- According to nutritionists, you don’t need to focus on restrictions or cutting food groups to lose weight.
- Instead, try adding nutritious foods such as protein sources, fiber-rich vegetables, and other whole foods.
- You can make your diet sustainable by focusing on what you can eat instead of depriving yourself.
You don’t have to feel restricted by your diet. According to nutritionists, adding healthy options to your diet is a more effective way than cutting out certain foods.
To lose body fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit by eating fewer calories than you burn in the form of exercise or activity. is not necesary to.
Instead, focus on getting enough protein, fiber, and whole foods. That way, you can enjoy eating while reducing your overall caloric intake, and lose weight and maintain it long-term.
Consuming more protein can help keep you feeling full and support your metabolism
One way to make your diet more satisfying and support weight loss is to include a variety of Sports nutritionist Angie Ashe previously told Insider:
“Satiety is a big factor,” Ash said. “If your goal is strength and you want to lose fat, increasing your intake may help.”
Protein is an essential macronutrient for maintaining tissues such as muscle. When consumed in sufficient amounts, it has been shown to help with weight loss by preserving muscle mass and boosting your metabolism to burn fat.
A good amount of protein for most people is 0.5 to 1 gram per pound of body weight, according to sports nutritionists. Nancy Clark previously told an insider.
But if you eat too much protein, you may be taking in too many calories and not getting the weight-loss and muscle-building benefits, Ash says.
“Excess may not help if you don’t want to gain weight,” she said.
Fiber-rich foods help control appetite and keep digestion healthy
Another strategy for eating more food and fewer calories is to consume more fiber, a type of carbohydrate found in foods such as legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Fiber slows down digestion, keeps you feeling full after eating, and supports healthy weight loss. It also nourishes the beneficial bacteria in your digestive system known as the gut microbiome. This is associated with benefits such as a healthy weight and reduced risk of disease.
High-fiber meals and snacks include oatmeal, black bean wraps, nuts, and rice bowls, says nutritionist Bianca Tamburello. FDA recommends that adults consume 28 grams of dietary fiber per day.
Fill your plate with whole foods like vegetables to cut calories without feeling deficient
A common diet mistake is to focus on restricting foods to lose weight.
Instead, prioritize adding healthy foods to make sure you’re meeting your nutritional needs.
“Think ‘more’: more produce, more fruit,” London said. “The more you think about eating, the more satisfying your meal will be.”
A good starting point is to make the majority of your plate non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, according to Dr. Marc Hyman, a family physician who specializes in the medicine-as-food approach to health.
He said eating more whole foods can help cut out processed foods that are low in nutrients and linked to a wide range of health problems, including heart disease and cancer. It’s delicious,” and there’s evidence that you eat more than you intended.
Structuring about 90% of your diet around nutritious whole foods leaves some space in your calorie budget to treat yourself, nutritionist Georgie Fear previously told Insider.
“Think about the foods you like most and find a frequency that works for you. It’s still a healthy meal,” she said.
