One of the results of dieting that I struggle with the most is keeping my energy levels up while my calorie consumption goes down. Eating fewer calories during the day can really make you feel sluggish and much less motivated to move about more or get some exercise. I think this is an aspect of dieting that many dieters battle with every day.
The good news is that while your diet might seem to be difficult to manage with everything else going on in your life, it doesn’t have to be. Your diet can be tweaked to help you have more energy and more vitality than before you began slashing calories. You can choose to add a number of fat fighting foods to your diet to help keep you going. You should make sure your diet always has enough calories to sustain you for the activities you have to do during the day (you can calculate an estimate of this using the Daily Calorie Intake Calculator). Then, try adding a few of these fat fighting foods that increase energy for an added boost to keep you moving and burning more calories.
Water – One of the main reasons why many people have troubles with energy is that they are dehydrated. The human body is 75% water and it needs to maintain this percentage in order to stay healthy and energetic. To accomplish this, you need to make sure you are drinking around eight glasses of water each and every day. While it’s true that food and other liquids will also help you reach this goal, drinking actual water will help to ensure you are staying hydrated. When you have enough water in your body, you will be able to limit your cravings as well as promote good digestion. Together, these benefits will fight fat and increase your energy levels each day.
Fruits – When your body needs energy, it turns to sugar as its primary source. But while you might reach for a donut, that’s not the kind of sugar that is helpful to your weight loss quest. Instead, you should look for natural sugars to help keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range. Choosing fruits like apples or oranges will give you a boost of energy, while being low in calories, low in fat, and high in fiber. This combination will allow you to have the energy you need without having it burn away too quickly. The fiber will slow down the digestion of the sugar, for a longer lasting energy boost. Processed sugars are burned too quickly by the body, while also having no nutritional value. They will give you a quick boost of energy, followed by a drop in blood sugar which can make you feel sleepy and hungry.
Healthy Fats – Though you might think that losing weight means you need to lose all of the fat from your diet, this is far from the case. Instead, you need to add fat to your diet to help increase your energy. Like sugar, fat is a fuel your body needs in order to stay healthy and active. You will just want to choose healthier fats like those in avocados or in fatty fish, like tuna or salmon. By eating a serving or two of these fats each day, you will increase your health and notice your energy levels increase.
Green Tea – Most dieters have heard that green tea can help with weight loss and for the most part this is true. To begin with, green tea contains no calories (when you don’t add milk and sweetener), which makes it a perfect substitute for other beverages that contain empty calories like coffees, sodas and juices. Green tea also contains a compound called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, that has shown to be able to help the body burn body fat more efficiently. Finally, green tea is a source of caffeine (unless you are drinking decaf) that will give your energy levels a boost.
To reap any benefits of drinking green tea it is said you need to drink at least 5 cups a day. For some people this would be no problem, but for others it may be a bit too much of a good thing. Despite this, green tea is considered an excellent fat fighting food that increases energy so feel free to drink as much as you like.
By adding some of these fat fighting foods to your diet, you can work towards a slimmer figure while also increasing your energy, which adds up to a healthy and happy new you.
Other Related Posts and Articles you May Find Interesting: “Weight Loss Vitamins in Your Diet”, “Weight Loss With Fat Burners”, “Fat Burning Exercises” and “Drinking Water is Important for Weight Loss and Health”.
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