Influencers' Top 10 Foods For Weight Loss

If you follow weight loss and fitness influencers on TikTok, you are probably well aware that videos surrounding the type of foods they eat every day are wildly popular. While stuff like egg whites, chicken breasts, blueberries, and kale are some of the more expected items on their lists, there are a number of more surprising foods that fuel some of the most impressive weight loss success stories. The Body Network rounded up some of the contenders and asked The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian, to weigh in on each of them. 

Meghan Livingstone, Certified Holistic Nutritionist, maintains that "one of the staple foods" in her diet is dark chocolate. 

RDN Says: "Dark chocolate does contain high antioxidant flavanols, and it does provide a nice little treat," says Collingwood. However, she points out that it also has sugar and fats and "tends to be pretty high in calories, so portion control is going to be critical to weight control."

@miss_alexabel The 4 Foods I Ate To Lose 20lbs #weightlosstransformation #weightlossjouney #healthylifestyle #weightlossmotivation #healthyliving #relatable ♬ original sound – Alex Abel

In a viral TikTok video, Alexis Abel, an influencer who recently auditioned for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition model search, revealed four foods responsible for 20 pound weight loss. One of them was Whole Foods' gluten-free chickpea pasta shells. "I started focusing my meals around protein, so this chickpea pasta became my life. Honestly, they should sponsor me by how much I eat it, still to this day," she said. Usually she will make it with chicken sausage, sauce, and cheese. "And you're looking at a 30-gram protein dinner."

RDN Says: Collingwood is also a fan of bean-based pastas!  "Chickpea, edamame, black bean, lentil…there are quite a few varieties of pastas available on the market," she says. "The advantage is that they are high in protein as well as fiber which means they are quite filling and provide satiety for hours after the meal."

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Alexis loves Ancient Nutrition's chocolate bone broth collagen. "I love putting this in my coffee at the start of the day to get 14 grams of protein instantly. It fills you up until lunch and it tastes amazing," she says. 

RDN Says: "Collagen can be an excellent way to get protein and if you want to add it to your coffee, that is a personal preference," says Collingwood. However, she discourages making it your only breakfast. "I recommend rounding that out with some fruit and maybe a whole grain English muffin or another whole grain choice like a small bowl of oats and fruit."

Alexis also consumes lots of lemon, noting that it's high in vitamin C, aids in detoxification of the liver, is high in soluble fiber, and is a natural diuretic.

RDN Says: While Collingwood agrees that lemon is "wonderful," it "is not a miracle worker," she says. "You aren't getting a significant source of fiber or even Vitamin C with a few squeezes of a lemon, but if it helps you drink more water because you like the taste of it in your water, then squeeze away!"

@amber_c_fitness #greenscreen #greenscreenvideo 10 of my STAPLE foods. #ShowOffLandOFrost #weightlosstips #weightlosstransformation #weightlossfood #caloriedeficittips ♬ 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) – Lizzo

Amber Clemens, a weight loss coach and influencer, shared 10 foods that helped her lose a whopping 160 pounds in a TikTok video that has been viewed over 2.8 million times. While some of them are obvious – including nonfat Greek yogurt and boneless skinless chicken breasts – there were a few unexpected foods that made the cut, including potatoes. 

RDN Says: "Potatoes are surprisingly low in calories, but the key is not adding a lot of fat like deep frying to butter on a baked potato," says Collingwood. "Try to keep the skin on for more fiber for satiety."

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Sausage is thought to be a fatty food, but many influencers, including Amber, keep chicken sausage on their shopping lists. 

RDN Says: Chicken sausage is typically a lower calorie, lower fat alternative to pork sausage, explains Collingwood. "Many chicken sausages have interesting flavors added like apple sausage or rosemary/italian flavors," she says. However, some people find chicken sausage to be dry, "so be careful not to overcook it." 

Sure, fresh veggies taste great when you can get them. But frozen veggies are essential to have on hand, according to Amber and other influencers. 

RDN Says: "Frozen veggies are super convenient and you will always have them in the house easily stored in the freezer," explains Collingwood. "They are picked at their peak of ripeness and nutritional value and pretty quick to heat up in the micro, skillet, oven, or stovetop."

Amber also keeps Yasso Greek yogurt bars in her fridge, as a not-so-guilty-pleasure. 

RDN Says: Yasso bars are a sweet treat that Collingwood endorses. "I love greek yogurt bars for a low calorie sweet treat that has some protein," she says. 

@rosscotron1 Eggs are too good for you #eggs #diet #keto #gym #fitness #weightloss #weightlosstransformation #carnivore #lowcalorie ♬ Hell Is For Children – Pat Benatar

Some influencers stick to egg white. However, in a video that has been viewed over 18.2 million times Ross Cotron, a keto-devotee says that eating three whole boiled eggs every day for breakfast helped him lose over 72 pounds. 

RDN Says: "Eggs have a variety of important nutrients from protein to lutein to choline and many in between. Most of the nutrition is found in the yolk, but so is the fat and cholesterol," Collingwood explains. "I like to combine some egg whites with a whole egg with veggies for a satisfying breakfast."

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@alimichelleolson #weightloss #weightlosscheck #breakfastideas #lunchideas #dinner #dinnerideas #meals #weightlosscheck #weightlosstransformation #fitnessjourney #naturalweightloss #weightlossmotivation #healthyfood #eatingclean #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #highprotein #naturalweightloss #weightlossbeforeandafter #cleansimpleeats ♬ original sound – Ali Olson

Lots of influencers, including TikToker Ali Olson (@alimichelleolson) who is down 105 pounds, are fans of Fairlife milk, made with less sugar and containing much more protein than your average glass. In a video detailing her daily diet she revealed that she uses the protein-rich milk in her protein shakes, because just one cup boasts a whopping 13 grams of protein. 

RDN Says: Collingwood is a big fan of Fairlife milk products. "It is delicious and also has a higher protein content than 'regular' milk due to how they process the milk," she says. "It is good for post workout, on your cereal, in a smoothie, or just a glass with dinner."

The moral of the story? Losing weight doesn't have to involve eating bland and boring food, as long as you do the research. Healthier versions of your favorite foods do exist, and many of them are just as delicious as the originals

💪🔥Body Booster: Pasta, chocolate, starchy carbs, dairy products, and even some types of sausage have helped weight loss influencers lose hundreds of pounds.