No matter what shape or size your body is, a healthy lifestyle is key. Weight loss isn’t the only solution to being healthy, and it isn’t something that everyone needs to strive for. However, it is an option to consider if you want to feel your best. In this guide from My Doctors Live MediSpa in Lakeland, FL, we explain how certain foods can help you lose weight safely and sustainably.
What Role Does Food Play In Weight Loss?
Eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly are important to improving your health. Hormones play an important role in controlling your cravings, hunger, and weight. Certain foods can affect your hunger in different ways, such as:
- Protein fills you up quickly and keeps you feeling full for an extended period of time. It also reduces the release of ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry after eating, which ultimately helps to decrease hunger. Protein also requires more energy to digest, and it helps to promote lean muscle mass, which in turn boosts your metabolism.
- Fiber in your diet helps to slow down digestion, resulting in a gradual increase in your blood sugar levels. This triggers a slower release of insulin, a hormone that helps to store fat. While fiber passes through your digestive system, different hormones that give you a feeling of fullness (like ghrelin) are released, telling your brain that you don’t need to be hungry anymore and that you don’t need to eat as much. This can help you to stay fuller for longer, which helps to prevent overeating and lowers your total calorie intake.
- Ultra-processed foods lack essential nutrients and fiber, causing them to be digested quickly. When we consume these types of foods (such as pastries and snacks), our blood glucose levels rise rapidly, prompting a large release of insulin. This insulin works to quickly remove glucose from our bloodstream, resulting in most of the calories being stored in our fat cells.
How Can I Lose Weight Safely And Sustainably?
It’s not necessary to significantly restrict calories, and it’s not recommended. The safest and most sustainable way to lose weight is to eat whole, unprocessed, high-quality foods. These foods will naturally reduce your hunger, boost your metabolism, and help you burn fat.
Avoid fried foods, processed foods, and refined sugars as much as possible, and be mindful of portion sizes. A great way to do this is to use the plate method, where half of your plate is filled with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with lean protein, and a quarter with fiber-rich carbohydrates.
Eating a range of fresh, unprocessed foods can boost your digestive system’s health as well. Not only is good digestive health connected to a better insulin reaction (which lessens fat stored around the waistline), but it can also help reduce inflammation and strengthen immunity, both of which can make you feel better physically and mentally so you can keep on going to meet your weight loss objectives.
What Foods Can Help Support A Healthy Weight Loss Journey?
- Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collard greens, and Swiss chard are great for helping with weight management. They contain lots of fiber and essential nutrients that make you feel full and hydrated.
- Whole eggs are incredibly nutrient-dense, with almost all of their nutrients found in the yolks – such as choline and vitamin D – while egg whites provide 4-6 grams of protein each. Eating eggs is beneficial because they are high in protein and fat, which helps you to feel satiated. It is important to listen to your body and eat when you feel hungry and stop when you feel full; this can assist you in reaching and maintaining a healthy weight.
- Fatty fish such as salmon are highly nutritious and quite satisfying. Packed with high-quality protein, beneficial fats, and various vital nutrients, salmon can help you reach a healthier weight and stay full for longer. In addition, the omega-3 fatty acids in salmon may help reduce inflammation, which is linked to obesity and metabolic illness.
- White potatoes have become less popular lately, likely due to the increase in consumption of low carbohydrate diets. Despite this, potatoes and root vegetables are great for losing weight and achieving good health. These foods offer a variety of essential nutrients, and are particularly high in potassium, which is an important factor in controlling blood pressure. Sweet potatoes, turnips, and other root vegetables are also excellent choices.
- Legumes such as lentils, black beans, and kidney beans can be helpful for those trying to lose weight. These foods typically have a high protein and fiber content, both of which are known to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Resistant starch is also generally found in legumes, making them a great option for weight loss.
