Spring is quickly turning to summer and that means many of us are looking toward beach weather. That also means finding summer clothing and (dare I say it) bathing suits. Eeeeeek! Is it too late to re-start the diet you began back in January?
If you are scrambling to get your weight in check after a year of quarantining, which placed you squarely on the couch binge watching Netflix and ordering out your favorite comfort food, then we have some solutions for you.
Weight Loss Friendly Foods
Eating for weight loss doesn’t mean eating tiny portions of foods that taste like cardboard. There are plenty of healthy options including our favorite…fish!
Transforming your body from a certified couch potato to one that is beachbody-ready can be quite the feat. Some great foods to choose for weight loss include: eggs, almonds, avocados, green leafy veggies, oatmeal, yogurts, and high fiber fruits. Many of these options are filled with fiber that helps you feel fuller and protein that can keep your body feeling satiated longer than food choices that are simple carbs.
In order to lose weight it is important to reduce the amount of high fat and processed food in your diet and replace those with foods that are more nutrient rich and will benefit all of the systems in your body.
How Fish Plays a Role in Weight Loss
There is no doubt that eating fish can help people on their health journey, especially those who would like to see the scale budge or their clothes fit a little better this summer.
Fish not only tastes delicious but it also has some characteristics that can help people watching their weight feel fuller for longer at a relatively low calorie consumption rate. Fish like salmon, haddock, cod, tilapia, trout, tuna, flounder, and pollack are great sources of lean protein. This helps maintain muscle mass when losing weight and can cut between meal cravings due to the number of grams of protein in each dish.
In addition to being a good source of lean protein, fish is also packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids and zero carbs. Omega-3s are known to be heart healthy and have numerous other benefits including: aiding in reducing joint inflammation, improved sight, reducing depression symptoms, and preventing cardiovascular issues such as heart disease and strokes.
In fact, fish is such a great choice for the health of many systems in our body including weight loss that the American Heart Association and Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating meals that include fish at least two times a week!
The Bottom Line
While there is no guarantee that eating fish will help you lose weight, it is a fantastic choice for healthy eating. When compared to other foods high in protein such as beef and chicken, fish has lower calories and can help add nutrients that other protein-rich foods can not.
Check out our recent blogs on summer grilling and get started on your weight loss journey with fish.
