these should be referred to as protein based diets that naturally have a lower carb count than the grain based diet that is killing far too many Americans through obesity and related diseases.
Never focus on what you are giving up, rather get your brain to think in terms of what it is gaining.
Discovering green tea and all of its wonderful powers is definitely among the best things that ever happened to me in my life.
Sure, I first heard about it being some sort of magical weight loss supplement, and I had to give it a try. At first I thought it was gross and definitely saw no magic happening since I hated drinking it. On my next try to love green tea, I decided to take it easy and just not give it too much thought.
It’s been a year and a half of drinking at least one cup of green tea a day and the benefits go far beyond weight loss.
Thank you for writing this!
I believe that having a support group has a tremendous effect on the success of the weight loss journey. It just takes less effort from the person going through the journey. Seeing others going through the same thing in the same time is very inspiring and motivating. Being part of a group gives a sense of accountability that prevents us from breaking.
Hello All,
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