Weight Loss with Real Food

So you’ve tried half a dozen “fat melting” workout products and numerous diets and have not seen any results around your mid section.  What’s the elusive secret to fat loss?  For most, there probably is no secret but just a lot of marketing campaigns getting in the way.  Start with this: real food. 

If your body is not receiving the nutrition it desires from what you eat it is going to let you know—and you will continue to be hungry.  This is the story of processing and nutrient density.  The more heavily a food is processed, or removed from its original form, the more nutrition is lost and the less nutrient dense it becomes. 

A good example is most corn, wheat, or rice based breakfast cereals.  If it was not for the ingredient list it would probably be next to impossible to discern what primary ingredients were used. This indicates a high degree of processing and a substantial reduction in nutrient density.  

Try fruits, vegetables, poultry, meats, nuts, fish, seeds, eggs, plain full-fat yogurt, and legumes.  You know what they are by looking at them because they have nothing to hide.  Their nutrient density is high because they are minimally processed if at all.  Better yet, by eating foods that are less refined you can increase your likelihood of acquiring the nutrients you need and should feel more satisfied after each meal. 

Start by changing over one of your daily meals to include fats, proteins, and carbohydrates so your food is not too quickly absorbed as it can be with pure carbohydrate meals (e.g., just fruit).  Try having some nuts or an egg with your fruit or chicken with your vegetables. 

Happy eating!

References

Pollan, M. (2008). In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. New York: Penguin Press.

Wolcott, W. & Fahey, T. (2000). The Metabolic Typing Diet. New York: Broadway Books.