Truth: To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat and drink. Some people may seem to get away with eating any kind of food they want and still lose weight, but those people, like everyone, must still use more energy than they take in through food and drink to lose weight.
A number of factors such as your age, genes, medicines, and lifestyle habits may affect your weight. If you would like to lose weight, speak with your health care provider about factors that may affect your weight. Together, you may be able to create a plan to help you reach your weight and health goals.
There are also some medical conditions that cause wasting (weight loss) or an abnormally high resting metabolic rate, such as in Grave’s Disease, a dangerous hyperthyroid condition. These diseases are not to be envied as they come with their own set of problems far more significant than simply having to cut your calories because your metabolism is normal (or even too slow.)
Many Nutritional Experts Recommend Eating a “Rainbow” of Food for Best Results
Foods that are more filling are more satisfying. Foods that give you energy and make you feel better will also make it easier to resist temptation than eating foods that make you feel tired or cranky.
When making half of your plate fruits and veggies, choose foods with vibrant colors that are packed with fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
- Red: bell peppers, ​cherries, cranberries, onions, red beets, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon​.
- Green: avocado, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, dark lettuce, grapes, honeydew, kale, kiwi, spinach, zucchini.
- Orange and yellow: apricots, bananas, carrots, mangoes, oranges, peaches, squash, sweet potatoes.
- Blue and purple: blackberries, blueberries, grapes, plums, purple cabbage, purple carrots, purple potatoes.
More Diet Tips
When trying to lose weight, you can still eat your favorite foods as part of a healthy eating plan, but you must watch the total number of calories that you eat and reduce your portion sizes (see What is the difference between a serving and a portion? for more information).
Find ways to limit the calories in your favorite foods. For example, you can bake foods rather than frying them. Use low-fat milk in place of cream. Make half of your plate fruits and veggies. Some diet plans (i.e., Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystems) even allow for the occasional indulgence or “cheat” days.
It is important that you pick a diet that you can live with — if the plan you adopt is hard to stay on, chances are you won’t!
