Lose Weight Slowly to Keep It Off
When you change your eating habits, you want to see immediate results. Be careful not to lose weight too quickly, though. Fad or crash diets that let you drop more than a few pounds a week are unhealthy and hard to maintain. Crash diets often cause water and lean muscle loss. Slow weight loss allows you to lose more fat and maintain muscle mass.Fast weight loss can also cause long-term health problems including liver damage and gallstones. Stick to a diet that will give you the number of calories you need each day for your height and goal weight.
Choose Low-Calorie Foods Packed with Nutrients
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Eat quality foods to get the nutrients your body needs every day without adding extra calories. Fill your plate with leafy greens to get your allowance of fiber, potassium, and folate. Fruits offer nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, and various B vitamins. Choose lean meats, beans, and legumes for your low-calorie protein sources.
Beware of Diet Foods, Artificial Sweeteners, and Natural Syrups
Foods touted as diet or low in fat are often heavily processed and may contain chemicals. While diet foods may lack sugar and fat, such foods can be far from healthy. Some low-fat foods are packed with sugar to replace the missing fat. Sugar-free foods often use artificial sweeteners. Sugar substitutes can leave you craving more sugar, and even raise blood sugar levels and cause diabetes.Eating natural foods is healthier than consuming processed foods. However, foods labeled natural and organic aren't always low in calories. Note that natural sugars still count as sugar in your diet. Agave syrup, coconut sugar, and honey are all sugars.
Stay Hydrated
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Remember to focus on proper nutrition when you cut calories. You can lose weight and stay healthy and vibrant when you choose quality low-calorie foods and drink plenty of water.
