I’ve Trimmed The Fat, So Why Am I Still Gaining? My doctor told me that I need to lose 30 pounds, so over the past month I’ve stuck to low-fat meals and snacks like unbuttered popcorn. But I’ve only lost 3 pounds—and I’m starving! What’s wrong?
Here’s the skinny: Eating the right type of low-fat foods—mainly water rich fruit (like melon and berries), veggies (like tomatoes and lettuce), broth-based soups and low-fat dairy—can be a better weight-loss strategy than simply reducing fat intake. In a Penn State study, women who followed such a water-rich low-fat diet felt less hungry and lost 33 percent more weight in six months than women who just cut back on fat. The reason: The sheer volume of such foods fills you up faster, so the weight comes off easily. To get the benefits, enjoy a veggie-packed stew or soup (like lentil or chicken-vegetable) as your main meal several times a week.
