The Leaf | Healthy Weight Loss Blog

Keeping track of what you eat may be the most important thing you can do for your weight loss success: In a study from 2019 , people who tracked what they ate for three months—without any other changes—lost an average of five pounds. That’s one reason Nutrisystem created NuMi, our free tracking app . It has Nutrisystem recipes and hundreds of grocery foods already programmed in, so keeping a food diary is easier and simpler than ever. Using a smartphone app to track what you’re eating has been shown to be easier to adhere to than using a paper diary or a website: In one study , scientists found that people who used apps to track their food logged three times more often than people who used paper journals, and almost three times as often as people who tracked via a website. NuMi isn’t just a food journal, though: It’s a weight loss journal, helping you to log your weight and measurements, keep track of activity—even connecting to a Fitbit device if you have one—and keeping tabs o

Superfoods have earned their stellar reputation as superstars of the food world by being nutritionally dense and rich in nutrients. But what if those foods could help you to lose weight and belly fat in addition to delivering their powerful nutritional benefits? The good news is that many of them do! Research Reveals the Top 25 Superfoods Read More Here are 10 superfoods to add to your diet for their nutritional and weight loss benefits: 1. Jalapeno Peppers Jalapeno peppers are rich in minerals and nutrients, making them a surprising superfood that many people don’t think of. It’s the alkaloid capsaicin in jalapenos that gives them their spicy flavor and is also responsible for their potential weight loss benefits. According to Bioscience Reports , capsaicin is correlated with a decreased risk of obesity. It’s been shown to increase fat oxidation and energy expenditure in study subjects. If you love all things spicy, then jalapenos will be a welcomed superfood to try. Whip

This Groundhog Day, Phil saw his shadow—meaning we’ve got six more weeks of snow, shoveling and shivering to go. A steaming bowl of chili is the perfect remedy for this long, chilly winter. And it will do more than just warm you up. Studies have found that eating spicy foods like chili peppers may help you live longer , decrease your risks of heart attack and stroke , and could even help with your weight loss efforts . Spicy chili can increase your body temperature, increasing the amount of calories you burn. And it may also control your appetite over time, so you don’t get hungry again as soon after your spicy meal. Get all these benefits—and a big bowl of flavor—with one of these 12 recipes for chili that are perfect for curling up on the couch as you wait for spring. 1. One-Pot Ground Beef Chili > On Nutrisystem, counts as: 1 SmartCarb, 1 Vegetable, 1 PowerFuel, and 1 Extra One of the best resources for weight loss tips and healthy recipes is you—our Nutrisystem members.

Combining strength training with cardiovascular exercise can give your weight loss a powerful boost: In a study where scientists tracked people who did cardio work, strength work or both, the combo group didn’t just lose weight, but they gained muscle—which burns more calories when you’re doing nothing. Body fat doesn’t do that! And once you’ve lost weight, strength training can help you keep it off: In one study , men who trained with weights for 20 minutes per day had less age-related belly fat gain compared to other men who just did cardio exercise each day. Strength training also does amazing things for your body, mind and quality of life: According to the American Heart Association , strength training can lower your heart disease risk, improve your heart function, and boost your “psychosocial well-being.” Training your muscles can also improve how your brain works, how productive you are at work, and help you sleep better. The best part: You don’t need equipment, tons of exe

Identifying the best exercise to lose weight might not be as hard as you think. Daily activity of any kind turbocharges the benefits you get from your healthy eating plan. Exercise speeds up your metabolism and helps you burn more calories. 1 And while you’re shedding extra pounds, you also are toning up your body so you will look as good as you feel. According to Mayo Clinic, “Weight loss through diet without physical activity, especially in older people, can increase frailty because of age-related losses in bone density and muscle mass. Adding aerobic and resistance training to a weight-loss program helps counter the loss of bone and muscle.” 2  That’s one of the reasons the experts at Nutrisystem recommend getting in at least 30 minutes of activity every day. You can break that up into 10- or 15-minute segments if that suits you better. While just about any activity that you enjoy will work to help with weight loss, the best exercise to lose weight usually offers some burst of a