But does it have to be? Exercise plays a massive role in our weight gain and loss if we exercise more, can’t we continue to eat whatever we want and still lose weight at the same time? Are there certain types of food that are better to eat when we are trying to exercise and lose weight? If you’re vegetarian or vegan, do the same rules apply to us all?
Forget straight-up talking about diets and meal plans. We’ve looked at the following areas and the best kind of food for you to eat whilst losing weight at the same time.
Weight Loss And Working Out: Best Foods To Boost Energy
Brown Rice
Brown rice isn’t everyone’s favourite, but it is an excellent, energy-boosting-alternative to white rice. Brown rice also contains heavy amounts of fibre and as such, has a low glycaemic index, helping to further regulate your blood sugar levels throughout the day. A half-cup of brown rice contains a large portion of your daily dosage of manganese, a helpful little mineral for breaking down carbs and proteins into energy, making brown rice great energy-boosting food!
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes contain a high amount of fibre and complex carbs, which means, your body digests them more slowly. As a result, you have a steady supply of energy after eating sweet potatoes which is useful, for working out. In addition to complex carbs and fibres, sweet potatoes also, contain portions of manganese as well as Vitamin A. You can find more than five times your recommended daily intake of Vitamin A from just 100 grams of sweet potato! Energy boosting food indeed.
Bananas
Now many people believe that because fruits contain significant amounts of sugar, they aren’t suitable for inclusion in a weight loss diet. That, however, is not the case. Fruits are a great choice for those trying to work out and lose weight because they are really good energy boosters thanks to their high fibre and potassium content. But when it comes to high levels of fibre and potassium, it is hard to beat bananas! They’re an excellent source of complex carbs, potassium, and vitamin B6, all of which can help boost your energy levels.
Best Foods For Weight Loss (Vegetarian Options)
Avocados
Avocados are not just a popular addition to many peoples diets for no reason. Whilst most fruits contain a high carb count, avocados, are filled with healthy fats which are fantastic for providing energy for working out. Avocados contain high amounts of monounsaturated oleic acid, which is the same type of fat found in olive oil. Despite a high fat count, avocados also contain a significantly large amount of both water and fibre, making them a lot less energy-dense then you might think and once again, ideal for consumption when working out and trying to lose weight.
Oats
In your common bowl of oats (or porridge depending on what part of the world you’re from!), you’ll find more than a healthy helping of the necessary fibre you need as part of your diet when working out and trying to lose weight. Oats contain prebiotics that feeds the healthy bacteria already living in our bodies. It’s necessary to eat prebiotic food as well as probiotics to allow healthy bacteria in our bodies to proliferate.
Nuts
Once again, relatively high in fat when all is considered but, buts contain an awesome balance of protein, fibre and you guessed it, healthy fats which are all great for consuming for working out. As long as you don’t consume too many that are (nuts have a high-calorie count so careful not to binge them!). Some studies have shown that regular consumption of nuts can lead to a faster metabolism, increasing the amount of weight we lose. Combine that with working out and nuts are an amazing edible for you to take advantage of when working out to lose weight.
Best Foods To Eat At Night For Weight Loss
Fish
Fish is a great source of protein and rich in vitamins. Salmon, in particular, contains polyunsaturated fatty acid as well as significant amounts of Vitamin D that some researchers claim helps with managing a person’s weight. Tuna is another example of lean fish, rich in Omega 3, as well as vitamins. Snacking at night is the enemy when it comes to weight loss. According to a study from the Institute of National Health in the U.S, upping the amount of protein you consume to 25% of your daily calorie intake, will reduce your night-time cravings by up to 60%. The leaner the fish, the more significant the reduction in cravings you will experience after eating a substantial portion for your evening meal, which also comes in handy with our next recommendation.
Lean Chicken And Beef
Processed meats get a justified amount of negative attention (along with all processed foods) but this has led to an undeserved taboo surrounding eating meat in general. Meat is still a great source of protein; you just need to be more particular about what you choose to eat. Eating lean chicken and beef is all about selecting the right cut from the right supplier. Organic foods are always best, but you need to be picky about what parts of the meat you’re eating as well. There is a lot of flavour in a Rump steak, but also a lot of fat, the same goes for chicken wings and thighs. Stick to breasts when it comes to eating chicken and Sirloin when choosing beef, for the most protein-rich cuts of meat. However, if you’re on a very low-carb diet anyway, you don’t need to worry as much about eating the fattier cuts of chicken and beef as they still contain more than enough protein to help to reduce your cravings in the evening.
Eat Nothing!
We aren’t cheating here we promise! There have been more than enough studies that point to the benefits of eating absolutely nothing at night. You might be familiar with it under a different name though: intermittent fasting.
Studies from the University of Harvard indicate that Intermittent fasting can be a real benefit for those trying to lose weight although, it requires a significant amount of self-discipline. Eating from 7 am to 3 pm for example (or 10 am until 6 pm for an example for those who find that horrifying) and cutting out all snacking or any extra eating after these hours until the following day.
The logic behind this is all to do with the level of insulin in our bodies. When we eat, the pancreas creates insulin which is used to allow sugar to enter our cells and be converted into energy. Excess amounts of sugar end up being stored as fats cells and do not get used up if we continue to eat, as the pancreas will continue to create more insulin.
So, if we cut out eating entirely for a significant chunk of our day, our fat cells will end up being converted for their energy, even for simple actions such as sleep. As a result, our weight should start to reduce considerably overtime.
You can learn more about intermittent fasting in this article on our blog.
