Is It Better to Lose Body Fat or Maintain the Fat Loss?

Let’s face it, testimonials are powerful. So are “before and after” pictures of people who were successful at losing body fat. We love to see people go from fat to fabulous.

But, for those of us who are focusing on getting in shape, who should we be paying the closest attention to; the losers or the maintainers?

It is easy to get sucked into the “success stories” hype. But it is not the person who lost the most weight the quickest that you should be focused on or want to copy. Their results could be due to water loss or muscle loss. Quick weight loss should also raise flags concerning how long ago the weight was loss and can it be maintained. That is why the Federal Trade Commission insists that most ads of this nature tag their claims with the disclaimer “results not typical.”

You should focus your attention instead on the people who have maintained a steady ideal weight for at least a year or longer. Long term weight loss maintainers are those who have kept the pounds off for up to 5 years. But where can you find that kind of information?

One place is the National Weight Control Registry. The NWCR’s mission is to identify and investigate the characteristics of people who have succeeded at long-term weight loss. The organization tracks over 5,000 people who have lost large amounts of weight and kept it off over a long period of time.

Here are some interesting research findings from the NWCR:

• 45% of registry participants lost the weight on their own and the other 55% lost weight with the help of some type of program.
• 98% of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.
• 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.

In addition to these findings, NWCR members kept the weight off by maintaining a low calorie, low fat diet that included high levels of physical activity. 98% reported exercising at least an hour per day while 62% reported watching less than 10 hours of TV per week.

Keys to Becoming A Successful Weight Loss Maintainer

NWCR studies revealed the following about people who were able to maintain their weight loss over a period of time:

• Ate a diet low in fat
• Frequently self-monitored their body weight and food intake
• Participated in high levels of regular physical activity
• Weight loss maintenance got easier over time
• Weight loss maintained for 2-5 years greatly increased the chances of long term success

If you want to become a successful weight loss maintainer, there are 7 basic habits to form now:

1. Eat a diet high in fiber
2. Consume at least 5 vegetables and fruits per day
3. Don’t skip breakfast
4. Avoid fast food
5. Reduce consumption of dietary fat
6. Think before you eat
7. Stay on track and eat quality healthy foods year round

7 iPhone Apps That Help You Lose Weight & Get Fit

A major component of healthy eating and effective weight loss is tracking your progress. But writing everything down and reading every nutritional label can be a drag. So, for those of us who need help managing all the calories, carbs and protein counts, here is a list of 7 iPhone apps that help you lose weight:

1. Caloricious

The Caloricious iPhone app is really a mobile custom search engine that is designed to help you identify healthy and nutritious supermarket foods. With this app you’ll benefit from a user friendly interpretation of nutrition labels. The caloricious app gives a short description of the health benefits and offers information about allergens and additives for each item.

Features:

• Quick & easy way to search over 30,000 food and beverage items based on nutrients, allergens, ingredients, &  other preferences (organic, natural, vegetarian and vegan).
• Offers a simple explanation of health benefits of each product.
• Traffic light labeling alerts users to high fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium levels.

2. Carb Counting with Lenny (Free App)

This free app not only helps manage diabetes, but it also helps kids with diabetes eat a variety of foods.

Using this app will help increase your sense of confidence in meal planning and managing your diabetes. Maintaining good sugar levels is easier as a result. The Carb Counting with Lenny app has a food guide and a games area to test your knowledge.

3. S.A. Fit – Sports Authority (Free App)

Features:

• Allows you to use customizable or pre-loaded workout routines
• Set fitness goals and track your progress
• Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator
• Browse Sports Authority’s product deals to find sale prices on the equipment & gear relevant to your needs
• Gain access to special offers and coupons
• Find Sports Authority stores in your area

4. So Fit Calorie & Exercise Counter

So Fit is an easy-to-use weight loss application containing robust databases that allow you to find and track your daily food items and exercises. So Fit calculates your daily calorie budget, based on your profile and diet plan. All you need to do is meet your daily calorie budget, using a combination of diet and exercise, to achieve your weight loss goals. The So Fit app does not require an internet connection to work.

