Reliable Weight Loss Information

A starting point for designing a weight loss diet, is to focus on high-fibre food, such as vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fruits and legumes. Foods which burn calories and fat should form the bulk of your diet.

Examples of this type of food include:

• Cinnamon: Use half a teaspoon of cinnamon as a natural sweetener in your tea or coffee.
• Eggs: The protein in eggs keep you full for longer periods of time, keeping your hunger levelslow.
• Tumeric is rich in beta carotene. It is also an antioxidant which burns fat and protects the liver.
• Cayenne: Boosts fat burning capacity, reduces insulin levels and blood sugar.
• Vinegar: Apart from being calorie free, it creates a feeling of being "full".
• Garlic dissolves fat and cholesterol, and lowers your appetite, apart from making food tastier.
• Coffee can burn 30 - 50 extra calories daily.
• Cauliflower: Rich in vitamin C. A half cup of cauliflower provides about 1/3 of your vitamin C requirements. It makes you feel "full" and burns fat as well. Cauliflower combats cancer and has zero calories.
• Tomatoes causes the body to secrete cholecystokinin, a hormone which stretches the valve between your stomach and intestine, causing you to feel "full".
• Lentils: High in protein, zero calories.
• Fat free, or low fat dairy products.
• If you feel like a snack, try opt for a fruit rather than choosing a snack which is high in calories.
• Rotisserie chicken: has been cooked and not fried. It is much healthier than fried chicken.
• Dressings: Go for dressings which are low in fat and calories.
• Breakfast bars and cereals: keeping in mind that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and grain cereal and eggs are excellent options.
• Fruit and vegetables are very nutritious.

Men and women differ in their daily kcalorie requirements. Men have a general tendency to build more muscle than women, which means they will use protein more efficiently to build muscle. Women are more inclined to convert protein and k-calories into fat.

A breakfast of half a plate of granola cereal, 1 chopped banana, some berries and a glass of fat free milk, followed by a morning snack of one wheat bagel and two spoons of cottage cheese, will give you a total kcalorie count of 670.

For lunch cooked chicken, a few slices of tomato, onion, spinach, green pepper and other vegetables, a slice of pita bread and a glass of apple juice, followed by a mid-afternoon snack of a slice of whole wheat bread and peanut butter. This will provide an approximate total of 600 kcalories.

Supper: broiled chicken or red meat, a cup of brown rice, lettuce salad with a half cup cucumber or other vegetables and a cup of coffee, followed by yoghurt or fruit on low fat ice cream, totals about 550 calories. 

Space these meals evenly to prevent food cravings. The total kcalorie count of approximately 1800 is 600 less than the daily requirements of 2400 for a man of 180 pounds. This will help you to lose 2 pounds per week.