While I do miss fruit, I’ll have the occasional berries after a particularly tough muscle workout.

I discovered an interesting list of the 20 Most Weight Loss Friendly Foods you can eat. The good news is that of the 20, you can find 14 of them in my kitchen now. The others are just too high in carbs for me at the moment. But once I’m within 20 pounds of my goal weight, they are going back on the menu.

I try to limit myself to 20g of carbs a day to maximize weight loss. So certain healthy foods I have to avoid at the moment. I plan to slowly reintroduce them back into my diet when I’m close to goal. The plan: slow my rate of weight loss by gradually increasing my carb count. By doing this, I’ll discover how many carbs I can eat to maintain my goal weight.

Simple, right? Ha! Anyway, I can’t wait to add these foods back into my diet.

1. Fruit & Grapefruit – I love fruit. I certainly didn’t get fat by eating fruit. But I’m trying to drop pounds and the carbs in fruit jack up my insulin levels. If you’ve read Why We Get Fat, you’ll know why that’s bad. Occasionally I’ll eat berries or blend them into my protein shake. That usually happens on days with intense muscle workouts.

The list separates grapefruit from the fruit category…deservedly so. Studies consistently show its effects on weight loss. Plus grapefruit can reduce insulin resistance and metabolic problems. Like berries, I’ll eat ¼ grapefruit on tough weight training days.

2. Full-Fat Yogurt – Yogurt, the one food I miss almost as much as fruit. Before going low carb, I always ate low-fat yogurt, you know, the stuff loaded with sugar (ah…fruit on the bottom, those were the days…). Once I went low carb, yogurt went bye-bye. I’ve never tried full-fat yogurt, but I’m reading up on it and the more I read, the more I want to try it. Provided it has live cultures, it greatly improves gut function. Also, eating full-fat dairy is now linked to reduced body fat. Woohoo!

3. Beans & Legumes – Beans are a great source of protein and fiber, so they fill you up quickly. I certainly do make a mean black bean chili. But alas, one serving of black beans has 41g of carbs, more than double my daily allotment.

4. Cottage Cheese – Full fat cottage cheese is actually low in carbs and is a great way to boost protein. So why is it not on my menu? It looks creepy. Sorry, but as a kid I was always freaked out by how it looks. I’ve never touched the stuff. Maybe I need to toughen up and pick up a batch on my next trip to the grocery store. Maybe…

5. Some Whole Grains – There are some whole grains – oats, brown rice, quinoa – that are healthy for you. The fiber is great, but I’m trying to lose weight and their carb counts are off the chart. If you are not going low carb, then make sure you are using the right whole grains. Remember: Just because something’s labeled “whole grains” doesn’t make it healthy.

Are their healthy foods that you are currently avoiding on your weight loss journey?