Oftentimes when you set out to lose weight, it involves deeming some foods ‘good’ and others ‘bad’ and restricting those in the latter category. This often backfires, however, because when you deprive yourself of the things you love (and eliminate entire food groups) it usually leads to a hard-to-break cycle of yo-yo dieting.Instead, focusing on eating; of thehealthy foods you love could actually help you lose weight. By choosing foods with lower energy density (aka fewer calories for their bulk) like fruits, veggies and lean proteins, you can eat more volume but consume fewer calories to stay within your overall calorie goal.“If yourhealthy eating plan; emphasizes eating more nutrient-dense foods like fruits, veggies,;whole grains;lean proteins;and healthy fats, you’ll be better able to stick to it, since you won’t feel hungry all the time, and you won’t feel restricted during mealtime,” says Chicago-based registered dietitian Amanda Kostro Miller. “High-fiber, high-water foods like fruits and veggies can help you feel full for fewer calories, so you won’t be as tempted to reach for a huge piece of cake.”

“Restriction is the best way to get someone thinking about that food constantly and can lead to ;binging behavior ,” says Shena Jaramillo, RD. “This is often followed by negative thinking: ‘I blew it. I ate 3 pieces of pizza. Why bother trying to eat healthy anymore?’ This type of thinking lends to a cascade effect that is challenging to return from.” Instead, Jaramillo encourages thosewanting to lose weight to focus on what ;healthy foods they can add to their plate versus what they should take away.