Losing weight is not about starvation diets. Such plans will drop the weight because you are not providing your body fuel and it will turn to burning fat stores. However, by not providing your body with the necessary nutrients while dieting, you will want to gorge when the diet is over, packing back on the pounds.

A successful diet consists of changing your eating habits. Avoiding fatty, calorie-filled foods and replacing them with wholesome substitutes filled with nutrients will not only allow for weight loss but will also keep your body satisfied, thus reducing the chance of gaining back the weight. If you add an exercise program to the mix, you will burn calories more quickly, feel better, and become healthier overall.

The following foods provide excellent additions to a weight loss diet because they accelerate the body’s ability to burn fat while still providing the nutrients important for a healthy diet.

Lean Meat and Fish

Avoiding fat, which your body likes to store for those “lean times”, is a key ingredient of a good weight loss program. The basic formula behind dieting is to consume less calories than you burn (thus the reason for including exercise in any successful diet plan). Therefore, consuming lean meats that are low in fat will keep you ahead of the game.

Keeping meat in your diet is healthy because it provides protein that is necessary for muscle repair. This is particularly important when exercising. Protein-rich foods, such as lean meat, also stay in your stomach for more time, thereby keeping you fuller longer and helping you to avoid those in-between snacks. Fish is another good diet food because it’s an excellent source of omega-3, which is an acid that is vital for maintaining a healthy heart by helping to burn the body’s reserves of bad fat.

Egg Whites

Egg whites help the body burn fat due to being full of nutrients, particularly B12. This vitamin produces optimum nerve performance and promotes the creation of healthy blood cells.

Healthy Oils

When cooking with oil, only use those which are heart-healthy. Olive, sunflower, and canola oil are rich in healthy fats, also known as monounsaturated fatty acids, which help to eliminate the system’s bad fat reserves.

Hot Peppers

Foods such as Jalapeños and chili peppers are rich in a chemical called Capsaicin which naturally increases the body’s metabolism. Studies have shown that diets rich in Capsaicin help to increase metabolism as much as 25% and continues working to burn calories for as long as three hours following a meal. Not only are spicy peppers good for fat burning, but they are also a tasty addition to your dietary meals.

Green Tea

Even more effective than Capsaicin in increasing metabolism is green tea. It is also full of healthy antioxidants and makes a very good substitute for snacks. Whenever you feel the urge to munch on something, fix a pot of green tea and melt away the fat.

Add these fat burning selections to a healthy, nutritious diet and exercise routine and you are on your way to a successful weight loss goal.