Eat Your Breakfast
Not to be cliche but breakfast is the most important meal in the day! The majority of people who are successful at losing weight and keeping it off eat breakfast every day. Researchers at the National Weight Control Registry analyzed data on nearly 3,000 people who had lost an average of 70 pounds and kept the weight off for a year or more. 85% of the subjects said they eat breakfast at least six or seven days a week. Only 4% said they never eat breakfast.

Add Some Almonds to Your Diet
You may have heard that nuts are fattening. But in fact, nuts can be a great weight-loss food. For one thing, they digest slowly and therefore satisfy your hunger longer. Not only that, nuts are a source of monounsaturated fats – and most nutrition experts believe that these fats (which are found in olive oil and almonds) actually help people lose fat, improve insulin resistance, reduce cholesterol, and lower blood pressure.

Researchers in California conducted a study of overweight and obese subjects. Half of the participants consumed 84 grams of almonds each day, and the other half did not. Both groups consumed the same amount of calories. The result? Those in the group that ate almonds achieved substantial decreases in weight, fat mass, body water, and blood pressure, as compared to those who did not eat almonds.

Almonds are also considered to be a superfood. For more information on almonds as a superfood, check out fitfaq.

Also, realize that not all almonds are created equally. For optimal results, you’ll want to get raw, unsalted, unroasted. Check the label and remember that moderation is key!

Drink Diet Drinks… and Gain Weight!
During the past two decades, the number of people who use artificial, no-calorie sweeteners has more than doubled. At the same time, the prevalence of people who are overweight and obese has also increased dramatically.

Here’s even more evidence that diet drinks can make you gain weight:

The International Journal of Obesity published a study showing that when a group of rats drank an artificially sweetened liquid, they consumed three times more calories than another group of rats that did not get the sweetened liquid. Both groups had the same access to food.

Please understand – this is not to say you should never have a diet drink. Just don’t go overboard! Replace some of those diet sodas with a cool, refreshing glass of water. You’ll thank me later!

Omega-3
There is some evidence to suggest that omega-3 can assist weight loss, by regulating blood-sugar levels and balancing appetite, although more research is needed. (Check my blog in the near future for a more in depth look at omega-3).

For more information in the meantime on the studies, check out the following: Omega-3 Fish Oil for Weight Loss and Omega-3 Fish Oil & Weight Loss.