Just Adding Vegetables To Your Diet Won’t Spark Weight Loss

Increase your intake of veggies to lose weight.  You’ve heard this mantra everywhere, including from your own physician, across consumer media outlets, and even as part of the US government’s MyPlate healthy eating guidelines. However, researchers from the University of Alabama School of Public Health report that this simple change in diet fails as common sense weight loss advice.

Findings explained

Dr. Kathryn Kaiser headed the analysis team that reviewed weight loss data of over 1,200 dieters and reached the conclusion that adding vegetables to meals makes a near-zero impact on a dieter’s weight loss goals. Yes, ZERO. This number flies in the face of age-old dieting recommendations.

However, Dr. Kaiser explains to the New York Daily News, “I don’t think eating more [vegetables] alone is necessarily an effective approach for weight loss because just adding them on top of whatever foods a person may be eating is not likely to cause weight change.”

However, don’t stop eating those vegetables just because they don’t directly contribute to weight loss. Dr. Kaiser says, “Fruits and vegetables provide many vitamins and fiber, so even if they don’t promote weight loss, it seems unlikely they could do harm unless consumed in extreme quantities.”

Better diet options that improve health

If weight loss is still your goal, there are more important and protective health benefits to changing your diet and, in fact, increasing fat intake rather than decreasing it.

For example, following the Mediterranean diet can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, experiencing a stroke, or having a heart attack. Additionally, a diet of moderate daily egg consumption has been proven to lead to visible, sustainable weight loss. While no one is recommending you ignore the advice to increase your intake of veggies, it’s not the panacea it’s long been considered for those seeking to shed those extra pounds.

If you’re having trouble dropping those unwanted pounds, you could also try a medication like Xenical to help you lose weight. This FDA-approved medication could be just the boost you need to get your weight loss moving in the right direction.

Of course, exercise is also a vital part of every weight loss plan. The best solution is to combine both a healthy diet and daily exercise.