What Foods Help You Lose Weight

Many people don’t realise that the calories in their food impact them as much as the calories they burn through exercise or daily activities. While counting calories is not a catch-all solution, if you want to lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn, also known as achieving a calorie deficit. 

But aside from how many calories are needed for weight loss, you also want to consider the quality of the calories you are consuming, such as what foods help you lose weight, which we’ll discuss below.

Exercise can help you lose weight by burning calories while you work out and increasing your metabolism, so you keep burning more even after sweating. There are many ways to stay physically active, so it’s important to find something that works for you. 

It can be as simple as taking a walk outside or going for a jog. You might also try dancing, weight-lifting, or playing sports with friends. If it helps, find someone else who wants to exercise with you so that they can be your accountability partner.

Here at Mosh, our doctors take a holistic approach to weight loss and management and, if needed, can provide evidence-based treatment plans. Since nutrition and exercise are not the only factors that can impact your weight loss abilities, it’s important to find weight loss solutions that work for you and your body specifically.

When you’re thinking about what foods help you lose weight, keep in mind that there is no such thing as ‘negative calorie foods’. However, there are a few different types of foods that can help boost your metabolism. These include:

• Foods that are high in protein. Protein takes more energy to digest than other nutrients, so it can help to increase your metabolism.[1] Good sources of protein include lean meats, fish, beans, and eggs. Protein-rich diets also decrease the drop in metabolism caused by weight loss by helping you retain your muscular mass.[2]
• Foods that are high in fibre. Research shows that high-fibre diets can help weight loss, blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity just as much as more elaborate diet plans.[3]
• Coffee and tea. Multiple studies have shown that consuming caffeine can increase daily calorie expenditure.[4]

These are just a few examples of what foods help you lose weight by boosting your metabolism. Talk to your doctor at Mosh for personalised advice on which foods are best for you.

Aside from what foods help you lose weight, there are a few different types of foods that you should avoid if you want to lose weight. As a general rule, you want to avoid discretionary foods or those high in saturated fats, added sugar, and salt. These are low-nutrient foods, but they are high in calories.[5]

Sugar does not contain any essential nutrients. Eating too much of this carbohydrate can lead to health problems such as obesity and diabetes.[6] Trans fats also have no nutritional value, but they do raise bad cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.[7]

Some foods to avoid include:

• Chips and crisps. Unlike their whole potato counterparts, fried foods like chips and crisps are very high in calories. In a study on long-term weight gain in both men and women, chips and crisps were among the top foods found to be most closely associated with weight gain.[8]
• Pastries. Because cakes, cookies, and pastries are made with refined flour and are high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt content while containing low dietary fibre and micronutrient content, they have been linked to weight gain, and the Australian Dietary Guidelines have labelled them a discretionary food. This means that they should be eaten rarely and in modest amounts.[9]
• Fruit juices. While we usually think of fruits as natural and healthy sources of nutrients, it can be misguided to think of fruit juice as a healthy alternative to sodas. Their sugar content is similar to, sometimes even higher, than sodas. Studies have found that, while whole fruits are associated with lower or stable rates of diabetes, fruit juice can actually increase its risk.[10]
• Alcoholic beverages. Some but not all alcoholic beverages are high in calories and can quickly lead to weight gain. ​​While it is okay to indulge in a glass of wine every now and then, as light to moderate alcohol consumption can be good for your body, heavy drinking leads to weight gain and a higher risk of obesity.[11]

When you take advantage of Mosh’s services, our doctors’ help goes beyond just dictating what you can and cannot eat. If appropriate for your needs, they can recommend a personalised meal plan that you can stick to consistently to get better results in managing your weight.

Weight loss can be achieved by eating low-energy-dense foods. This means eating more food that contains fewer calories. Using the concept of energy density will help you feel full with fewer calories. Incorporating plenty of low-energy-dense foods, such as whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, into your diet can make it easier to achieve a calorie deficit without starving yourself.[12]

There are many misleading articles that tell you what foods help you lose weight or what pills help you shred fat. The truth is that every person is different, and so is everybody, so what works for one person may not work for another.

Instead of endlessly scrolling through generic weight loss tips online, consult with one of our Mosh doctors. If deemed necessary, they can tailor a weight loss program based on your needs, goals, and physiological condition.

You can ask your doctor about weight loss shakes or which vitamins are fat soluble during your consultation. Specific goals and concerns like ‘How many steps a day for weight loss?’ ‘How to lose weight with PCOS?’ or even ‘How to intermittent fast for weight loss?’ are also more than welcome.

So when you’re ready to shed some kilos, get in touch with us at Mosh!