Eat This and Lose Weight

Here’s an article I read from RealAge.

Trying to lose a few? Aren’t we all. You’ll lose even more if you set out a plate of this before each meal: apple wedges.

Eating a bit of high-fiber fruit — like a small apple or pear — before each meal is a proven weight-loss booster.

Fruit Booster
You’ve seen those ads for weight-loss pills that promise to help you lose even more weight when you diet. It’s possible that apple wedges could give those pills a run for the money. In a recent study where women were divided up into fruit-before-meals and no-fruit-before-meals groups, the fruit group lost more weight — even though they all followed the same reduced-calorie diet. The key? Choosing fruit that’s high in fiber but low in calories (read: high water content, like apples).

The food duo with the most muscle? Fiber and water. Together they keep your food bulky and soft, so it can move easily through your system without putting too much pressure on your intestines. Remember, without water, fiber often turns to cement.

The combo of fiber and water also makes you feel full, which helps your overall health, because it keeps you from eating other things that are more likely to lead to problems associated with obesity, like heart disease and diabetes.

Where to get it? Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, oats, beans, and some cereals. Your goal: 25 grams a day for women and 35 grams a day for men. And don’t forget the water.

More Waist-Shrinking Diet Tips
Let’s face it: We need all the help we can get when it comes to whittling our waists. Here are some other easy changes that help support that effort:

* Have a boiled egg instead of a bagel for breakfast. Here’s why.
* Change what, not how much, you eat. Here’s what we mean by that.
* Hit the snooze button. Here’s how a little extra sleep helps.