The simplest hack for losing weight and belly fat would be so simple and so much fun that you do not even have to think about doing it. But a healthy life seldom holds such hedonistic fantasies. Losing requires loss, giving up or at least replacing what causes gain, namely calorie-dense food and drink.
But the best way to lose weight is not to think about diet when it comes to compensation but rather supplements. According to Andrea Ovard, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified specialist in sports dietetics for idealfit.com, den The simplest hack for weight loss is to eat two servings of vegetables a day.
“Eat at least 2 cups of vegetables every day,” says Ovard. Do this until it becomes a habit, like brushing your teeth.
The main reason you add or make sure you eat two servings of vegetables a day is that these foods usually have low calories and high fiber – two properties that help you feel fuller longer. and helps you eat fewer low-calorie foods.
“Vegetables are nutritious but usually very low in calories, which means you can eat a LOT of vegetables to make you feel full while consuming very few calories. They also contain a lot of fiber, which is important to keep you full longer.”
The best low carb vegetables for weight loss
When you add fiber-rich vegetables first during a meal, you will not eat too much on the high-calorie part of the dinner, and you will not have room for a sweet and fatty dessert, she says. “That strategy helps with weight loss.”
It may not come as a surprise, but eating fewer high-calorie foods is an important principle for losing weight. Consider what Harvard School of Public Health researchers found in a study of more than 120,000 healthy men and women reported in New England Journal of Medicine during 2011.
The study analyzed changes in diet and lifestyle and weight gain every four years for 20 years. The average weight gain among participants was 3.35 pounds over each 4-year period, which equates to a gain of 16.8 pounds during the course of the study. Researchers found that participants’ weight gain was most strongly associated with high-calorie foods containing higher starch, refined grains, fats and sugars.
The main foods linked to weight gain were potato chips, followed by potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meat (both processed and unprocessed). The study also found that certain foods were associated with less weight gain when participants ate more of them. You can guess what they are. (Tip: many of them are the foods that Ovard recommends you eat to lose weight). The least weight gain was vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and yogurt. As you can see, Vegetables were the food group that helped participants ward off the most weight for two decades.
The conclusion, the researchers suggested, is that focusing on high-quality foods and beverages and limiting poor-quality foods (cheap, processed) is the most useful way to consume fewer calories and manage your weight.
Simple hacks to get your veggie quota
OK, so what’s the simplest practical hack for eating lower quality foods with lower calorie content so that they squeeze the poor quality from your plate? Ovard has some tips:
- If you do not like the taste of some raw vegetables, try new ways to cook them. “Try them roasted. It’s a completely different experience because they are so good,” says Ovard.
- Dip them in hummus. Dumping raw vegetables in dips is not a bad thing. It can give extra flavor and you still get very healthy nutrients and fiber from the products. Choose healthier dips like hummus that are high in protein.
- Hide them. “Mix spinach and cauliflower in a smoothie, stews and mac ‘n’ cheese. You will not even taste them,” says Ovard. “Upload your fajitas, tacos, burgers and pizza with lots of vegetables.”
Find the fiber
Ovard likes to focus on vegetables that provide the most fiber and nutrients, such as carrots (3.6 grams of fiber per cup), spinach (4 grams per cup), broccoli (2.5 g) and artichokes (7 g).
The benefits of these foods extend beyond their fiber content. Carrots contain a lot of vitamin A for good eyesight, spinach is a great source of magnesium, which is important for energy metabolism, and artichokes are rich in folate, vitamin C and vitamin K.
Build a harvest bowl
Planning ahead can make it even easier to increase your vegetable intake. Ovard recommends that you try their Harvest Bowl, which makes four servings so you can pack extra for lunch or snacks. A serving of this delicious meal hits the quota with two cups of vegetables.
Ingredients (make 4 servings)
- 2 cups brown rice, uncooked
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 tomato
- 1.5 cups of Brussels sprouts
- 1 yellow pepper
- 2 cups chickpeas
- 1/4 red, onion
- Coriander
- ranchdressing
- Olive oil
- Garlic salt
- Pepper
Directions
- Boil rice on the stove until it is completely soft / cooked.
- Boil and shred chicken.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Chop sweet potatoes, peppers, Brussels sprouts and onions and spread on a baking sheet together with the chickpeas.
- Sprinkle the vegetables with olive oil, garlic salt and pepper and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until they start to become crisp and brown.
- Serve by placing a serving of rice in a bowl, filling it with chicken and the roasted vegetables. Finally, add some coriander and ranch dressing.
While filling up on sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, stay free of these 20 foods that ruin your weight loss goals.
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