10 Foods To Kickstart Your Weight Loss

Losing weight can be a minefield of outlandish claims and 'wonder foods' that promise to help you lose weight.

In this case, however, it's not a complex diet or happiness-killing regime, but a few simple dietary changes you can implement in your life today. Read our guide to kickstarting your weight loss with these food favourites. Try these simple food swaps:

Salsa

Eating healthy doesn't mean giving things up. It can be as simple as substituting processed foods for fresh! A perfect example is substituting salsa for ketchup.

While ketchup typically has around 19 calories and 4 grams of sugar per tablespoon, fresh tomato salsa has about 5 calories per tablespoon, no added sugar, and is packed with nutrition.

Tomatoes are loaded with fat-blasting fibre and Vitamin C, and have been shown to induce fat loss. If you can handle spice, toss some jalapeños in your salsa to rev up your metabolism.

Greek Yoghurt

Greek yogurt is a fat-loss superfood due to its high protein content. It's also high in calcium and potassium, and has half the sugar of regular yogurt. Its protein content and texture also leave you feeling fuller for longer, and pre and probiotics help good bacteria in the gut process food more efficiently.

Tip: Try mixing in a scoop of your The Man Shake, or The Lady Shake, to plain Greek yoghurt to add some flavour, and enjoy it as one of your daily snacks!

Protein

Protein is a dairy by-product that is full of healthy nutrients. Studies have shown that high-protein diets lead to weight loss, even when you are not restricting calories or other nutrients. 

The Man Shake contains 30g of Whey protein, and The Lady Shake 28g of Collagen protein. It not only fuels your muscles, but boosts satiety so you're less likely to snack.

Peppers and Chillies

Now you've probably heard this one before, but for good reason! Researchers from Victoria University have found evidence showing the various ways that chilli – or, more precisely, the chemical capsaicin (which gives chilli its heat) – can aid in weight loss.

By sprinkling as little as a single meal with the spice, and even when eating a diet of high-fat foods, chilli can increase fat oxidation (the process of breaking down fat) so the body uses more fat as fuel.

Sweet Potato

We all love hot chips but have you tried swapping it for sweet potato? 

Compared to regular potatoes, they reign supreme in the nutrition department, meaning you should consider adding sweet potatoes to your diet. A large sweet potato can contain around 4 grams of satiety-boosting protein, 25 per cent of the day’s belly-filling fibre, and 11 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin A.

What’s more? It’s less than 200 calories.

Dark Chocolate

Yes, you can eat dark chocolate to lose weight. In fact, it's a health-influencing superstar!

Researchers attribute dark chocolate’s weight loss abilities to flavonoids, heart-healthy compounds that can reduce the risk of diabetes, and heart disease, and boost brain activity. Like nuts, dark chocolate has also been found to induce satiety.

When reaching for chocolate, just make sure you choose a bar with at least 75 per cent cacao. Anything less contains more belly-bloating sugar and a significantly reduced flavonoid content.

Water

Water is a weight loss ally in a number of ways. For starters, if sipped prior to a meal it can help ensure you eat less.

But not just that, drinking water helps boost your metabolism, cleanse your body of waste, and acts as an appetite suppressant. Drinking enough water is pivotal to your health and weight loss, so ensure you're getting at least 3 litres per day.

Black Coffee

Coffee jumpstarts your metabolism, making the non-decaf stuff a worthy weight loss ally. A lot of Man Shakers are adding a shot of espresso to their morning shakes!

According to a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, the average metabolic rate of people who drank caffeinated coffee was 16 per cent higher than that of those who drank decaf.

In addition to caffeinating your coffee, it’s also crucial to keep it black and avoid adding any unhealthy creamers and artificial sweeteners, both of which are enemies of weight loss.

Avocado

Avocados contain metabolism-enhancing monounsaturated fats that have been shown to reduce hunger. In fact, a study in Nutrition Journal found that participants who ate half a fresh avocado with lunch reported a 40 per cent decreased desire to eat for hours afterwards.

What’s more? The trendy toast topping is also loaded with unsaturated fats, which seem to prevent the storage of belly fat, as well as satiating fibre and free-radical-killing antioxidants.

Blueberries

Blueberries are full of antioxidants, satiating fibre, potassium, and more, and according to researchers at the University of Michigan, the colourful fruits may also encourage weight loss.

Try blending in a handful with your The Man Shake or The Lady Shake to kick it up a notch and add those extra antioxidants.