What are the Best Foods to Lose Weight?

Women ask me all the time,
“What are the best foods to lose weight?”

Here are 3 of my favorites for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Breakfast Sandwich

• Spouted Grain or Whole Wheat English muffin
• 1 Large Egg and 1 egg white
• 1 slice Canadian bacon (I like the Hormel All Natural since there are no nitrates in it)
• 1 slice reduced fat American cheese
• Sugar Free Jam

Cut muffin open and toast in toaster oven. Preheat skillet and coat with cooking spray. Crack whole egg and white into small ramekin. Heat 2 inches of water to boiling in a saucepan. Gentle pour egg into boiling water and cook until whites are set and yolk has thickened. Remove egg with spoon or ladle. Heat bacon in skillet. Assemble breakfast sandwich by spreading sugar free jam on muffin and then adding egg and bacon. You can also add your favorite low fat cheese if you like. The protein content makes this one of the best foods to lose weight.

Flamin’ Chicken Wrap

• Sprouted Grain or Whole Wheat Tortilla
• 6 oz. Chicken Tenders
• Buffalo Wing Sauce (I like Moores brand)
• 1 tbsp low fat mayo
• 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp blue cheese crumbles
• ¼ c shredded Romaine lettuce
• 1 small tomato diced
• Salt and pepper

Grill or pan fry chicken tenders until done. Lean chicken breasts or tenders are among the best foods to lose weight. I use my George Foreman to cook the tenders. Toss cooked chicken until coated in Buffalo sauce. Mix mayo and yogurt together and salt and pepper to taste.  Assemble tortilla. Spread mixture on tortilla. Next layer lettuce, tomato and blue cheese and top with chicken. Add any remaining sauce if you like and roll into wrap.

Blackened Salmon

4-6 oz Wild Caught Salmon Filet (fresh is best but for time I buy frozen individually wrapped filets) 1 tsp of Cajun Blackening Seasoning.

You can grill if you like for 3-4 minutes per side. However, I often use my George Foreman or pan fry fillet for same amount of time. Quick and simple. Serve with brown rice and steamed broccoli.

The second most frequently asked question is “How many calories do you eat in a day?”

Daily Calorie Calculator

They are shocked to find out that I never count calories. Really! If I am eating the best foods to lose weight, I don’t need to. It’s time consuming and too controlling to worry about that. I am too busy with work and being mom and taxi to 3 active boys. I know how to eat and what portions I should have and if I follow these guidelines, I automatically stay within my caloric range necessary.

However, knowledge is power. So I have provided a calculator for you to use as a guideline not as a ball and chain around your ankle. Make the best choices and you won’t need to worry with calorie counting. The best way to lose weight is eating the best foods to lose weight while building lean muscle.  And I cannot stress enough…Don’t fall prey to the newest diet trend and multi level diet programs to lose weight. There are so many plans that promote unhealthy ways to lose weight. It drives me crazy when I see countless women so desperate to be thin that they will try anything. Hundreds of dollars later and the weight back on, they are discouraged. There is no “magic pill”!

So what about the best foods to lose weight?

The only long term way involves clean eating and a weight training program. Notice I said weight training and not a group class or lots of cardio. The best exercises to lose weight are the ones that involve resistance weight training and building lean muscle so you have freedom from worrying about the calorie intake to lose weight.

The science is simple. It takes 3500 calories burned to lose 1 lb of fat.  If you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. Would you rather burn that doing cardio which would take hours or would you rather let your lean muscle burn it off for you? Why is it important to know the best foods to lose weight while building lean muscle? Click here to find out.

Want to know how much lean muscle you have that’s working for you? Use the links below for a more information on calculating body composition or Contact Me for additional help.