Calcium and Weight loss

So what is the deal with dairy products and weight loss? Many people trying to lose weight tend to avoid dairy products like milk and cheese because they think it will make them gain weight instead of losing weight. This causes a lot of people who are trying to lose weight to have a calcium deficiency.

Calcium helps you lose weight

Research has shown that having a sufficient amount of calcium in your body can increase the efficiency of weight loss by up to 65%, while having a deficiency will have you gaining weight! Calcium in fat cells is needed to help break down the fat. So how can you ensure you get enough calcium?

3 servings of low-fat dairy products

The key here is low fat. Do not go out and buy full cream milk, you need the low fat stuff. You need the calcium without adding too much fat. The daily recommended calcium intake for adults is 1200mg. This will generally be fulfilled if you have 3 servings a day (you should be having at least 2 anyway). Fish, almonds, oats, and dark leafy vegetables also have calcium and are recommended if you are lactose intolerant.

Make sure you are getting enough calcium. It will make your journey to losing weight easier and quicker. Do not disregard dairy products as fattening because you will only be doing more harm than good. It is important that you follow the food pyramid guide and get a good balance of nutrients into your body. Losing weight is no good if your health is at risk.

My personal experience

I have been neglecting my calcium intake every time I wanted to lose weight because I, too, had thought milk and cheese to be fattening. I found out and did research on this about 2 months ago and have have appropriately adjusted my diet as recommended. I have definitely seen a gain in the speed which I have lose weight since! It feels weird because I am drinking lots of milk, which means I am less hungry, and I am STILL losing weight.