Best Beans:

Black beans. James Bond prefers blue beans but, he’d live healthier with black. Why? Because, the darker the skin, the more anthocyanins. These antioxidative phytonutrients are more effective than vitamins C and E.

Best vegetable:

Broccoli. How can it not be? It has anti-cancer phytonutrients, folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, fiber, making everything in it simply healthy.

Best hard cheese:

Appenzeller. This sharp alternative to cottage cheese is full of protein and minerals and has low-fat content. No wonder some of the strongest Swiss wrestlers come from Appenzell.

Best fresh cheese:

Cottage cheese. It’s high in protein and hardly has any fat. Makes for a perfect snack.

Best fresh fish:

Tuna. Go for quality and have the gains of rich protein content, omega-3 fatty acids, excellent taste, and low calorie count. Also, its many flexible uses put this fish in the number one spot.

Gradual changes are best for losing weight.

Gradually ease into your diet if possible. Many diet programs allow you to do this. Remember that small changes are easier to stick with than drastic ones. Start by always leaving a little extra on your plate, or drinking water instead of soda. Smaller changes are also more likely to remain with you when the duration of your diet is complete. Aim for behavior-change goals that you know you will be able to maintain over years, not just weeks.

Spice it up.

Add spices or chiles to your food for a flavor boost that can help you feel satisfied.

“Food that is loaded with flavor will stimulate your taste buds and be more satisfying so you won’t eat as much,” says Perdomo.

When you need something sweet, suck on a red-hot fireball candy for a long-lasting burst of sweetness with just a few calories.

Eat several mini-meals during the day.

If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. But when you’re hungry all the time, eating fewer calories can be challenging.

“Studies show people who eat 4-5 meals or snacks per day are better able to control their appetite and weight,” says obesity researcher Rebecca Reeves, DrPH, RD.

She recommends dividing your daily calories into smaller meals or snacks and enjoying as many of them as you can early in the day — dinner should be the last time you eat.

Avoid refined or processed carbs (mainly sugar)

Refined carbs include heavily processed or high sugar foods like fluffy white breads/bread snacks, regular sodas, most breakfast cereal, sweets, candy, cookies and cakes. Refined carbs cause your blood sugar levels to rise very fast and then crash very quickly making you crave for more sugar (refined carbs).

I’m not just motivated to lose weight. What should I do?

You’ve got to accept deprivation to win fight against fat. You need discipline. If you leave everything as it was, nothing will change. So, adopt a positive attitude based on other people who’ve lost weight. In critical moments say, “If they did it, so can I!”

NIGHTNIGHT by DEDDY