15 Foods You Should Not Eat When Trying to Lose Weight

It is never easy to lose weight. There is an increasing awareness of the problems of having excess body weight. This is making people want to lose weight and become fit and healthy. People who are obese or overweight have higher risks of getting a stroke, heart diseases, depression, and diabetes. Losing weight can reduce the chances of developing these problems.

15 Foods to Avoid to Lose Weight

Not every food items said to be ‘healthy’ or ‘low fat’ are what you should be eating. Here are some foods to avoid to lose weight quickly.

1. Sugary Cereals

Having a healthy breakfast every day will help with your efforts to reduce weight as it will reduce your hunger. However, having a bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast is not going to help you. These cereals are rich in sugar, and the body converts these sugars into fats. This will also make things worse since having sugary cereals in the morning will cause an increase in the insulin and blood sugar levels which will make you want to eat unhealthy foods by increasing your appetite. Therefore, when getting breakfast cereals, check the box and avoid the ones that include highly refined grains and sugar. This is one of the carb foods to avoid to lose weight.

2. Diet Soda

If you are planning to switch from regular soda to diet soda to lose weight, you should think again. Diet soda can stimulate your appetite as it contains artificial sweeteners, which can lead you to consume junk foods. A study in 2015 showed that people who drank diet soda ended up gaining three times the abdominal fat in a span of nine years when compared to people who did not drink diet soda. Just like sugar, other sugar substitutes like sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin might increase the chances of gaining weight, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.

3. Potato Chips and French Fries

These foods are markers of junk food diets, and you can forget about weight loss if you love having them. These fries and chips have high fats and calories which make them the worst choice to include in your weight loss plan. Fried potatoes could also increase the insulin and blood sugar levels which have a negative impact on your appetite. When frying food rich in carbohydrates at very high temperatures, they tend to produce acrylamide. This substance could increase the risk of cancer.

4. Commercial Salad Dressings

Almost everyone includes a salad in their weight loss plan. Fruits and vegetables are very healthy since they are rich in antioxidants, nutrients, low calories, soluble fibre, and many other nutrients and are good for losing weight. To improve the bland taste when you use commercial salad dressing these foods might turn out to be one of the worst for losing weight. They are often loaded with calories and fats because of ingredients like soybean oil, high-fat mayonnaise, and high fructose syrups. If you want to improve the taste, you could add vinegar or extra-virgin olive oil to it. Herbs would also make them a great meal.

5. Oil Popped Popcorn

Popcorn is a healthy and tasty snack. The complex carbohydrates present in this food will provide you with energy and stamina, and the high fibre content will also take you up. Moreover, it has a rich content of antioxidants. But the commercial oil-popped popcorn you get at the movie theatres is a very bad choice when you are trying to lose weight. It is filled with calories, sodium, and fat. It is best to have homemade air-popped popcorn, and you could also flavour it with a bunch of herbs.

6. Margarine

Though these are marketed as a better alternative for butter, margarine is another fatty and calorie dense food you should avoid. Butter contains saturated fats that are less harmful when compared to hydrogenated fats found in margarine. One tablespoon contains 3 grams of trans fat. Margarine also lacks nutrition. In addition to increasing weight gain, it also increases the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases. Studies show that a diet that has high hydrogenated fats is linked to type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.

7. Alcoholic Drinks

To lose some extra pounds, you will need to stop drinking. Alcohol contains empty calories that do not provide you with any nutrients or fill you up. The fats, proteins, and carbohydrates get mixed with these empty calories, and they contribute to increasing the fat storage rather than focusing on the fat-burning process. Alcohol also leads to an increase in the production of cortisol, a hormone that breaks down the muscles and preserves fat. So, until you reach your weight loss goal, totally cut down alcohol. After that, you can add them in control after watching its impact on your weight.

8. Packed Fruit Juice

Fruit juices are a very popular weight loss food people add in their diets. This is because they are rich in nutrients and help to keep us fresh and energised. However, excess consumption of juice does not have any benefit on your health. During the juicing process, the nutritious fibre gets lost, and you end up drinking sugar which is in the form of fructose. It is worse when you drink packaged juices because they might be only a mixture of sugar, water, and chemicals that have a fruit like taste. Whole fruits are better for managing weight. They only contain natural sugar, and since they are present in the fibrous walls, the release of it into your bloodstream is very slow which makes them less harmful.

9. White Bread

For many people, white bread is a staple food item, but in reality, it does not have any nutritional value. It contains only empty calories. So it is important to watch your white bread consumption when trying to lose weight. The carbohydrates present in this bread are fattening, and these foods are high glycaemic index food. This means that they will not keep your hunger away for a very long time, and you will get hungry soon and end up eating extra. The starch also increases blood sugar levels, thus raising the risk of diabetes. If you are a big fan of bread, then you can have whole-wheat bread which has a high nutritious value. You should also avoid other items that are made from white flour. White rice should also be avoided, and you can have brown rice instead.

10. Frozen Meals

Food manufacturers often pack frozen meals with sodium to make them last longer since it is a natural preservative. Sodium will make you drink more water, making you feel bloated, and you will not feel or look your best no matter how much you want to lose weight. Manufacturers also add a few calories. These freezer meals might be unsatisfying even though they are filled with a lot of calories.

11. High-fibre Snack Bars

Fibre is required for the body. It is good at keeping your digestive system running, and it makes you feel full even if you are trying to cut back a few calories. What you should avoid is a snack bar as each snack bar contains nearly one day’s worth of fibre. Throughout the day, fibre intake should be consistent for improving digestive health, keeping the hunger away, but it should not upset your stomach.

12. Tropical Fruits

Fruits are an amazing snack when you are on a diet, but there are some fruits that you might want to avoid if you are planning to lose some weight. Reduce the consumption of fruits like ripe pineapples and mangoes since they have a high content of natural sugars.

13. Seasoning Salts

People often sprinkle seasoning salt to spike up their low-calorie dishes which taste bland and boring. But these salts are filled with sodium which should be avoided since it increases the risk of gaining high blood pressure. Instead of this, you could use fresh herbs that will bring out amazing flavours during your meal.

14. Whole Milk

Whole milk is filled with cholesterol and extra fat. It is better to go for skimmed milk to enjoy the benefits of milk without having to worry about calories.

15. Soy Sauce

Though they are low on calories, they have an extreme amount of sodium that will leave you feeling bloated. They also increase the chances of having hypertension. There are so many types of soy sauces available that have low sodium, but they are still not significantly lower than the normal ones. So use it in little amounts.

We know that every bite counts when you are counting those calories. These foods listed above are some of the most common culprits that could lead you to the opposite of what you want to achieve. So now that you know what foods you should not eat to lose weight. Prevent hunger and cravings and encourage your efforts to lose weight!

Also Read:

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Fat Burning Foods to Include in Your Diet for Losing Weight