The best foods for weight loss are ones that help your body lose the most weight possible, and get rid of fat.  These are not always the lowest calorie foods, although many times they are.  They are the foods that cause your body to function the most efficiently, burn the most fuel, and store the least fat.

Best Foods for Weight Loss

The best foods for weight loss fall into several different categories.

The Best Foods for Weight Loss – Lean Protein Foods

Food that are low in fats and high in protein will help your body build muscle and burn calories, which make them some of the best foods for weight loss.  Lean muscle in your body will burn more calories, even when you are at rest.  Moreover, during workouts, your body will function more efficiently to burn more calories.  This is the best of both worlds.  Chicken and turkey are great lean proteins to incorporate into your diet for weight loss purposes, as are various types of fish.  When you have multiple options, you can also watch the grocery stores for great sales, and get good deals on your healthy foods.

The Best Foods for Weight Loss – Fresh Foods

The rule of thumb when choosing the best foods for weight loss is to shop around the edges of the store, and avoid all of the middle aisles.  Why?  Because that’s where all the refrigerated – but not frozen – sections are.  This is where you will find fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, lean proteins and lean dairy.  This helps you to stay away from weight loss killers like sugary candy and baked goods, sugary cereals, high-fat chips and other snack foods.  These need to be avoided in your regular shopping!  This is yet another good argument for never going to the grocery store when you are hungry, because you will find it much more difficult to resist all of those delicious but DESTRUCTIVE foods which are found in the middle of the store.

The Best Foods for Weight Loss -  Low Calorie Foods

Although there are many theories as to the exact types of foods to eat (ie, low-carb, low-fat, combinations, etc), at its most basic, the concept of losing weight is really about this:  the calories that you take in need to be lower than the calories you expend.  Simple.  When that is true enough of the time, you will lose weight.  you might lose weight quickly, you might lose weight slowly – but you WILL lose weight.  Therefore, when you eat food that is low in calories – with the caveat that it doesn’t contain a lot of chemicals which will slow your weight loss – then that is positive and good for your goals.

Examples of low-calorie foods to steer clear of would be, for instance, diet sodas.  Diet cola has been shown in many studies to slow weight loss, especially in individuals who already struggle.  Why do that to yourself?  Replace it with water – that way, you’re doing DOUBLE good for yourself.  Not only are you refraining from putting something negative in your body, but you are actually putting EXTRA of something positive into your body.

Stick to low-calorie foods which are natural – such as lettuce, apples, and other high-fiber fruits and green veggies.

The Best Foods for Weight Loss – So-Called “Negative Calorie” Foods

Negative calorie foods get that moniker because they supposedly use more energy in calories for your body to burn than the food itself contains.  Whether that theory is true or myth really doesn’t matter -  the truth is that most foods thought of as “negative calorie foods” are thought of as such because of their high-fiber content.  If you limit yourself to eating foods on this list, you will be making healthy choices whether the negative calorie principal holds true or not!

The Best Foods for Weight Loss – Anything in Moderation

Lastly, one of the absolute worst things that you can do when you are trying to lose weight is to binge eat.  You never want to let your cravings get so strong that you lose all control and go on a binge.  Therefore, if you can emotionally handle it and maintain your willpower, it’s not a bad idea to incorporate the occasional treat into your diet.  The trick is practicing moderation.  Instead of having a giant piece of pie, have a small slice.  Instead of a full, huge bowl of ice cream, make it a small cup.  It’s all about dialing back the excess and incorporating all of your choices into a new healthy mind-set and lifestyle.

In conclusion, the best foods for weight loss are always going to be natural, fresh, and lean – low in calories, and light on chemicals!  If you give this “eating healthy” lifestyle a chance, I think you will be shocked at the results.  Not only are you going to lose weight by sticking to these best foods for weight loss, but you are going to feel better, too – more energetic, clearer, more focused – all around fantastic!