Foods to Lose Weight Fast

Anyone who needs to lose any amount of weight will often find themselves wishing that they could close their eyes for a brief moment, reopening them to a brand new body. Unfortunately weight loss does not work like this. Though there are foods that can help speed up the process a bit, there is no miracle cure for weight reduction; it takes time, patience and a desire to meet your weight loss goals.

Choose Carefully

When choosing the foods you eat, do so carefully. There are a plethora of foods which can help speed your weight loss efforts, it's just a matter of choosing and combining them correctly.

High fiber foods should be on the top of your list and fruits and vegetables are a great source of these. You should try to buy fresh as much as possible to avoid unwanted additives and preservatives. This will also ensure you receive the most nutrients these super foods have to offer.

High protein foods such as lean meats, eggs and poultry are another plus. They provide you with energy and help you build muscle, a vital component when it comes to an effective metabolism.

Whole grains should be a constant on your shopping list; these are low in calories and help keep you satisfied longer.

Protein Sources

Eggs and lean red meat such as sirloin steak are two great sources of protein, both of which can help you lose weight faster.

Though there is a great push to eat more fish and poultry, lean red meat helps you build and maintain the muscle you need to burn calories. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn while at rest.

Eating an egg or two each morning may help you lose twice the amount of fat than those who eat other breakfast items with the same number of calories without the eggs. This is because the protein found in eggs is extremely satisfying, staving off hunger and cravings for longer periods throughout the day.

Hot Peppers

One word says it all: Capsaicin. This is the natural chemical found in some spicy foods such as chili and jalapeno peppers. It can also be found in certain spices such as cayenne pepper. This little chemical not only turns up the heat in the these foods, it's what causes these foods to turn up the heat in your metabolism. In fact, your body can actually continue burning calories for 20 minutes after you have finished eating a meal prepared with any of these items.

Citrus Fruits

Although fruits such as oranges and lemons are effective, grapefruit is the real weight loss hero when it comes to citrus fruits. It not only reduces insulin levels, resulting in less hunger, it also increases your metabolism.

All of the above mentioned citrus fruits have the ability to burn and dilute fat. Once diluted, it is no longer an enemy to the body as it is flushed out of your system with ease.

Apples

You know the adage: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." This holds more truth than you realize.

Apples contain a chemical called pectin; this not only reduces the amount of fat that can be absorbed by your body, it also absorbs substances in the cells containing water. This forces the cells to release the fat deposits from your body. In addition, pectin helps give you the feeling of satiety for a longer period of time.