There’s no doubt about it – the obesity epidemic is here, and there are still far too many people who don’t realize that they’re personally affected by this. You may attribute your expanding waistline to age, but experts say poor diet is the leading cause of obesity in America.
Some foods have more impact on your fitness than others do. These 13 have been scientifically proven to slow down weight loss and will set you back if you eat them regularly.
Sugary Beverages
If you drink a bottle of orange juice in the morning, think again. This seemingly healthy beverage is loaded with sugar and contains more calories than a can of coke. If you want fruit, eat it instead to get all the nutrients without all the empty calories. Other beverages such as sodas, sweetened iced tea, energy drinks, and fruit juice are loaded with sugar and calories. If your beverage is causing you to gain weight rather than lose it, give these calorie bombs an early eviction.
Baked Foods
According to research, foods like muffins, cakes, and cookies are the worst offenders for triggering weight gain. This is because they not only contain a lot of calories, but they’re also low in fiber content which makes you feel hungrier more quickly after eating them. Other baked goods such as croissants and doughnuts are not much better than regular cupcakes or brownies either.
Potato Products
French fries get a bad rap, but they’re not the only culprit here. Potato chips (yes, even the baked ones), hash browns, and baked potatoes are far from healthy. They may look innocent enough, but each of these contains around 200 calories making it easy to overindulge without noticing. Instead, swap these foods for a piece of fruit, some veggies, or even better – get your carbohydrates from whole grains instead.
Fast Food Hamburgers
Maybe you don’t eat fries with your burger, but you probably enjoy a soda. These seemingly small swaps add up quickly and start to have a significant impact on your waistline. A single hamburger may not look that bad for 170 calories each, but just think about how many you actually ate over the course of a year.
Fast food is also typically high in sodium which can lead to water retention and cause bloating around the abdomen. Not only does this make you look fatter, but it makes losing weight even harder!
Managing your carbohydrate intake throughout the day can significantly impact your overall energy levels and weight loss progress. By consuming carbs strategically, you can avoid the common pitfalls of energy crashes and overeating. This approach not only helps in maintaining steady energy levels but also supports your body’s natural rhythm, allowing for better metabolic function and easier weight management.
“Instead of a mid-day crash, you are now spreading out your carbohydrate intake throughout the day, causing your energy to slowly taper off as the day turns to night, winding your body down for a restful night’s sleep.” said Noa Shani, Metabolic Coach, Lumen.
Additionally, paying attention to when you eat carbs can make a big difference. Evening carb consumption should be minimized to prevent disruptions in your body’s natural fasting period, which is essential for recovery and metabolism reset. By focusing on eating balanced meals earlier in the day, you can enhance your body’s ability to burn fat and maintain a healthy weight, making it easier to achieve your fitness goals.
White Bread
Bread isn’t always what it seems – similarly, wholemeal bread often contains preservatives or additives that make it less healthy than its name suggests. In addition, white bread is low in fiber content, meaning it’s easier to overeat. Eating a couple of slices of this bread can quickly add up to 500 calories before you even realize it!
White Rice
If you’re trying to lose weight, then the last thing you want is your body storing energy as fat. This can happen when insulin spikes from eating foods that are high in carbohydrates. Rice is a carbohydrate and therefore contains a lot of calories – if you have this one food every day for lunch or dinner, prepare yourself for some real weight gain!
Granola and Energy Bars
These so-called healthy snacks are far from their reputation. Granola is loaded with sugar, and energy bars contain more than you’d want to admit. Think about it – granola is essentially oats, almond flour, honey, and some dried fruit. Energy bars are a mix of protein powder, nuts, artificial sweeteners, and, even worse – extra sugars.
Flavored Yogurt
Yogurt is a great source of calcium and protein, but only if you pick the right one. Flavored yogurts, such as vanilla and strawberry contain added sugars, making it harder for your body to lose weight. If you like yogurt, then opt for the plain kind instead – add your own fresh fruit or even some nuts to give it that extra crunch.
Processed Meat
You would hardly consider hot dogs or sausages as healthy foods, but they do have a place in a balanced diet. However, these processed meats are not so innocent – they contain high quantities of sodium and nitrates, which can negatively affect your heart and cardiovascular system and even cause cancer.
