Fat Loss 4 Idiots

About 65% of adults in the U.S. are overweight.  About 30% of them are obese.  Those numbers are staggering.  This overweight epidemic is costing us millions of dollars a year from all the health problems and diseases that are caused by being overweight.  Many people can change their life around and help to lower these percentages just by learning how to eat.

One of the easiest ways to lose weight is to change how you eat.  Stop eating all those packaged cookies and cakes.  Ditch the processed foods, such as high fat frozen dinners.   Stop the numerous runs to the fast food joints.   Get rid of the cupboard full of chocolate bars and candy.   Avoid all fried foods.  Trade in full fat milk for nonfat milk.  Eat and prepare more meals at home. 

You want to load up on foods with a high water content, high fiber foods, foods with good fats, and lean protein foods.  Eat often throughout the day.  Don’t skip any meals.  You may think skipping meals will help you lose weight, but it has the exact opposite effect.  Your body will go into “starvation” mode and your metabolism will slow down, which means you will be burning fewer calories, storing more fat, and you will gain weight.  So, eat smaller meals more often.

High Water Content Foods

Most fruits and vegetables are 80% to 90% water, which means they will fill you up and they are also calorie dense.   They are loaded with filling fiber and many vitamins and nutrients that your body needs.  Go for whole fruits and vegetables such as: 

• apples
• pears
• peaches
• grapes
• grapefruit
• oranges
• blueberries
• raspberries
• strawberries
• bananas
• mango
• carrots
• tomatoes
• bell peppers
• spinach
• broccoli
• asparagus
• peas
• green beans

High Fiber Foods

Load up on high fiber foods.  You should aim for 30-35 grams of fiber a day.  Most of us only get around 20 grams.   Fiber will leave you feeling full longer, therefore you will eat less.  Eat more of the following high fiber foods:

• 100% whole wheat bread
• oats
• bran
• black beans
• pinto beans
• chickpeas
• kidney beans
• fruits and vegetables
• almonds
• peanuts
• walnuts
• pecans
• macadamia nuts
• cashews

Nuts are an excellent source of fiber, protein and good fats.  Aim for a serving of nuts each day.   Switch out your processed peanut butter for all natural peanut butter.  The only ingredients in a jar of natural peanut butter is peanuts and salt. 

Good Fat Foods

Eat more fish.  Fish is loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids and many other nutrients that promote heart health.  Eat 2-3 servings of fish a week. Make sure to steer clear of fish that tend to be high in mercury.  Avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, to name a few.  Stick with the following low mercury fish:

• salmon
• light canned tuna
• pollock
• flounder
• catfish
• tilapia

And, load up on these foods, which are also full of good fats:

• olive oil
• canola oil
• nuts
• natural peanut butter
• flaxseed

Lean Protein Sources

Eat more lean protein sources and less of high fat beef foods.  Your body needs protein, and a lot of us do not get enough protein in our diet.  High protein foods will also help fill you up and keep you satisfied.  Try to get more of these protein foods in your diet:

• chicken
• turkey
• fish
• nonfat milk
• low fat cheeses
• cottage cheese
• low fat yogurt
• beans
• nuts
• natural peanut butter

A Couple More Tips

If you are drinking anything but nonfat milk, you need to start making the switch.  There is just as much calcium in nonfat as there is in full fat or low fat milk.  You do not need the extra fat and calories.  Make the switch slowly.  If you are drinking full fat, switch to 2% for a week, then go to 1%, then down to skim.  I promise, you will get used to it.

Also, make sure to drink plenty of water.  Sometimes you think you are hungry, but you are actually just thirsty.  I can attest to that!  If I think I’m hungry, I first go drink a glass of water, and most of the time, I’m no longer hungry. 

These are some of the best foods to eat to help you lose weight.  These foods are healthy and will help boost your metabolism.  A fast metabolism will help you to burn more calories and therefore you will lose weight. 

It’s hard to change a diet around, so start out slowly.  Don’t try to change everything at once.  Make small changes until you have completely switched your diet over to a healthier one.  

You will begin to lose weight.  You will begin to feel better than you’ve ever felt before.  That’s because you will be giving your body all the nutrients it needs. 

Click here to learn more about a diet plan that uses these types of healthy foods and creates a “calorie shifting” menu for you.  By rotating the types of calories you eat all the time, you shock your metabolism and force it to burn calories and fat constantly.  This plan will kick your metabolism into high gear and you will see your weight start to drop off.   Fat Loss 4 Idiots is an amazingly simple diet plan that works!