How Does Glycemic Index Make You Lose Weight?

Amongst all the relatively easy-to-understand information about how to eat for weight loss lies something that sounds rather complicated.

Glycemic index.

How does glycemic index (GI) make you lose weight, and why should you bother?

Put simply, on a scale of 0-100, it's how foods, like carbs, impact your blood sugars.

Why?

Well, low-GI foods help you lose weight in the following ways.

1. You'll metabolize more body fat when you exercise.
2. Food digests slower, so you're not as hungry.
3. Low GI foods reduce your insulin levels which help fat metabolism.
4. Your cravings for less-than-healthy aren't as bad.

Almost 25 years ago, the GI approach helped people with diabetes manage their blood sugars, and a welcome side effect was weight loss.

We're the first to admit that the GI system has limits.

It doesn't always speak to the nutritional quality of food.

So, a mango might have a higher GI than some ice creams, but the former is way better for you than the latter.

That said, there's still plenty of research behind the GI approach.

Eating a low GI breakfast helps control your blood sugar for the morning and until after the next meal, suggests a paper at the Institute of Food Technologists.

What does this breakfast look like?

Sugar-free muesli, oatmeal with apples and chia seeds, scrambled eggs, or almonds.

If you're taking a calorie counting approach to weight loss, it's best to choose low GI foods, over foods with high GI calories, says a paper in the Journal of American Medical Association.

Compared to the calories in a bowl of sugary high-GI cereal, high-quality calories, like those in an avocado, offer a lower GI and are rich in the nutrients you need to feel your best.

Eating foods with a low GI is a trick from the weight loss 101 playbooks.

Choose foods such as lean animal proteins, beans, asparagus, mushrooms, barley, nuts, dairy, fish, and eggs.

Low GI foods are just one "new you" kit tool.

Foods such as It's Skinny pastas and rice have only 9 calories, are high in fiber, are low glycemic, and have zero net carbs.

You can eat them and feel full and satisfied.

It's Skinny pastas are something you can use to effortlessly make a pasta or Asian-inspired dish that is both low GI and low calorie.

Win. Win.

You can use the noodles at home or take them with you to turn the tide on perceptions about what makes a traditionally high GI food.

This strategy is dieting done the smart way, the It's Skinny way.