Are you following a strict diet to lose weight? But oftentimes, are you confused about what to eat and what not to eat? The foods you eat and the foods you avoid will play a major role in your weight loss or
What does your or Google search look like when you try to lose weight? You definitely type keywords such as, “what to eat to lose weight?”, “How to lose weight faster?”, “exercises to lose weight,” etc. And we are sure you never searched for things to avoid while losing weight. Most of us don’t know that losing weight is not only about eating nutritious foods, being physically active, or only cutting calories. But it also requires cutting diet sabotaging foods, making it harder for you to follow your diet regime. Therefore, instead of talking about things to do to lose weight, this article will tell you things you must avoid if you desire a toned body.
Since the foods we eat regularly significantly affect our overall body weight, we will majorly focus on the foods to avoid, mainly processed and refined products that make us gain weight. We will also tell you why those products must be avoided when trying to lose weight. Let’s get started.
Foods You Need To Avoid While Losing Weight
French Fries
French fries are one of those foods that cause the most weight gain. We are not saying that, but even Harvard researchers have found this statement true. Potatoes, specifically French fries, are associated with an additional weight gain of around 3.35 pounds. And according to the chairperson of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School, Walter C. Willett, baked potato increases the levels of blood sugar and insulin in our body more quickly than an equal number of calories gained from pure table sugar. He has also mentioned the same in his book “Eat, Drink And Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide To Healthy Eating.”
French fries are highly caloric, and even a single serving of fries we generally eat at McDonald’s has 510 calories and is made through a dangerous process. French fries are deep fried, and therefore many dangerous chemical compounds, including acrylamide, are found that lead to abdominal obesity or belly fat.
Potato Chips
Potato is probably the most common ingredient to be mentioned in the list of things to avoid eating while losing weight. That is because most processed foods made with potatoes are fattening and carry a dangerous sodium level. Alongside potato chips, soda, ice cream, and junk foods are also the ones that make us gain weight. Over many years the researchers stuck to that one belief that potato chips are strongly associated with weight gain.
Red Meat
Yet another top weight-inducing food is red meat. In many studies, researchers have found that people who consume red meat in a high quantity or who prefer eating red meat regularly led to abdominal weight gain. Therefore, if you are trying to lose weight, it is better to avoid fatty red meats.
Desserts
Sodium is the worst offender of our body weight. Sweet treats we often savor in restaurants come with a large amount of sodium, so they add almost 1000 extra calories to the meal we have just eaten. There is nothing harmful to eating at restaurants. Still, if it is the dessert for which you are really there, it is better to stick to the dessert only to balance your calorie intake. If you have to eat a complete meal followed by dessert, choose the dessert first as it will make you full and will refrain you from eating more calories further. To balance the meal, you can adjust your main course to be healthier by opting for grilled alternatives instead of fried, or maybe choose salad instead of pasta. You can do better by sharing your dessert with your partner or friends.
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Alcohol
Don’t get mad at us. We are not really asking you to stop enjoying your occasional glass of wine or whiskey. But it is not a surprise to you that over boozing can hamper your weight loss goals and also push you close to the risks of health issues. Remember all those things you munch while sipping alcohol. Consuming alcohol in a large amount is also associated with eating more. Many studies have found that when we significantly increase the number of drinks, the amount of food we also consume increases. Sometimes after drinking, people eat an extra 384 calories a day. So, if you want to stop eating way too much while drinking alcohol, take sips of water between alcoholic drinks and avoid high-calorie snacks and sugary cocktails.
Sugary Beverages
Many beverages contain high fructose corn syrup. According to scientists and researchers, high fructose corn syrup can promote much more weight gain than regular table sugar. In an animal study, 100% of the Lab Rats that consumed high fructose corn syrup died from obesity. The same study also found that rats that did not consume high fructose corn syrup and consumed other forms of sugar gained less weight, and their overall calorie intake was not too much. To lose weight, you need to replace sugary beverages with tea, coffee, or smoothies that give you hydration instead of adding more calories to your body.
Diet Coke
The term “diet” hypnotizes us so much that we start believing in everything that comes with the diet. It is hard to believe that Diet Coke uses artificial sweeteners and gives your body the same reaction we get after consuming refined sugar. Artificial sweeteners are linked to long-term weight gain, and many studies back up this fact. Researchers say that when we drink high-calorie sweeteners, it confuses our bodies and makes us expect calories that are not there. People who drink Diet Coke regularly grow a considerable amount of belly fat over time as compared to those who don’t drink Diet Coke. As a result, our body leads to fat storage and accumulates illnesses like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic syndrome.
White Bread
Though bread is an integral part of our daily breakfast, eating white bread should be strictly avoided at any cost if you are working hard to lose your belly fat. Studies found that eating whole grains lowers the chance of visceral fat deposits in our body, whereas eating refined grains leads to more fat accumulation. If you love eating foods containing white bread, try to revamp those recipes with wheat flour, almond flour, or something healthier that won’t add more inches to your waistline.
Chocolates
It’s a no-brainer- eating chocolate is highly associated with weight gain. Therefore, eating chocolate, you cannot expect to lose belly fat. But we will make another statement that might sound a little contradictory. It is not chocolate, but milk chocolate is a common culprit for growing waistlines. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, benefits weight loss. Milk chocolates have sky-high calorie counts, and when you eat them, they contribute to the visceral fat growth in your body. In many studies, it was found that chocolate is among those foods that were associated with the highest energy density. And chocolate is one of the most contributing things to weight gain. Therefore, it is always best to leave eating chocolate if you are trying to lose weight.
