Diet...and Keep It Off

Rev up your metabolism with this eating plan.

By Sari N. Harrar , Sarí N. Harrar, former health news editor at Prevention, is a freelance writer specializing in health, science, and medicine.

It's the catch-22 of weight loss: The more you lose, the more your metabolism slows, and the harder it gets to keep the pounds off. Now, there's evidence that a "low-glycemic" diet, which includes healthy fats (from olive and canola oils and fatty fish, for instance) but few refined carbohydrates, may allow you to continue your weight loss and keep your metabolism ticking.

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston tracked 39 dieters ages 18 to 40 until they had 20 pounds of weight loss apiece. The dieters followed a low-glycemic or a low-fat plan; both provided 1,500 calories a day. The low-glycemic group lost the weight a bit faster than the low-fat group, but more to the point: The low-glycemic dieters maintained a faster metabolism rate, burning about 80 more calories daily.

Besides favoring whole grains, the study's strategy minimized simple sugars by recommending fresh fruit over juice and 2% milk instead of fat free (a dab of fat slows sugar absorption), as well as snacks of nuts instead of crackers. Learn more about glycemic indexfoods to help you lose weight and stay healthy.

From Prevention.com