Instead, experts say adding filling, nutritious foods to your plate could make a healthy eating pattern easier to sustain.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhen you focus on the foods you think you shouldn\u2019t eat, it makes you want them more,\u201d says Dr Theresa DeLorenzo, a sports, menopause<\/a> and body image dietitian.<\/p>\n \u201cLabelling foods as good and bad creates unnecessary feelings of guilt around eating them, leading to a cycle of restricting and bingeing,\u201d she tells Fit&Well.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n \u201cFocus instead on adding foods that are beneficial. It makes it easier to get full, feel more satisfied and less deprived, and can help with weight management.\u201d<\/p>\n I asked DeLorenzo what she recommends adding to your plate when you\u2019re trying to lose weight, and also canvassed dietitian Lavanya Kethamukkala for her suggestions.<\/p>\n Four things to add to your diet if you\u2019re trying to lose weight1. Protein<\/p>\n \n Kethamukkala recommends tofu as good source of protein in a \u201cwell-balanced whole-food, plant-based diet\u201d.<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images \/ Nungning20)<\/p>\n \u201cProtein supports fullness, muscle preservation and recovery, all of which are important during weight loss,\u201d says Kethamukkala, registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Nourishing Expert<\/a>.<\/p>\n Protein also helps to suppress appetite, she says, by \u201creducing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin while boosting satiety hormones<\/a> like PYY, GLP-1, and CCK, and by slowing down how fast your stomach digests.\u201d<\/p>\n When combined with strength training, adequate protein can also help preserve lean muscle mass while losing body fat, she adds.<\/p>\n What to read next<\/p>\n Kethamukkala recommends around 1.0g-1.4g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day during weight loss, although individual requirements vary.<\/p>\n How to make it work: Kethamukkala says you can easily add more protein to your diet without powders or highly processed products.<\/p>\n “A well-balanced whole-food, plant-based diet built with beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk, peas, nuts, and seeds provides protein for muscle strength, fiber for gut health, and antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals for immunity and metabolic health.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Fiber<\/p>\n \n Kethamukkala recommends adding beans to salads<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images \/ aire images)<\/p>\n If you want to lose weight, then adding fiber to your diet is also vital, says Kethamukkala.<\/p>\n \u201cFiber slows digestion and stomach emptying, helps keep blood sugar steadier, and stimulates fullness hormones such as GLP-1, Peptide YY, and CCK.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen gut bacteria ferment certain fibers, they also produce short-chain fatty acids that may further support appetite regulation<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Upping your fiber intake will help you \u201cfeel satisfied with fewer calories\u201d, she says.<\/p>\n How to make it work: \u201cChoose beans, lentils, vegetables, berries, whole grains, chia seeds, flaxseed and whole fruits,\u201d says Kethamukkala.<\/p>\n \u201cAdd beans to salads, veg to pasta, berries to oatmeal, seeds to your breakfast and swap refined grains for whole grains.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. High-volume, low-calorie vegetables<\/p>\n \n High-volume, low-calorie vegetables make for tasty, nutritious and filling soups<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images \/ Counter)<\/p>\n Next, the experts recommend filling your plate with a colorful mix of high-volume vegetables.<\/p>\n Packed with water and fiber, they add bulk to meals for relatively few calories, helping you feel satisfied while also providing a range of vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds.<\/p>\n How to make it work: \u201cThink leafy greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms\u2014and use them to make filling vegetable soups and salads,\u201d says Kethamukkala.<\/p>\n 4. Healthy unsaturated fats<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images \/ Vlad Fishman)<\/p>\n Unsaturated fats found in foods such as nuts, seeds and avocado can also be part of a satisfying weight-loss diet.<\/p>\n Nuts and seeds provide fiber and protein as well as healthy fats, but these foods are energy dense, so portion size still matters.<\/p>\n How to make it work: \u201cNuts and seeds are some of the foods I encourage my clients to eat daily,\u201d says DeLorenzo, founder of Nutrition for Optimal Performance<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAdd walnuts and chia seeds to oatmeal and yogurt and hemp seeds to mashed potatoes and vegetables.<\/p>\n \u201cI also tell my clients to eat hummus, avocado and hemp seeds on their toast in the morning. All of these additions increase fiber and protein intake, making you feel full quicker, and for longer.\u201d<\/p>\n And one thing to keep in your dietYour favorite foods <\/p>\n Ultimately, these experts say food shouldn\u2019t be the enemy. When you focus more on nutritious and naturally filling ingredients, it\u2019s a behavioral shift that can really make a difference to weight loss.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to lose weight and keep it off, build a healthy plate that leaves you happy and satisfied,\u201d says Kethamukkala. \u201cDon\u2019t fear, but embrace, food.\u201d<\/p>\n DeLorenzo agrees: \u201cDon\u2019t avoid your favorite foods, you will feel deprived and overconsume these foods later.<\/p>\n \u201cEating is more than just providing us energy. It\u2019s also about celebration, culture and socialization.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We tend to think weight loss is about taking things away: calories, carbs and sugar, for instance. 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