Weight gain commonly occurs due to caloric surplus. This means that the amount of calories consumed is more than the number of calories burned. It is therefore safe to extrapolate that for weight loss to occur the reverse is true. This is to say that even if you undertake high intensity exercises and your food intake is still more than the burned calories, weight loss will not occur. The role of diet in losing weight is to therefore reduce appetite, provide a feeling of satiety with a low caloric intake and finally, to bring about weight loss as well as increasing the basal metabolic rate.
To reduce your appetite, it is important to consume foods that have low calories but give the sense of filling. The number one choice for this is green leafy vegetables. These foods not only have very few calories but also have a high concentration of minerals such as folic acid, iron and vitamins. They should be consumed in high quantities so as to suppress the appetite. Vegetables are high in fiber too and as a result lead to not only better digestion, metabolism but also to better bowel movements.
Sugars or carbohydrates increase weight. This is mediated by the effect of Carbohydrates on Insulin. A rise in insulin in the body increases the storage of excess food as fat in the body. A weight loss diet should contain a few carbohydrates so as to cause a deficit. Because this food group is the main source of energy for the body, the body adapts by breaking down fats from fat deposits therefore contributing to loss of weight.
Eradicating sources of saturated fat in the diet is also one step closer to losing weight fast. This is because saturated fat forms the bulk of those stubborn stored fats. Instead, replace them with unsaturated fats such as olive oil, coconut oil and Omega 3 oil. These oils are much safer for use as they give the body high density lipoproteins which are protective to the heart.
Processed foods should be avoided as much as possible as they contain empty calories which are stored in the body. Chewing food for longer has also been shown to hasten the process of losing weight.
Diet is the back bone of most weight loss programs. Picking out the right diet and right tips for dieting is your best step towards losing weight.