Fat Loss Diet Tips

Diet is one of the key weapons in your battle to lose fat. Don't starve yourself. Instead, be aware of what foods you eat and how often. Because your body needs are different than those of another person, one diet plan doesn't fit all. However, there are a few tips that will work for everyone that can be modified to suit your fat loss goals.

Eat Less More Often

• Control your portions so that you feel full.

  Eat small meals 5 to 6 times daily to lose fat. According to Shapefit your metabolism needs food about every 2 1/2 to 3 hours in order to work effectively. A large breakfast, followed by a medium-sized lunch and a light dinner with healthy low-fat snacks in between gives your body energy and boosts your metabolism. This means cutting portion sizes but don't starve yourself. Eat until you are full, but not so that you need to loosen a button or two.

Drink Water

• Sugary drinks like soda will cause you to crave more sugary foods.

  According to Strip that Fat Diet and Health Journal water hydrates your body and flushes toxins out of your system that may be helping your body store fat. Soft drinks and many juices are high in sugar and calories. Large amounts of sugar causes an increase in your blood sugar levels, and an eventual crash, which results in feeling hungry soon after. Replacing soft drinks and high sugar juices with water cuts a massive amount of calories in your diet, and eliminates cravings for unhealthy foods.

Skip the Salt

• Replacing salt with sodium free spices will reduce your sodium intake.

  According to Fat Loss Diet Blog, sodium can slow your metabolism. If you want to lose fat, pay attention to your sodium intake. This doesn't mean eliminating it completely, but many people use salt on every meal, and this is too much. Replace salt with sodium free seasonings like garlic.

Don't Skip Meals

• If you skip meals, your body doesn't know when the next meal might come, so it stores everything you eat later to ensure it has the energy to function properly. If you're hungry, eat. Many people skip breakfast but it really is the most important meal of the day. Your body has fasted for at least 6 to 8 hours, and your metabolism needs the boost that a healthy breakfast provides in order to wake it up and get it moving again.

Eat Fresh Food

• Fresh vegetables have less sodium, which slows your metabolism.

  Processed or canned foods have more sodium and contain fewer nutrients than fresh food. According to My Health and Fitness a fresh tomato, for example, has about 8 mg of sodium while a can of tomatoes, drained, contains 86 mg of sodium. You might consider it more convenient or more cost effective, but these foods aren't helping you lose fat. If you use fresh--and even frozen--foods in your meals, you will have less fat for your body to store. Buying vegetables, meat, and fruit from local growers often costs less than canned food.

Eat Protein-Rich Foods

• Protein-rich foods like eggs give your metabolism a needed boost.

  Shapefit recommends eating a lean source of protein with every meal. Eating protein keeps your nitrogen levels high which helps muscle growth. Also, protein is a 'thermogenic' food, which means it burns calories. For every 100 calories of protein you eat, your body burns about 30 calories for digestion. Healthy sources of protein include soy products, beans, lean meats and poultry.