If you are trying to get fit, tone, and lose weight too, one of the easiest ways to do that is to eat foods that help you lose weight. Different foods and drinks will also do different things to help you burn more calories, feel fuller, and actually eat less. These foods will not only help you burn fat and lose weight, but they will also help you shed that stubborn belly fat that you may have.

1. Beans

Beans are a miracle food as they offer multiple benefits. First, they are high in fiber. Fiber is good for your digestive system. More importantly, since your body cannot digest fiber, you burn more calories than you take in because fiber is indigestible.

Even if you are not a vegetarian, beans are still a good source of plant protein. Again, since they are lower in calories, they allow you to eat more food and still meet your nutritional needs.

A key here to preparing the beans properly is to soak them before cooking and then drain the water. Use fresh water to cook your beans. This will help you get rid of the gas that you normally produce. Start slowly when eating beans and continue to add them as your body becomes comfortable digesting them.

I recommend eating about a cup of cooked beans a day. Consider using them in soups, salads, and even as a side to your food.

2. Low fat milk

Milk is one of those foods that sometimes gets a bad rap because of the fat it contains. The benefits of drinking milk far outweigh the problems associated with it, and unless you are lactose intolerant, it is worth adding to your diet to help with body fat.

One of the components of milk is CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid). It is a mineral that helps burn abdominal fat. If you drink around three glasses of milk per day, this provides around 500 milligrams of CLA, and it’s enough to help you burn fat without changing your diet. This does not mean that you can eat whatever you want. Studies have shown that drinking three 8-ounce glasses of milk a day is enough to help you reduce body fat, especially belly fat.

3. Dark chocolate

Although green tea and red wine are great for helping you burn fat because they contain catechins, dark chocolate is your best option for burning fat. If you choose a high-quality dark chocolate that is at least 70 to 85 percent dark cocoa, you will find that it is also high in antioxidants and contains about 11 grams of fiber. It also contains the following minerals that are good for health: iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, and selenium.

Dark chocolate has also been shown to help prevent oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol). If you have high blood pressure, you can also lower it while increasing blood flow and reducing cardiovascular disease. The only precaution here is to watch how much you eat or you may negate the benefits of eating it for weight loss.

There are many foods you can eat that will help you lose fat without depriving yourself of the foods you love. The right foods will also allow you to eat more and give you the added benefit of creating a diet that becomes a lifestyle and keeps you lean.