Foods to Help You Lose Weight

 Wouldn’t it be nice if every pound of chocolate you ate would make you lose a pound of flab? Well, perhaps chocolate  won’t do the trick, but new research is showing that there are certain  foods that can help make you thin and actually can help you drop pounds.   “A pound of carrots will fill you up, with only a smattering  of calories -- or you can have a pound of cheeseburger, and you’ll gain weight faster than you can jump on a scale,” says Elizabeth Somer, MA, RD, author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet and Age-Proof Your Body.  “People don’t gain weight on carrots and blueberries; it would be  almost impossible to eat enough of them,” Somers says. “We fill up on  the volume of food.” But fear not, you are not destined to a steady diet of carrot  sticks and bird food. In fact, a wide assortment of the right “thin”  foods can help you lose weight. The key things to look for: Foods with  high water content, high-fiber foods, and calcium.  All of these will help you feel full longer and thus eat fewer calories  in the long run. Sorry, until Godiva starts filling their truffles with  water instead of chocolate cream, they don’t make the list. But lots of other luscious foods do. A good rule to bear in mind is to avoid processed foods,  which tend to be higher in fat and salt. “If you eat real food,  minimally processed, for instance plain nuts instead of those processed  with fat, or 100% whole-wheat bread instead of white bread, that alone  will help you manage your weight,” Somer says. 

 

Eat Your Water – Drink Your Meals

It’s important to stay well hydrated on a diet. People often mistake hunger for thirst. So next time you get a pang, drink a glass of water first to make sure you’re really hungry.   But that’s not the only way water can help you lose weight.  “If water is incorporated into food, it tends to fill us up,” Somer  says. Most fruits and vegetables are 80% to 90% water. 

 Try a bowl of soup before each meal. “Make sure it’s broth-based, not  cream-based,” Somer says. She also suggests, “a thick beverage like V8  before a meal so you’re less likely to overeat. You’re likely to consume  fewer calories. Brown rice or oatmeal, which have incorporated the  water into them, also work.” 

  

Load the Fiber – Fill Up Before You Fill Out

“People who eat whole grains have an easier time managing  their weight,” Somer says. “Fiber fills you up before it fills you out.”  Whole grains have the added benefit of generally being lower in  calories than refined (think white flour) grains and carbohydrates.  Most Americans get less than half the 30 to 35 grams of fiber  most health organizations recommend for adults. The high fiber content  of most fruits and vegetables  makes them good sources of foods that make you thin – in addition, they  are comparatively low in calories. What else can you do? Look for breads that say 100% whole wheat to make sure you getting the real deal. Ann Kulze, MD, of Charleston, S.C., author of Dr. Ann’s 10-Step Diet, A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss & Lifelong Vitality,  also recommends incorporating beans such as soy, lentil, chickpeas, and  black beans into your diet. “They are high in fiber and protein so  they’ll keep you full longer,” Kulze says.   

Got Milk? Calcium Fights Fat

“Preliminary evidence suggests that if someone is already  eating a low-fat, portion-controlled diet and then they get three  servings of nonfat milk a day, they lose more weight than someone who  eats the same number of calories but doesn’t have the milk,” Somer says.  The theory is that calcium may inhibit the storage of fat, and it seems that the weight loss comes largely from the midsection. Though Somer says the research is not yet conclusive, she  points out, “You need the milk anyway for your bones, so it certainly  won’t hurt.” The research has been strictly on food, not supplements, so even if you take calcium supplements, you need to drink up, too.  Women who got the largest amount of calcium from dairy foods  lost the most weight and body fat over two years, even if they didn’t  change their exercise habits, according to a study in the December 2000 Journal of the American College of Nutrition.  Although the recommended calcium level for young women is 1,200-1,500  milligrams daily, the study showed that the average woman's daily intake  of calcium was under 800 milligrams per day. Here are the calcium levels recommended for adults by the 

USDA: Ages 9 to 18: 1,300 mg 

Ages 19 to 50: 1,000 mg 

Ages 51 and over: 1,200 mg  

  

Soy Good – The Other Calcium Source

Not a milk lover? You may be able to get similar benefits  from soy (and no, we’re not talking soy sauce here.) An article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition  in December 2002 says soy contains many of the same properties as  calcium. Stay tuned for further studies. In the meantime, eat your tofu!   

Go Nuts – Good Fat, Fiber and Protein

Yes, nuts are high in calories, but they are also a great  source of protein, fiber, and the “good” (monounsaturated) fat -- all of  which can help in weight loss. A small handful (10-to-12 nuts) of  walnuts or almonds can actually help you “lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes,” says Somer. Try some in your salad, with a piece of fruit, or sprinkled in your cereal – oatmeal, of course.