If you’re like so many other people, you might be wondering how to lose weight –and the quicker the better. But one thing many people don’t think about is whether losing weight quickly is going to add to their overall health, or create problems with it.

Don’t be one of those people!

There are several approaches which might help with losing weight quickly. For example, low carb diets have the potential to do that. Diets like Atkins, very low calorie diets, and a few others can help people lose weight rapidly (although they don’t work for everyone). But are these approaches right for you? They might be okay for very healthy people for a short amount of time, but before you commit to any of these extreme measures, you need to know if your body handles these approaches well or not. After all, isn’t your overall health more important than the number on the scale?

If you use a quick weight loss method, please work with a competent health care practitioner!

Obesity in America, as most of us have noticed, is at an all-time high. Harvard Health Publishing shares that the CDC reports a majority of Americans are overweight. In fact, we spend so much time and money on dieting, it’s quite obvious how difficult losing weight can be. After all, how many of you have lost weight, only to gain it back again? (I am one of those unfortunate people, too.) Here’s a novel idea: what if losing weight could (and should) be a wonderful side effect of eating to get healthier?!

What Is Causing this “Obesity Epidemic”?

First things first – let’s get real and remember that all that tasty junk food isn’t exactly helping the number on the scale, right?! Well, it’s also not helping you get or stay healthy. So it makes sense to start consuming less soda, both with sugar and diet, donuts, fast food burgers, fried chicken, etc. And if you’re sensitive to starches like I am, then even pizza can become problematic. (I admit sometimes I eat the toppings and leave the crust on the plate….) As you’re starting to reduce the amounts of junk food, you could also start eating more health-giving foods. Do you hate vegetables? They don’t hate you! Try different recipes, maybe adding them to stir-fry dishes; you can be creative. It’s easy to fold some veggies into meatloaf, breads, and get them in smoothies or juices – just mix them with some sweeter fruits so they go down easier!

Any food you like can be made healthier with better quality ingredients … even junk food!

If you slip up — not to worry – just get back on track again. It’s likely your taste buds will start to change and you may even find yourself wanting more fruits and vegetables. Yes – it can happen. It happened to me, unbelievable as it sounds. Try making a list of all the foods you LOVE. Then make a list of all the foods you HATE. You probably have healthy foods on both lists! This way you can more clearly see what can be changed. Alternatively, you could create a food diary for a couple of weeks to see just how you have been eating – more healthy, or not.

Let’s Talk Inflammation!

I want you to be aware that there are foods that are known to be more inflammatory in your body and ones that are anti-inflammatory. I’m including a short list here:

Inflammatory Foods (do less of these)

Processed foods
Beverages with sugar
Pizza
Refined grains
Fruit juice
Margarine
Vegetable oil
Heat-processed oil
Pastries
Cookies
Cakes
Ice Cream
French fries
Potato chips
Popcorn
Gluten-free junk foods
SUGAR
Low-fat foods

Low carb junk foods
Candy bars
Processed meat and cheese
Fast food meats
High-calorie coffee drinks

Anti-Inflammatory Foods (do more of these)

Fruits (apples, berries, avocado, tomatoes, cherries, etc.)
Fats (minimally processed oils)
Cold pressed oils
Extra virgin olive oil
Coconut oil
Any oil monounsaturated
Any oil polyunsaturated
Butter
Herbs (parsley, cilantro, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives, etc.)
Proteins (seafood/fish, preferably wild-caught), beef (preferably grass-fed),
chicken (free range), etc.
Nuts/seeds (chia seeds, nuts)
Spices (turmeric, ginger, etc.)
Drinks (green tea, WATER, preferably spring, coffee in moderation, etc.)
Treats (dark chocolate and cocoa without added sugar)

Remember – just starting to eat healthier can result in weight loss for many people.

TO A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER YOU!