Prevention Magazine

Prevention Magazine says simple eating rules can make a huge difference in your body's ability to burn fat and calories and some of them might surprise you.


Don't Skip Meals

"When I was young, I tried starvation. I tried purging," Louise Richardson said.

But weight loss expert Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom says that's a terrible way to lose weight. Cutting out too much food puts your body into survival mode, which means it actually burns calories more slowly.

"That's what happens when people don't eat, your metabolism slows in response to no food. It's your body's response for survival," Dr. Fernstrom said.


Drink Some Caffeine 


"I had a diet that actually had you drink coffee while you were on that diet," Loretta Rotellini said.

Caffeine stimulates the body's nervous system and keeps your brain on track so a few cups of coffee or tea a day can improve your workouts and help burn 100-200 calories a day.

But don't go overboard.

"It does energize and help with mental focus, but the more you have it, the less well it works," Dr. Fernstrom said.


Eat A Snack

Three healthy meals, plus two-150 calorie snacks will keep your metabolism revved up throughout the day.

Switch Carbs From White To Brown

"Because I have kids I go for the whole grain stuff," Erik Tomko said.

Whole wheat and whole grains fill you up more than white carbs, which are low in nutrients.

The more satisfied you feel, the less you eat, and that means your body doesn't have to burn as many calories.


Eat More Protein

"If you eat more protein, that can help to fuel muscle mass," Dr. Fernstrom said. "That can translate over a period of time to burning more calories."

Lose The Booze



"There's no nutritional content to this so if you want to lose weight, one of the best ways to do it is cut out alcohol," Dr. Fernstrom said.

If you can't cut out alcohol entirely, try to limit your intake: one drink per day for women and two for men.

Dr. Fernstrom doesn't buy into all of the prevention suggestions. She said the next four tips, don't necessarily work.


Drink More Dairy

Dr. Fernstrom said drinking milk won't do anything for your metabolism, but switching from whole milk can help you lose weight.


"Low-fat and non-fat dairy is helpful to lose weight because you're going to cut out some of the calories related to the fat," Dr. Fernstrom said.

Pump Up The Iron

Dr. Fernstrom said iron won't help you lose weight and it doesn't boost your metabolism. However, diets lacking in iron can make you feel sluggish and uninterested in working out, especially in women of reproductive age.

Multi-Vitamins

"So it's important when you're losing weight to take a daily multiple vitamin," Dr. Fernstrom said.

However, Dr. Fernstrom said these next two are simply too good to be true.

Drink Water

No matter what you're doing, it's always good to drink water.