Eat Foods High in Fiber
Celery and cabbage have long been touted as "calorie burning" foods, simply because the energy used to digest these foods is greater than the energy, or calories, ingested by eating the foods. An added benefit of these foods is that they are fibrous and filling, which means you will feel satisfied faster and on many fewer calories that other food choices. Keep in mind, however, that you don't want your caloric intake to be too low to cause a drop in metabolism. When your metabolism drops, you will retain more weight as the body responds to what it thinks is a period of malnutrition.Vitamin C is also believed to be a calorie burner and a weight loss booster. Foods that are high in Vitamin C and also high in fiber and low in calories include oranges, tangerines (fresh, not canned), grapefruit (which are 90 percent water!), limes and lemons.
Eat Low-Fat Dairy Products
Recent studies have been pointing to the fact that dieters who
eat at least two to three servings of low-fat dairy products a day,
like cottage cheese and yogurt, lose weight faster, keep it off
longer, and lose more weight in the belly area than dieters who
don't include dairy products in their diets.
Easy lunch additions include single-serving sizes of low-fat string
cheese, individually wrapped low-fat cheese wedges, milk cartons
(not just for elementary school cafeterias anymore) and even
fat-free sour cream in place of other condiments.
Choose Foods Rich in B12
Eggs, milk, low-fat cheese and cereals that have been vitamin-enriched are all good sources of vitamin B12. Some sources state that B12 increases the body's fat-burning ability. Every gram of fat equals 9 calories, so when you burn fat, you burn calories, too. Vitamin B12 is also known to fight fatigue and speed up the metabolism, which are benefits that can give a boost to any dieter.
For more about burning up calories and losing weight, check out livestrong.com/eat-well/.
About this Author
Jennifer Nichol has been a contributing editor of food and wine for Inside Roseville Magazine and was editor of Piper Jaffray's eFinance Weekly. A fresh food and healthy living advocate, Nichol is currently writing a book about raw living and the art of meditative exercise.