Other processed meats such as bacon, salami, and prosciutto are incredibly fatty, making it hard for you to lose weight too. Cut these meats from your diet to see a difference within weeks!
Beer
Many people drink beer when they socialize for a tasty beverage with few calories. However, the truth is that beer may be low in calories, but it’s high in carbs and even worse if you don’t drink it slowly – one beer can quickly turn into two or three!
This doesn’t mean you have to give up drinking beer entirely if you don’t want to, but why not switch to liquor? You’ll still enjoy the taste without all of those extra calories.
Candy Bars
Candy is high in sugar, and it’s very easy to get carried away with eating lots of them. Not only are they full of empty calories, but they have no nutritional value whatsoever, making it harder for your body to function properly.
If you must eat candy, then opt for dark chocolate, which contains more cocoa than other types, giving it more antioxidants. If the taste is too bitter, try some fruit instead – there are plenty of healthy candied fruits available these days.
Pizza
It may be difficult to believe that pizza is actually one of the unhealthiest foods you can eat, but it really is.
Pizza dough contains white flour that has zero nutritional value and makes you feel hungrier than ever before. It’s also incredibly high in carbs! If you must have some fast food, opt for sushi or even a tuna sandwich – both are much healthier options.
Coffee with High Calories
Coffee is an antioxidant and can even make you live longer, but not if you add lots of high-calorie items to it.
This includes things like whipped cream and chocolate syrup which may be tasty, but they’re also full of fat and sugar. So if you really want to lose weight, consider dropping the calories from your coffee – this will help reduce your cravings!
Quick Tips to Help you Stick to Your Diet
Everyone wants to lose weight, but not everyone is committed to sticking with a diet long enough to see their desired results. If you’re tired of starting and stopping diets or if you think your lack of commitment is making it impossible for you to lose weight, there are a few tips you can try that may help.
Ignore The Scale
If your diet plan is getting you results, but your weight loss has come to a standstill, you may simply need to give it more time. It’s only natural for people who are exercising and eating healthier foods to hold onto extra water, which can make the number on the scale jump significantly. If your clothes fit better and you have more energy, you may not need to worry about the scale.
If you still think your diet isn’t producing results after ignoring the number on the scale for two weeks, visit a doctor or other health professional to see what you can do differently. You may also want to consider hiring a nutritionist or find local personal trainers.
Keep an Eye on Your Body’s Measurements
Your weight isn’t the only indicator of how well your diet is working for you. If you have access to a measuring tape, it would be a good idea to record your waist circumference and your body fat percentage regularly as a way of monitoring whether or not you’re on the right track. Seeing proof of your progress in numbers can boost motivation more than just seeing numbers on a scale.
Note Down What You Eat and Drink Everyday
Keeping records of everything that goes into your mouth is one of the most effective ways to stick with any diet plan because it will help change the way you think about food. For example, by looking at the food you’ve eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner three or four days in a row, you’ll start to notice patterns that can lead to better food choices, so it’s easier to stay on track over time.
Don’t Let Yourself Get Hungry
Even though dieting requires you to eat less than usual, being too hungry can derail even the most committed person. It may sound counterintuitive, but if your plan calls for eating five hundred calories every day, it would be a good idea to try snacking on healthy foods throughout the day just because it takes up some of your calorie allowances. If you wait until you’re starving, there’s a chance that your first instinct will be to grab whatever is closest, which is probably not the healthiest choice.
Develop a Support System.
It’s easier to stick with a diet plan when you know that there is someone else who will be supportive and encouraging of your goals, so consider meeting up with friends or family members who can help motivate you along the way. If you don’t feel like having company every time you go out to eat, consider joining an online message board where people can check in with each other and provide advice on healthy food choices and exercise plans.
Summary
There are lots of healthy foods which you wouldn’t expect to be bad for your diet. But, unfortunately, the truth is that many people eat one or two ‘bad’ items and then assume it’s okay because they’re eating other things that are good for them.
However, this isn’t true, and you need to watch out for the obvious unhealthy foods and the ones we’ve talked about above. Once your eyes have been opened, start looking at labels and really consider what’s in your food – you’ll quickly find yourself losing weight and looking great!