What to Eat and Drink to Help Lose Weight

The oldest weight-loss theory is true: To lose weight you must decrease caloric intake or increase the number of calories burned. Most experts recommend doing both to achieve optimal weight loss. If daily exercise routines don't appeal to you there is still hope. Studies reveal that it is possible to lose weight simply by choosing particular foods and drinks.

Drink Your Way Thin

• Water is the best drink for losing or maintaining weight. Its benefits are touted in almost every diet and health-improvement regimen. When it comes to being your best, no drink is as good as the one provided by Mother Nature. Water is essential to the proper functioning of the body. It hydrates, rids the body of impurities, aids in digestion and regulates body temperature. It helps increase weight loss by making you feel full and by suppressing your appetite.

  To lose weight, begin each day with a full glass of water. During the day keep a large glass of water by your side. Use a sports bottle with a clip attachment if you move around a lot. Sip the water throughout the day. Drink enough so that you need to refill the bottle at least three or four times. Before every meal, drink a full glass of water. During the meal, alternate bites with more water. The goal is to drink one glass of water with your meal. This simple technique will make it difficult for you to overeat. When you fill full, simply push your plate away.

  Green tea is another excellent weight-loss drink. A research study published in Phytomedicine found that moderately obese individuals treated with green tea extract AR25 for three months lost 4.6 percent of their body weight and reduced their waist size by 4.48 percent (Reference 1). Other studies confirm green tea can boost metabolism by as much as 4 percent and significantly reduce the appetite. In a study conducted at the University of Chicago, the food consumption of mice treated with green tea for seven days dropped by 60 percent (Reference 2).

Eat Your Way Slim

• Losing weight does not mean starving yourself. Yes, there are many foods you need to avoid, especially those high in calories, fat and sugar. The good news is there are many tasty foods that will fill you up and aid in your weight-loss efforts.

  Fruits and vegetables are Mother Nature's perfect weight-loss foods. Apples are low in calories, satisfy cravings for sweets and are a fiber-rich and bulky food so you feel fuller longer. In a study published in "Nutrition" magazine, researchers found that study participants who ate three apples or pears a day lost weight over a 12-week period (Reference 3).

  Satisfy your appetite and replace high-calorie meals with vegetables, fruits and grains that are high in fiber and water content. High-fiber foods fill you up and aid in the digestion process. Start the day with a bowl of whole grain cereal and skim milk with a piece of fruit on the side. Fruits that are high in fiber include apples and pears (skins on), raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries.

  Spinach, carrots, broccoli, beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnip greens, collards, kale, lima beans, mushrooms, peas, peppers and rhubarb are all excellent high-fiber vegetable choices. Steam the vegetables and add seasonings instead of butter or eat fresh to maximize weight loss.