Do you want to lose 10, 30, 50 or more pounds? Have you recently reached your weight loss goal but want to maintain it? Are you willing to dedicate yourself to a healthy lifestyle? Then this blog is for you!

I have lost 118 pounds and have maintained the weight loss for two years. One of the things I have learned during the weight loss process is that it is much easier to reach and maintain your goal weight if you surround yourself with like-minded individuals to support you in the process (whether they be in person or online).

I also have learned that learning as much as possible about healthy living gives you the knowledge and expertise needed to lose weight the “right” way. So this blog includes regular posts, a book list, website list, TV list, video list and book and website of the month. In addition, there is a recipe of the month and product review section. Visitors to Weight Loss Aficionado can just enjoy the site for informational purposes or can comment on posts, ask questions, share resources, their triumphs and pitfalls during the weight loss process.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Eat Fruits and Vegetables That Support You In The Weight Loss Process!

Well, we all know it is important to eat fruits and vegetables.  But did you know that if you want to lose weight as effectively as possible there are certain fruits and vegetables you should veer towards and other you should limit?

First, it is best to always eat fresh fruit and vegetables. Second, try to stay away from juice and dried fruit. Juice, although healthy, is high in calories. When on a diet it is best to stick to drinks with no calories and save your calories for food. Dried fruits, although also healthy are higher in calories. High-satiety fruits are fresh and non-starchy. Think about grapes and raisins; they are the same fruit but one is dried, higher in energy density, and higher in calories. One cup of raisins has 520 calories whereas 1 cup of grapes has 105 calories!

As with fruits, high-satiety vegetables are also non-starchy. Let’s compare green peas (starchy) and celery (non-starchy). Celery has 14 calories per cup whereas peas have 120 calories per cup and have higher carbs. Non-starchy vegetables are leafy greens, calciferous, allium, root and stem vegetables and starchy vegetables are legumes, corn, exotics and squash (livestrong.com). 

List of Non- Starchy Vegetables (mayoclinic.com)

  • Amaranth
  • Artichoke
  • Artichoke hearts
  • Asparagus
  • Baby corn
  • Bamboo shoots
  • Beans: green, Italian, wax
  • Bean sprouts
  • Beets
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage: bok choy, Chinese, green
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Chayote
  • Cucumber
  • Eggplant
  • Green onions or scallions
  • Greens: collard, kale, mustard, turnip
  • Jicama
  • Kohlrabi
  • Leeks
  • Mixed vegetables without corn, peas or pasta
  • Mung bean sprouts
  • Mushrooms
  • Okra
  • Onions
  • Oriental radish or daikon
  • Pea pods
  • Peppers, all varieties
  • Radishes
  • Rutabaga
  • Sauerkraut
  • Soybean sprouts
  • Spinach
  • Sugar snap peas
  • Summer squash
  • Swiss chard
  • Tomato: raw, canned, sauce, juice
  • Turnips
  • Vegetable juice cocktail
  • Water chestnuts
  • Zucchini

Also take a look at the list of low energy dense fruits and vegetables in the Volumetrics blog from Monday January 9th. In addition, check the bottom of this blog for the recipe of the month “Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes”. It is a great recipe! I now crave it every evening for dinner. The recipe is so good, you truly feel like you are eating potatoes (a starchy vegetable) when you are not. The great thing is that one cup of cauliflower is only 25 calories while a medium potato without the skin has about 100 calories! So eat those non-starchy fruits and vegetables!
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