If you’re looking to lose weight, one of the best ways to do so is with healthy eating. Use the following healthy eating tips to help improve your nutrition and encourage weight loss.

Eat a Whole Foods Diet

A whole foods diet involves eating foods that are natural and unprocessed. In other words, they’re foods that don’t have added ingredients or fillers.

This means your diet will be primarily based on things like:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Legumes
• Poultry and seafood
• Nuts and seeds
• Eggs

Research shows this type of diet is extremely effective in helping you shed pounds. In one study that looked at 33 patients following a whole food diet, participants lost 4.4 BMI points over 6 months compared to the control group’s loss of just 0.4 BMI points.

In particular, focus on fruits and vegetables. You should be eating five or more servings of these a day, and because they’re packed with fiber, they should help you feel fuller.

Exercise Portion Control

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that most Americans typically eat far more than they should at one time. That’s because most people don’t have a good idea of what an ideal portion of food is. For example, here are recommendations from the National Library of Medicine on what normal portion sizes should look like:

• Meat or poultry: The palm of your hand.
• Fish: The sizes of a checkbook.
• Cheese: A pair of dice.
• Rice or pasta: A tennis ball.

If you’re tempted to eat more than these serving sizes in one sitting, it may help to order portion control plates that have diagrams and labels explaining how much you should be eating. When eating out, don’t be afraid to split an entrée with a friend or ask for a to-go box rather than pushing yourself to clean your plate.

Skip Sugary Drinks and Alcohol

The CDC estimates that American adults consume around 145 calories a day from sugar-sweetened beverages. Unfortunately, these are empty calories that provide no nutrition in your diet.

Alcohol is similar in that it provides empty calories — and may increase your likelihood of snacking on unhealthy foods.

That’s why it’s best to try and skip these drinks. Swap them out for flavored water instead. You can even make your own fruit-infused water at home for a fresh treat.

What to Do if These Healthy Eating Tips Fail

Sometimes, even the best of diets won’t be enough to help you reach your goals fast enough. In these cases, bariatric surgery can be a useful tool to encourage safe and fast weight loss. Ready to learn more? Contact Advanced Laparoscopic Associates today to see how bariatric surgery could change your life.