Healthy Eating Weight Loss Tips

When you want to lose weight the healthy way, eating the right foods is important for maintaining energy levels and ensuring a slow, steady weight loss. Losing weight on fad diets is usually short-lived. If you make healthy eating a life plan instead of a short-term fix, you'll probably enjoy lasting weight loss as well as other health benefits.

Eat Breakfast Every Morning

Your body needs fuel to run and a healthy breakfast starts your day off right. Eating in the morning refuels your body's glucose levels after a night's sleep. When your blood sugar is regulated with food, your muscles get the energy they need to get you through the day.

Breakfast gives your body a kick-start. If you eat healthy breakfast foods such as high-fiber cereals, oatmeal, fruit, whole wheat toast, whole wheat bagels, yogurt, boiled or poached eggs, you're less likely to binge mid-morning or at lunch.

Eat Small Meals Throughout the Day

Three meals per day works for many people, but a better way to maintain blood sugar levels throughout the day --- helping you avoid that mid-afternoon slump --- is to eat smaller meals more frequently. Instead of taking in 500-700 calories at each of three meals, try breaking five meals into 300-400 calories each.

Have Healthy Snacks Close at Hand

When you have healthy snacks close by, you're less likely to reach for unhealthy choices. Place fresh fruit like apples, bananas, grapes and oranges in a bowl in your kitchen or on your desk. Buy baby carrot sticks and place them in plastic baggies to pack into your lunchbox. You might have to do some preparation beforehand, but preparing yourself for times when you get hungry with healthy choices makes it easy to eat fresh fruits and vegetables instead of going to the snack machine.

Eat Enough Fiber

Getting enough fiber in your diet helps maintain a healthy digestive tract, leading to regular elimination. A good amount of dietary fiber also decreases your total blood cholesterol levels. Fiber-rich foods also make you feel fuller longer, which can help you to eat less. Some foods that are naturally high in fiber include artichokes, peas, apples with skin, lentils, beans, bran flakes, oatmeal and broccoli. You should try to get a minimum of 25 fiber grams in your diet each day.

Drink Enough Water

You can help yourself feel fuller before meals by drinking one glass of water before you sit down to eat. When your body becomes dehydrated, you feel fatigued and hungry, so it's important to drink enough water throughout the day to avoid this. Drink at least eight glasses, more if you exercise. Adequate water intake helps to move fiber through your digestive tract as well.