Will Fat Burning Food Lists Help You Lose Weight?

It is often said that if you eat foods which are on a fat burning food list, such as those in magazines or weight loss web sites, they will help you burn fat and lose weight. It almost sounds too good to be true, right? Can you really lose weight just by eating something on a fat burning food list?

We know that food cannot actually burn fat itself. To lose fat one has to burn more calories then he or she consumes and this is done by eating less and/or exercising more. However, it is true that some foods such as those on fat burning food lists are so low in calories that your body uses more calories to digest and process these foods and in theory you use up stored calories every time you eat one of these foods

However, an article published in The New York Times in July 2006 revealed that while it may be possible to use up a few more calories than you absorb eating a food such as those on these fat burning food lists, in the end the deficit is negligible.

With that said, there are ways you can use fat burning food lists to help you lose weight. Many of the foods mentioned on fat burning food lists are high in fiber and while they do not burn fat directly they are very helpful in losing weight because of several reasons which I will address in this article.

First of all, foods naturally high in fiber like those on fat burning food lists are almost always low in calories and fat yet they fill you up very quickly, helping you satisfy your appetite and eliminate cravings. What's more, because they have very few calories and fiber cannot be stored as fat you can have large amounts of many fibrous foods such as green vegetables, which are on fat burning food lists. Some studies even show that such foods can lower your bad cholesterol levels and prevent heart disease and diabetes.

High fiber foods on these fat burning food lists are also very low on the glycemic index and help stabilize blood sugar levels unlike high GI foods such as white rice and soft drinks which cause energy crashes, tiredness, cravings and even mood swings. In addition to this, many foods on fat burning food lists such as certain fruits are full of super-healthy anti-oxidants which help your body fight disease.

Studies have shown that the amount of dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates in subjects who had a normal weight compared to those who where overweight was 33% and 43% more respectively and have also shown that the amount of fiber you get from foods such as those on fat burning food lists is a good marker of disease risk and that the amount of fiber consumed may better predict weight gain, insulin levels, and other cardiovascular risk factors than the amount of total fat consumed does.

So going back to our fat burning food list, how can you use this to help you lose weight? Simply swap these fat burning foods and other healthy foods with those responsible for making you fat. By doing so, you will find yourself consuming less fat, sugar and calories while increasing your fiber intake thanks to the foods on these fat burning food lists.

An example of swapping a junk food for something from a fat burning food list is swapping a pizza for a green salad, you can even add tuna chunks or grilled chicken strips with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Complement with whole-wheat or multi-grain pasta and you have a balanced and nutritious meal that will help you burn fat and lose weight.

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