Features:

• Over 200,000 food items
• Over 400 restaurants
• Over 250 exercises
• Calorie tracking
• Exercise tracking
• Weight tracking

5. EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry (for Foodies)

EatingWell is an  award-winning magazine and website.  Healthy in a Hurry healthy recipes in your pocket motivates you with great food photography and easy-to-cook recipes.  You get the recipes and ingredient lists “on the go”, and offline while you grocery shop.

Features:

• Preloaded recipes for instant and offline access, no downloading
• Fast recipes: no prep longer than 45 minutes, many ready in just 15 minutes!
• Full nutritional information for each recipe
• Sorted by a course category
• Filter by Main Ingredient and by Total Time

6. Tap & Track - Calorie, Weight & Exercise Tracker

Features:

• No internet connection required, complete database is offline!
• Huge and accurate nutritional database
• Over 250,000 food & 700 restaurant menus
• Over 180 different exercises
• Daily info on calories, fat, saturated fat, protein, carbs, sugars, sodium & fiber
• Track calories and Food Score
• Display your daily calorie needs and limits
• Full screen graphs

7. Muscle Gainer Protein Tracker

If your goal is to gain weight through protein, then this is the app to consider. This app is a nifty tool to help you track your proteins, adjusting the intake daily based on your overall goals. Designed for every level of bodybuilding experience.

This app contains over 70,000 different food items as well as organized groups of food where you can add your own food items. It can calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) to find your Daily Calorie Needs based on your height, weight, gender and age. Calculations are also done using the Harris-Benedict Equation.

Features:

• Ability to add your custom food
• Track daily weight
• 30,000 common food items
• 40,000 restaurant menu items from 404 restaurants
• View nutrition info for protein, fat (and saturated fat), carbo, fiber, sugar
• US and metric units support

Post Workout Drinks and Fat Loss

Ask Tom Venuto

QUESTION: Dear Tom: I came across a piece of muscle-building advice written on a white board at a Bally’s fitness club, posted outside the “advanced” personal training station. I took a picture and attached it to this email. As you can see, it said to ingest whey protein and 60-70 grams of *simple sugars* 30-45 minutes after your workout.

Is there any truth at all to this advice? I take particular exception to point #1… I can’t believe eating 60-70 grams of simple sugar at any time can be good for you!

If this is indeed bad advice, I will write Bally’s corporate and tell them to stop hurting the public with bad advice from their personal trainers.

What do you think? thanks,

Doug

ANSWER: It does seem counter intuitive, but believe it or not, that is standard, and science-based advice for post workout nutrition.

Post workout nutrition has been well researched and there is evidence that taking in simple carbs – usually glucose or dextrose with maltodextrin (plus whey protein) in the form of a post workout drink – is an ideal post workout recovery “meal.”

The part about “waiting” 30-45 minutes is the part that is questionable, but that may have been a simple oversight… I think what they meant was to ingest it “within” 30-45 minutes.

Most of the research says that the sooner after the workout you take post workout nutrition, the better (which is why you see so many people these days chugging down workout drinks while still at the gym… in the locker room, etc.)

That said, here is where I will get controversial, because almost everything you read and everyone you talk to these days tries to convince you that if you’re not drinking a post workout shake, all the time, regardless of your goals, you are some kind of nut case with a “death wish” for muscle loss.

Post-workout nutrition is very important, no question about that.

The debatable part is whether it’s a must to get it in the form of liquid sugar or simple carbs + whey and especially when your goal is maximum fat loss.

After reviewing the research and taking into account real world results (on myself and my clients), my opinion is that a large whole food meal does the job just fine, especially in the context of a 6 meals a day bodybuilding style nutrition program.

I think you could use whole food or a drink and get great results either way.

How you approach post-workout nutrition is going to depend a lot on what your goal is at any given time. If your goal is gaining muscle mass or maximizing endurance training or sports performance, you might approach it differently than if you were on a strict fat-loss program (such as preparing for a fitness or bodybuilding competition).

On a muscle growth program, I would say it’s a great idea to take advantage of the commercial post-workout drinks available to you because it’s hard to eat enough calories to gain lean body weight.

Among a list of other benefits like increased protein synthesis, decreased exercise-induced cortisol, glycogen replenishment, and improved recovery, post workout drinks provide a convenient and easy way to get more calories and that indeed may help muscle growth.

