Meals to Eat for Weight Loss

Losing weight is a confusing business. There are hundreds of different diets out there and each one contradicts the last. The truth is, you don't have to spend a lot of money, buy diet books, or eat packaged food to lose weight. You don't have to be hungry, either. You simply have to make better choices about what foods you eat.

The Basic Premise

• The equation is simple. Eat less than you work off. Choose foods that are more filling and have fewer calories, and you can eat plenty and still lose weight. Part of this diet theory includes planned snacks. You will not be hungry or have cravings if you eat every two to three hours and avoid complex carbohydrates. Here are some meal guidelines for weight loss.

Breakfast

• Eat a hearty breakfast. Include protein, whole grains and fruit. Protein makes you feel full longer and as a result, you'll be less hungry. Whole fruits pack a real punch in terms of nutrition and fiber for very few calories. Choose fruits that are high in fiber and antioxidants to start your day with energy and focus.

  One of the best foods you can eat is oats, so a bowl of oatmeal loaded with blueberries and walnuts is both delicious and nutritious. If you'd rather have something savory, how about 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites scrambled with spinach, onions and ½ oz. real cheese (not American cheese slices) plus a slice of whole grain toast and a cup of cantaloupe? If that sounds like a lot of food...it is. It's also only about 350 calories, with 13g of fat and 11g of fiber. It's about the same amount of food as McDonald's big breakfast, which weighs in at 767 calories, 52g of fat, and 3g of fiber.

Lunch

• Have a sandwich or a salad. Choose any lean meat, pair it with some mixed greens and veggies and accompany it with whole grain bread or crackers. Limit your meat to 3 oz. (each slice is about an ounce) and pile on the veggies. Start with a nutritious leafy green like romaine or escarole lettuce or spinach, and add tomatoes, onions, green peppers, avocado--whatever appeals to you, the more colors the better. If you hit all the colors in the vegetable spectrum--red, yellow, orange, green and even purple (eggplant)--you'll get maximum nutrition, great fiber, lots of food and few calories. Have some vegetable soup on the side. In fact, have some homemade vegetable soup whenever you get hungry. It's filling, low fat and low calorie.

Dinner

• Keep it simple. Broil, grill, bake or pan-fry some kind of lean protein with as little added fat as you can. If you need oil, use spray olive oil, or just a tsp. of olive oil spread in the pan. Eat fish twice a week, pork or chicken two or three times a week, lean beef no more than twice a week and have a meatless dinner, like vegetable lasagna (use whole grain pasta) or beans and rice, once or twice a week. Fill your dinner plate with ½ vegetables, ¼ starch (like rice or potatoes) and ¼ protein. Skip the rolls.

Snacks

• Have two or three healthy snacks every day at the times you know you'll be hungry. Eat low-fat, low-sugar yogurt mixed with fruit, a low-calorie high fiber snack bar, vegetable soup, a fruit salad and a handful of nuts, a low-fat protein shake, veggies with low-carb dip or a little string cheese and an apple.

Foods to Avoid

• Avoid over-processed carbohydrates like sugar, white bread and white rice. Fried foods are loaded with saturated fats that will sink your diet, so don't eat them. The watchwords of weight loss are lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, pulses, nuts and legumes.

  Losing weight is only as hard as you make it. Eat as much as you want, just change what you eat. Keeping lots of vegetables and fruits on hand makes it easier to make the right choices, even when you're hungry. This diet is about 1400 to 1600 calories and is heart-healthy. Stick to these general guidelines and get ½ hour of exercise at least three times a week, and you will not only lose weight, you are likely to avoid four of the top five causes of death.