Foods That Hinder You From Losing Weight

You’ve likely heard the saying that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. While that is still a subject for debate, it’s undeniable that the food you eat clearly affects whether you will manage to trim those excess pounds or not.

Losing weight is one thing and maintaining a healthy weight is another. In fact, in a 2016 study, researchers found out that around 50% of individuals who dieted to lose weight reverted to their original weight after five years even despite their best efforts. Long-term weight loss management is key to keeping off the weight you lose for good, and with the right lifestyle and diet changes, developing healthy eating habits is possible.

Foods You Need To Avoid

Soda

For every 12 ounces of soda you drink, you consume around 150 calories and over 35 grams of sugar (more than your daily recommended value). Soda has even been linked to the worldwide rise in obesity. While lacking sugar, diet soda may not be much better as an 8 oz. glass of it contains around 28 mg of sodium. Aside from weight gain, drinking soda might also contribute to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and pancreatic cancer.

Processed meats

Bacon and salami may sound appetizing especially when paired with two slices of bread, cheese, condiments, and maybe even onion rings. This high-sodium meal is a one-way ticket, however, to retaining fluid, becoming dehydrated, dangerously increasing your blood pressure, and putting on weight.

French fries

Have you ever told yourself that you’ll eat just a few french fries and then end up mindlessly snacking on them for a half hour? It’s fairly easy to consume a large serving of fried foods because they do taste yummy, but before you know it, you’re racking up an insane amount of calories. Whether you’re aiming for weight loss or not, this is one of the unhealthiest foods ever made so it’s best to stay away from it.

Pastries and other sugary snacks

These foods have zero nutritional value, high in calories, sugar, refined flour, and may even contain artificial trans fats; there’s no winning here. You may get to satisfy your cravings but your body suffers in return.

Beer

A bottle of beer is packed with 10-145 calories depending on the type you’re drinking. Some alcoholic drinks may be beneficial in moderation, like red wine, but others can hinder your weight loss and can have other harmful effects on your health especially with heavy consumption.

White rice

Although this is a popular staple food, it doesn’t have much nutritional value. Opt for a diet of brown, black, or red rice instead which deliver fiber-rich carbohydrates.

White bread

White bread contains a high amount of sugar and eating just two slices per day increases your risk for weight gain to about 40%.

Smoothies

Not all smoothies are created equal. As long as you use only healthy ingredients like Greek yogurt, spinach, and fresh fruits, you’re all good. But adding ice cream and full-fat milk can immediately increase the calorie count of this otherwise healthy drink.

Cereals

Like smoothies, cereals can also be healthy but keep in mind that some commercial cereals are loaded with refined sugar and processed carbohydrates so it’s not exactly the best choice for breakfast.

Other Weight Loss Tips

• Set a realistic goal and stick to it. Build the intensity of your workout gradually to prevent overuse injuries.

• A digital scale helps individuals track weight from the convenience of their own home. For best results, measure your body weight every morning before you eat breakfast. Use the same weighing scale to achieve the best comparison.

• Diet and exercise go hand-in-hand to achieve your fitness goals.

• If you need something a little more challenging, increase the duration and intensity of your exercise for no more than 10% per week.

• Do not skip meals. You may end up consuming more calories for the rest of the day.

Practice discipline when it comes to eating and avoid foods which can impede you from achieving your fitness goals. It will be challenging to ignore your cravings, so find ways to address them – keep a food journal, stock health snacks, drink more water, stick with an eating routine, and distract yourself with exercise.