On endurance programs, recovering from workouts and keeping glycogen stores topped off are important objectives, so again a post workout drink with plenty of carbs – yes, the simple variety – is beneficial.

Where I suggest caution is when you’re shifting gears from muscle gain into fat loss.

My personal preference is to continue focusing on the importance of a good post workout meal, but to take my post workout nutrition in the form of solid food with the same complex and natural carbs I eat in all my other meals.

A nutrition and training principle you should always live by is:

“Don’t compromise your primary objective.”

If your primary objective is fat loss, I can’t see taking in a large amount of pure sugar post-workout as a good strategy to maximize your fat loss. It might assist muscle growth, enhance recovery, or help restore your glycogen, but it won’t enhance your fat loss.

Keep in mind, however, that you’re very unlikely to store calories consumed after intense training as body fat, because your muscles are “hungry” and like sponges for soaking up carbs and protein after the workout, so you don’t need to worry about that.

But I can tell you from personal experience as a competitive bodybuilder and fat loss coach that you will almost always get leaner, faster with whole food (especially people with an endomorph body type who are carb sensitive).

This is probably due to the thermogenic nature of whole food and the obvious fact that refined sugar is simply not fat loss food.

Because post workout nutrition is so important and because commercial post workout drinks can be so beneficial in so many ways, one way to tackle this fat loss issue if you’re already using a drink, is to leave your post workout drink in during the early stages of your fat loss program and then if your fat loss slows down or you plateau, the drink is the first thing to get cut as you make your fat lossDiet stricter.

As always, adjust your approach NOT by the information you read in the magazines or by the conventional wisdom you hear in the gym, but by the actual results you are getting in the real world.

Also remember that you must adjust your approach according to your goals and slant everything towards achieving your primary objective with maximum efficiency.

You can learn more about nutrition techniques that are designed specifically to maximize fat loss in the Burn The Fat program:

www.burnthefat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified personal trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” Tom has written more than 200 articles and has been featured in print magazines such as IRONMAN, Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide. For information on Tom’s Fat Loss program, visit: www.burnthefat.com

How to Hire A Great Personal Trainer

Finding a personal trainer who is fun to work with and gets results can be challenging. The key to finding the right trainer lies in doing your homework and asking the right questions.

Steve Hampton is the Fitness Director at the Lakeside Country Club in Houston, Texas. Lose Body Fat sat down with Steve recently to get his thoughts on how to to hire a personal fitness trainer.

LBF: What is the biggest mistake people make when looking for a personal trainer?

Steve Hampton: The biggest mistake people make is they don’t interview personal trainers prior to hiring one.  Part of a successful client-trainer relationship is personality compatibility.  During the interview, a client should feel comfortable sharing his or her exercise goals and roadblocks.  Some questions a client should ask are:

• Do you have a nationally recognized personal training certification?

• How long have you been training?  How long have you been training at this gym?

• If the client has any contra-indications ( i.e. ACL surgery, hip replacement, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.) they should ask the trainer if they’ve ever worked with anyone with this type of limitation?

• What is your rate?  Do you have a package deal or do you have a group rate?

• What is your cancellation policy?

• Tell the personal trainer your goals and ask for a preliminary plan on how he or she would proceed to help you accomplish your goals.  A qualified fitness trainer will have no problem discussing a basic plan of action.

LBF: What credentials or certifications should you ask about?
Steve Hampton: The credential a personal trainer should possess is a nationally recognized training certification.  Some examples include: American College of Sports Medicine, National Academy of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association and American Council on Exercise.  It’s also helpful to have bachelor’s degree in a wellness related field.

LBF: How long will it take before you can expect to see results?
Steve Hampton: People will see results in varying time frames.  However, people who are dedicated, consistent and follow the advice of their personal trainer will see results sooner than people who are sporadic in their program.

LBF: What is an average hourly rate?
Steve Hampton: An hourly rate for personal fitness training can run anywhere from $20.00/hour to over $100.00/hour.  The rate will depend on location and the qualification of the trainer.

LBF: What kind of service should you expect for your money?
Steve Hampton: A personal trainer should be explicit in their recommendations and how you will achieve your goals.  They should keep your program fresh, fun and interesting.  They should be attentive to your questions and concerns.

