If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s essential you don’t just restrict your food intake so much that you’re starving.
It’s an easy mistake to make. Less food and more activity equals weight loss, right?
But the truth is that to lose weight in a healthy way, maintaining a diet that provides you with proper nourishment is key.
And contrary to what you might think, you shouldn’t feel hungry all the time.
In fact, it’s far better to feast on super-filling foods so you won’t feel so miserable you immediately run to the corner shop and eat an entire family pack of cookies.
There are certain foods that scientists recommend to fill up on so you won’t be hit with intense cravings.
Researchers at Quebec’s Laval University had a group of overweight men in their 40s adapt their diets. Half of the group ate according to Canada’s Food Guide (basic dietary guidelines), while the rest ate meals designed to keep them full.
So rather than feeling restricted, the latter group were consuming filling food that was properly nourishing.
Filling foods to eat loads of:
- Water-packed fruit and vegetables, like melon and cucumber
- Spicy peppers
- Oatmeal
- Yoghurt
- Avocado
- Eggs
The group who ate the filling diets ended up losing more weight than the control group, and were less likely to drop out of the study.
This is good news, as that means we don’t need to drastically overhaul what we’re eating or restrict ourselves. Getting healthier is just about making slight adjustments and filling up on certain foods.
So, what are those certain foods?
According to the research and dietitian Dr Wendy Bazilian, the key to weight loss is filling up on water-rich fruits and vegetables (such as melon and cucumber), hot peppers, oatmeal, yoghurt, eggs, and avocados.
Instead of reaching for crisps as a summer snack, you can go ahead and chow down on loads of refreshing watermelon.
Hot peppers work to boost the metabolism and prevent future over-eating, with people feeling fuller more quickly when eating spicy food.
Oatmeal is filling thanks to the way it retains water, and yoghurt binds protein and water to help satiate, with calcium also being linked to feeling fuller.
Dr Bazilian recommends eggs thanks to studies that show people consume less food for the day after they have a breakfast with eggs, and throwing in some avocado will bring in the benefits of healthy fats.
Alongside eating plenty of these specific foods, it’s also key to really take the time to appreciate and enjoy your food.
If your food is filling and genuinely delicious, you’re more likely to feel satisfied and thus less likely to run out for pudding.
‘Sit down at a table, or turn you chair away from the screen, says Dr Bazilian. ‘Recognise that eating is more than just putting food down the old pie-hole.’
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