It’s no secret that what we choose to put on our bodies has a profound impact on what happens outside our bodies, as well as affecting our overall health. Poor nutrition has been inexorably linked to everything from obesity to cancer. So when it comes to shedding those extra pounds, it’s no wonder nutrition and weight loss go hand in hand.

The relationship between nutrition and weight loss exists due to the main role that food plays in weight control. To lose weight you must reduce caloric intake and increase physical activity. A balance must be struck between these two components to achieve a healthy weight. And to find the right balance for you, it’s important to assess how nutrition and weight loss affect you personally.

Many people, when they objectively look at their food choices throughout the day, will be surprised at how poor their diet really is; a day spent without breakfast, nibbling on chips and sweets, drinking coffee to stay awake, and gorging himself at night. It is a cycle that we are all sadly familiar with. Staying in this unhealthy pattern will slow down our metabolism, deplete our energy, and cause our bodies to store excess fat. To establish a positive relationship between nutrition and weight loss, it is imperative to make some critical lifestyle changes.

Nutrition and weight loss start with choosing different foods. First of all, skipping any meal in the hopes of losing weight is not only unhealthy, it doesn’t work either. To keep the body’s metabolism at a steady rate, the one who burns calories throughout the day must give it something to burn. By eating a healthy breakfast, we jump-start our metabolism for the day. That is also why most experts recommend eating small meals frequently throughout the day, to keep our metabolism burning at an optimal rate.

But it is also equally important what and how much food we put in our mouths. For nutrition and weight loss to have the symbiotic relationship they are supposed to have to optimize health, it is imperative to focus our meals and snacks on whole, natural foods. Choose fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Avoid fried and processed foods. And keep your portion sizes reasonable.

Nutrition and weight loss are inseparable. To achieve your optimal weight, you must pay critical attention to the foods you are eating. Make better decisions and big changes, and you’ll soon find that you feel and look better than ever.