Steve Hampton

LBF: How good are so-called “chain”  health club fitness trainers versus private club fitness trainers?
Steve Hampton: Chain fitness establishments have some wonderful fitness trainers as do private clubs.  The success and quality of a trainer depends on…

• The trainer taking an active approach in wanting to get knowledgeable.  They need to keep up with new methods and training techniques.  Just because a trainer has a certification from “Joe’s Online Training Service” doesn’t make him or her a qualified trainer.

• The fitness facility insisting on only hiring properly certified trainers.  The facility should have regular staff fitness training sessions which should include customer service topics.

LBF: What recourse do you have if you feel you are getting ripped off?
Steve Hampton: The first thing a client should do is discuss their concerns with the trainer.  There might be a misunderstanding or a communication problem.  If the client is still not satisfied, then he/she should contact the trainer’s direct supervisor or the Fitness Director.

LBF: How do you fire your personal trainer if you have to?
Steve Hampton: Document, document, document.  If a trainer is not following club policies, he/she should be counseled and proper documentation should be kept on file.

LBF: Is there an online resource to go to find a good, certified trainer?
Steve Hampton: As far as resources to find a great personal trainer, it really depends on where the individual wants to train.  Once the location is determined the individual can ask friends who are training for possible suggestions and then he/she would then go through the interviewing process to determine the right trainer.  A person should interview at least 3 personal trainers before making a decision.

Photo Credit: Glen Able

A Fat Burning Foods Diet That Leaves You Satisfied

The hardest part about dieting is, well, the food. And the perceived deprivation. I mean, who in their right mind can get excited about depriving themselves of chocolate, wine, cheese cake and champagne?

If only someone could come up with a “fat burning foods” diet  so delicious that, once you lose your goal weight, you won’t want to got back to “normal” eating. Well, the awesome truth is that so-called diet already exists. It starts with choosing foods that help you burn fat naturally.

Foods That Help You Burn Fat

• Nuts
• Citrus Fruits – Vitamin C: Fruits rich in Vitamin C contain fat burning properties which help your body metabolize fat better in addition to stimulating carnitine amino acid (sparks the body’s fat burning ability).
  
• Apples: Apples contain Pectin, which helps to limit fat absorption. They also contain antioxidants which have been shown to prevent the body’s ability to store fat in the belly area (belly fat) or abdomen.
  
• Lean Protein: Protein requires more energy (calorie burning) to digest than fat.
  
• Other: asparagus, beet root, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, chillies, beans, soybeans, sweet potatoes, blueberries and watermelon.

To facilitate weight loss, you must burn more calories than you take in. This undoubtedly includes physical exercise to rev up your metabolism.

Now that you have the short list, it’s time to get started on your fat burning odyssey. It is always wise to plan your meals at least a day in advance. It’s even better to cook most of your food for the week in advance. Weigh out your meat and other portions and place them in either a vacuum sealed or regular baggies plastic bag. That way, you can just pop it into the microwave or boil in hot water when ready.

A book of food counts will help too. Corrine T. Netzer has written “The Complete Book of Food Counts” which lists foods by calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, fat and fiber. This book is a must have. It also lists foods according to brand names; everything from Mrs. Smith’s cream cheese carrot cake to Newman’s Own limeade.

By all means, write down everything you eat in your nutrition journal. (This is optional if you work off a menu.) Nutrition journals can be don online or in writing. This helps you keep track of your eating and tells you where you may be going off track if you are not seeing the results you want.

Remember, the key to getting the fat loss results you from want from your fat loss foods diet lies in keeping good food count records  and staying on track.

How to Find a Great Personal Trainer

What do you look for in a personal trainer? Do you pick the cute guy with the big muscles and assume that since he has “guns” and looks good with his shirt off that he will be a good fit for you? Do you settle for the gym staffer who fills out the obligatory polo shirt but doesn’t know sqat about weight lifting technique? Don’t laugh. That’s how many people decide on who will train them.

Hiring a personal fitness trainer to help you lose body fat and get in shape should be approached with the same care you would use when researching a good doctor.

First, find out if the personal trainer has completed and attained proper fitness certifications. Examples of this include the National Academy of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise and the American Academy of Health, Fitness & Rehab Professionals.

