[LadyLongitude]

So I know the key to losing weight and keeping weight off is eating right and exercising on a regular basis. I am going to the store tonight and I would like to pick out some things that will help make losing 8lbs in three weeks easier. I enjoy meats, veggies, dairy, and fruits. I drink strictly water and some times diet coke if I go out. What would be good suggestions out of those categories that could help speed up my metabolism and go hand in hand with exercising?

[aliciag940]

Grilled chicken is definitely a healthy option... raw veggies I believe are healthier than cooked. There is a juice drink by "Naked Juice" called Green Machine (Boathouse also makes a version called Green Goodness). Those are a healthy kick start to flushing out your system, and those alone will help you lose a teeny bit... Good luck and stick to it! :)

[N0help4u]

A general good rule I recently heard was shop the outer part of the store. The further to the center you go the unhealthier the foods.
Buy whole grain breads and pastas
Buy the fruit juices by the produce or the dairy most of the ones in the juice aisle are full of sugar.
Try buying organic fruits and vegetables and free/open range meats.
Frozen fruits and vegetables are the next best.
Prepacked foods such as instant, boxed or canned and snack foods have lots of preservatives.

Also take digestive enzymes with meals GNC sells them

Avoid diet especially diet soda

Even if artificial sweeteners are safe, there may be another reason why diet pop is bad. Drinking diet soda has been linked to weight gain.

According to a 2005 report from a scientist at the University of Texas, people who drink a lot of diet pop are more likely to become overweight than people who drink sugared soda. The study tracked weight gain among 1,177 people over seven to eight years. At the beginning, none of the participants were obese. By the end of the study, the risk of becoming obese had increased by 41 percent for each can of diet soft drink subjects drank per day. For each level of consumption (less than one half can a day, one half to one can a day, one to two cans a day, or more than two cans a day), diet soft drink users had a higher risk of being overweight than people who drank regular soft drinks.
For every diet soda you sip daily, your risk of becoming overweight can rise by 37 percent

Recent research has shown that artificial sweeteners in soda may interfere with your body's ability to estimate how many calories you've ingested, so you eat more than you need.

In a new rat study, animals that ate fake sugar consumed more calories overall and gained weight, compared to those that didn't eat artificially sweetened treats.