Bottled Juices
Juices are considered healthy options for having the necessary nutrients and minerals our bodies require. And that is why juicing and juice cleanses are highly popular in modern times. But the process followed by the juice companies while making juices converts them into more calorie-containing beverages that spike your blood sugar and leave you hungrier. And evidently, it will not help you in your weight loss journey. It is better to stick with water or freshly made juice at home for hydration and thirst. It is always better to eat whole fruits to keep their fiber intact.
Dried Fruits
Dried fruits are widespread snack options even among people who like to make their snack choices responsibly. But the one thing they don’t know is most dried fruits are sweet, and they have an average of 16 grams of sugar per ounce. Since dried fruits are considered a healthy option, it is easier for dried fruit manufacturing companies to make them highly vendable.
Soybean Oil
We all know about the ill effects of trans fats in our bodies. Sometimes they are as fatal as a clogged artery. Therefore, manufacturers are smartly switching to injecting their products with other vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, palm oil, soybean oil, and corn flour oil which is not a much better option as those vegetable oils are concentrated with Omega 6, inflammatory fat, and are low in Omega-3 and anti-inflammatory fat. Therefore, if you eat those vegetable oils regularly or eat products that contain those oils, it will lead to inflammation. And inflammation is highly connected to obesity. Therefore, avoid inflammatory foods like soybean oil if you want to gain some results in your weight loss journey.
Burgers
Burgers are probably the most common drive-thru fast foods saturated with fats connected to heart diseases. Burgers contain saturated fat, contributing 19% of our total saturated fat consumption. Multiple studies have found that saturated fats trigger white adipose tissue inflammation. The white tissue is fat that stores energy instead of burning energy like brown fat cells do. As a result, our fat cells get more significant when we continuously intake saturated fats, causing systematic inflammation and weight gain.
Fried Chicken
Did we just break your dreams of fried chicken? If you want to lose weight, you must avoid having fried chicken right now. The big issue with deep-fried chicken and other foods is that they contain a high level of inflammatory advanced glycation end products that are formed when any food is cooked at high temperatures, fried, grilled, pasteurized, and smoked. Studies found that when people avoid eating processed and fried foods with high levels of advanced glycation end products, their body’s inflammation diminishes.
Traditional Yogurts
While Greek yogurts are known to have plenty of protein and gut-healthy probiotics, traditional yogurts are loaded with sugar that does not help you lose weight. Therefore, if you want to add yogurt to your daily diet, simply turn to Greek yogurt, making you feel less hungry throughout the day. If you want to add some flavor to your Greek yogurt, you can add some chia seeds, hemp seeds, or nuts.
Common Mistakes To Avoid While Losing Weight
You already know the most common foods you must avoid while trying to lose weight. But cutting down your food is not enough. You also need to know about the common mistakes people make when they try to lose weight and keep themselves away from making those mistakes.
Relying only on the scale: People measure their weight regularly, sometimes feeling like they’re not losing weight fast enough. They entirely forget about maintaining a healthy lifestyle that can lead to a healthy weight. The weight displayed on the weighing machine fluctuates around two to four pounds depending upon what we ate recently and the amount of liquid we have consumed. It is always better to measure your waist with tape and identify if you are losing fat, even if the number on the scale does not change much.
Not exercising: Exercising is inevitable when you are trying to lose weight. Exercising regularly can help you lose muscle mass alongside fat, although the amount depends upon many factors. But if you don’t exercise at all, you will experience a decreased metabolic rate. People who exercise regularly experience quick fat loss and also prevent their metabolism from slowing down. However, over-exercising is also not good for your body. Studies show that excessive exercise leads to stress and negatively impacts the endocrine hormones regulating our body’s functions.
Choosing diet foods: Eating low-fat foods is sometimes considered a healthy choice to lose weight. However, they sometimes bring the opposite effect. Many diet foods are loaded with sugar for improved taste. Therefore, instead of taking diet foods, try to choose nutritious and minimally processed foods like fruits and vegetables. Also, keep yourself away from canned and frozen varieties.
Overestimating the calories burned: Many believe dieting and exercising can boost their metabolism overnight. Undoubtedly exercise increases metabolic rate, but sometimes it can be less than you think. Studies show that people with overweight prefer overestimating the number of calories they burn after exercising. And when they don’t get significant results, they get stressed and disappointed, leading to a reverse effect on their bodies.
Not eating adequate protein: Protein intake is mandatory if you are trying to lose weight. Protein has a proven track record of aiding weight loss in several ways. Higher protein diets control your appetite and change your body composition. Therefore, to help yourself with weight loss, try to ensure that your meals contain enough protein. There are many foods with high protein content, and you get to make your choice of protein.
Setting unrealistic goals: Setting unrealistic weight loss goals demotivates a person. It is always good to set realistic expectations that work in your favor. Studies found that most participants hope to lose more than 10% of their body weight within a few days of exercising and dieting. And those unrealistic expectations are associated with dissatisfaction and challenges in losing weight. If you want to set a weight loss goal, choose something practical. And you will be able to improve your ability to meet your goal at a healthy speed.
Not reading food labels: Sometimes, this simple mistake can have huge repercussions. People who overlook or don’t like reading label information sometimes consume unwanted calories alongside unhealthy ingredients. Moreover, some unhealthy foods are labeled as healthy on the front of the package. And those foods give you false beliefs about their content in them. Therefore, gathering complete information about your food and checking the nutrition facts on the back of the container is necessary.
Conclusion
We understand that processed junk foods are the most potent enemies of weight loss. These foods are loaded with refined wheat, added sugar, and fats. Therefore, if you are unsure about the foods you eat, read their labels carefully. Also, read about the different names of sugar that make misleading health claims. Even though you are eating healthy foods, including dried fruits, nuts, etc., make sure to stick to the right serving size. Practice mindful eating and pay close attention to your bites. Chew your food properly and slowly, and you will soon reach your weight loss goal.