While a certification will not guarantee that your trainer will get you results, it will show you that he or she has taken the time to get educated in their field.

Another consideration to make is whether your personal trainer has a good personality. Is he patient? Does he explain why he’s having you do a particular workout,  and demonstrate the proper lifting technique to get the best results? After all, you want to be equipped to continue your training on your own after your sessions expire. If you’re not being educated in the process, you’re wasting money.

David Robinson of Every Body Fitness Services in San Francisco says another important consideration relates to physical health conditions that may limit your mobility and/or activity. David has trained individuals from all walks of life and degrees of fitness; including folks with diabetes, arthritis and high blood pressure.

David’s approach to personal fitness training is unique. He creates your fitness plan around your lifestyle and goals; whether you want to, improve your flexibility, lose body fat or simply be able to improve your mobility. He asks for client input to design a program to suit individual needs and fitness goals.

Your fitness training should not stop when you leave the gym. Your personal trainer should also help you understand how and when to eat foods that have nutritional value and will help you reach your fitness goals. Understanding what to eat and in what portions is 80% of the battle.

Bottom line – do your homework when searching for a great personal fitness trainer. Your health is too important to settle for less.

Best Way to Burn Stomach Fat – Tips and Tricks

Weight Loss Food Programs to Lose Body Fat

There are so many weight loss food programs on the market that it is hard to choose which one is right for you. So how do you begin?

First, you must prioritize your goals. Do you want to lose weight, gain weight, burn body fat, build muscle, or simply improve your overall fitness? Once you answer that initial question, then it should be easy to decide on a program that’s right for you. Here are just a few to consider:

Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle – Tom Venuto

This weight loss food program comes in an eBook form and combines a weight loss food plan with fat loss workout recommendations. Fitness expert Tom Venuto delves deep into the physiology and psychology of weight loss.

Tom is very thorough; so be prepared to read through 300+ pages. This is a good thing. If you are serious about ridding yourself of your belly rolls and thunder thighs then you will want to do your homework.

Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is not a “one size fits all” program. Tom helps you understand how body type physiology impacts weight loss and how you can design a program based on how your body reacts to food and exercise.

You will get nutritional & meal planning information along with an exercise program guide. Keep your pencil sharpened because you will be tracking your progress weekly through weigh-ins, measurements and meal planning. That’s because Tom is a true believer in tracking your progress (or lack thereof).

If you go by the book, you will lose weight and get fit.

Truth About Abs

Mike Geary’s eBook contains information that can be applied to either fat loss or muscle development. But the main thrust of the program is how to burn belly fat. This is a problem that plagues more men than women but can benefit either sex.

Keep in mind that you can’t really “spot reduce.” So, this weight loss program zeroes in on full body training in addition to exercise combinations that will stimulate a fat burning response from your body. That’s because as you lose overall body fat, your abs will reveal themselves.

Truth About Abs also contains a weight loss food plan that focuses on nutrition designed to keep you fit and trim for the rest of your life.  Truth About Abs is touted as one of the most successful ab ripping fat loss programs online and has been used successfully by thousands of people.

Fat Burning Furnace

Rob Poulos’ Fat Burning Furnace is a primer on how to lose body fat and gain lean muscle. The “furnace” has to do with raising your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) so that you turn your body into a fat burning machine – even when you’re not actively exercising. By raising your RMR, your body burns hundreds of extra calories per day without having to completely overhaul your eating routine.

The book is an easy read but very detail oriented. The first 100 or so pages focus mainly on exercise, with the remaining pages shifting to meal planning and nutrition.

If you’re not a big fan of long workouts, this is the program for you.

Rob is not a big fan of  long workouts, or even any sort of cardiovascular workouts, so his workouts involve just weights and can be completed in as little as 20 – 25 minutes a day, 3 times a week (2 times a week as you get further in).

The primary focus of the Fat Burning Furnace system is on performing a full body workout of specific exercises, but performing them very slowly to maximize the impact they have and concentrating on tiring the muscles out. This also means you only have to do one set of the exercises, unlike the 3 sets most people are encouraged to do, which is what allows you to complete the workouts so quickly.
Exercises are described in detail in the guide, and photos are given to show you what to do, if you upgrade and get the BlowTorch system then you also get over 2 hours of videos of the author performing the BlowTorch routines himself, this is different to the normal routines but does show you how to do some of the exercises covered in the main guide.

