Smarter Food Choices For Easy Fat Loss

Many of us have a few pounds of extra weight to lose, and many of us are not going to lose them at least anytime fast. And for those that do the weight often comes back on. I have friends who have been losing and gaining the same 20 pounds for years. There are plenty of diets out there, and most of them work very well if you can stick to them, at least while you are on them, but once the diet is over and normal habits come back the weight usually comes back as well. Often a few smarter food choices, easy tasty food choices, can slowly melt away that fat and keep it off for a long time.

Here are a few smarter food choices that work for many people, me included. Now you do need to experiment because all of us, including our bodies and metabolisms, are different. Of course you also need to involve your doctor as well as have some regular exercise.

Most diets can use more protein, especially during breakfast. It is important to have protein at every meal, and my favorites are lean meats, egg and egg whites, and legumes. You do not need a degree in nutrition, but a breakfast of simply cereal or a bagel does not help with fat loss, nor does skipping breakfast.
Most of us consume too many carbohydrates and the wrong types of carbohydrates. As a general rule, simple carbs lead to fat gain. These include sugar, potatoes, rice, bread, and pasta. These should be cut down in quantity. Whole grains such as brown or wild rice instead of white rice and whole wheat or multi grain bread and pasta instead of the white variants are positive changes, but still these types of carbohydrates should be limited. Too many carbs simply lead to fat in most people.
A moderate amount of fat in a diet is normal and healthy, but many of us consume too much fat. When combined with simple carbs like potatoes, as in French fries or baked potatoes loaded with butter and sour cream, these are close to “fat bombs” that will pack fat on our bodies.

Fruit is controversial because we have been led to believe that fruit is healthy. Now some fruit is great, but if you are of European descent for example do you think your body is accustomed to fruits like oranges and pineapples etc. year round? Our bodies evolve far slower than food availability choices change, and for most of us, lots of fruit is something our bodies are historically not accustomed to. Lots of fruit leads to weight gain for most of us.

How about diet sodas and other foods that contain artificial sweeteners? They have zero or close to zero calories, right? Well, it’s not just the calories that matter. A growing body of research shows that people who consume lots of fake sugars are fatter than those who do not. I try to limit myself to one diet soda or diet energy drink a day.

Let’s talk a little about snacking as well. If you eat fairly high protein at all meals, you tend to not need snacks as much. Now there is nothing wrong with snacks as long as they are healthy, and my favorites are vegetables like carrots. Probably the most important thing with snacking is not too have many bad choices, like potato chips and tortilla chips, lying around. If they are there, I eat them and you might too!

Some simple smart food changes can lead to slow yet steady weight loss. I’m happy to be 30 pounds lighter, even though the weight came off slowly over the last year. Whether you need to lose 10 or 30 or more pounds, simple yet smart food choices can take that weight away slowly yet surely.