The guide has a ‘break in’ routine for those who haven’t exercised in years, then a beginner, intermediate and advanced workout plan that you can work through. The BlowTorch system is like a super advanced workout which allows you to target specific areas of your body, this may be too much for most people and the main guide will give you more than enough to be working on!

The system covers nutrition as well for about 35 pages and discusses what you should be eating to maximize fat loss, why he doesn’t recommend fad diets, and he gives a very simple way to watch what you eat and give your body what it needs. He takes you through lots of common perceptions on nutrition and gives his take on them which made a lot of sense to me (like why you put lots of weight back on after a traditional diet).

You get a sample meal plan for a day and he gives you a site to go to for lots of free recipes you can use.

Fat Loss for Idiots

Fat Loss for Idiots claims you can lose 9 pounds lost in 11 days. How is this possible? This may seem too good to be true but, depending on certain factors such as diet and exercise intensity, this is possible.

The core philosophy of Fat Loss 4 Idiots is centered around these factors:

1. What you eat is determined by a special Diet Generator on the Fat Loss for Idiots website.
2. You Eat 4 or 5 times a day until you are satisfied (but not full).
3. You go on the diet for 9 days and then take two days off; eating what you want.
4. Daily exercise consists of walking.

Fat Loss 4 Idiots teaches you how to eat correctly. After you have dropped the weight you should know how to maintain a healthy, stable weight.

Fat Loss for Idiots food is made up of lean proteins fruit and vegetables, and the sources of fat come from whole foods (such as cottage cheese or eggs). There are some starchy carbs (such as oats and pasta). The day is divided into 4 meals that should be eaten at a maximum of 2 1/2 hours apart. There is no calorie or carb counting, no limit on portion size – Fat Loss 4 Idiots says you “just eat short of being full”.

After the 11 day meal plan there is a 3 day “cheat” – where you get to eat whatever you want. Then you are back into the 11 day plan again.

The real difference between the fat loss for idiots plan and other plans is that the diet is purposely confusing your body so it never thinks it is starving.

Fat Loss for Idiots also includes a very extensive handbook that teaches you how to to eat, how not to eat and what is important in your goal of losing weight.

Healthy Foods for Weight Loss – Spice It Up!

Weight Loss Food Program – Hot Foods for Weight Loss

If you are trying to lose weight through healthy eating and exercise, you definitely need to be implementing a weight loss food program.  You will be surprised to learn that lean beef can actually help you lose weight in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. Eggs are another surprising source.  The good news is that they help you beef up your muscles through the use of protein.  It has been proven that people lose more weight eating the same calories when using eggs or other high protein foods for a meal. Short on time? Your weight loss food plans can include baking a casserole on Sunday for the entire week if you have little time to make breakfast each morning.

Kale is a great addition to your diet, although it is more traditionally used as a garnish instead of a side dish.  It can be important to your weight loss food program, because it has a lot of fiber. You can cook kale that is chopped into other foods. Oats can be a highly effective weight loss agent as well.  Because they satisfy your hunger for a long time, and it doesn’t really affect blood sugar levels, it is a top notch food for weight loss. Oats can be a great addition to meatloaf instead of bread crumbs.

Lentils are another great food for your weight loss food program.  They are the age old belly flattener.  Goji berries are great for keeping your hunger at bay as well. A great source of protein, Goji berries are awesome!  Wild salmon is good for keeping your waistline trim as well, because it helps your blood sugar levels function better and also is healthy for your heart anyway. Eating apples is also known to help keep the apple shaped body away!  They are fibrous so they help fill you up as well.

Blueberries are well known for their antioxidant power, but they also contain a lot of fiber, which is also known to detract fat from being absorbed into the body. Your weight loss food plans should also include Chiles.  First, since they are spicy, it might slow down your eating, which will give your stomach time to feel full. Second, it is known that some spicy foods will help your metabolism burn higher for an up to 20 minutes after you eat!  Yogurt is another powerful food for your weight loss food program.  Yogurt has the perfect balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat, so it’s perfect for those following a healthier diet with the goal of losing body fat.