10 Foods to Avoid to Lose Weight
In this article, I will be walking you down a list of the top 10 foods to avoid to lose weight. Food plays many crucial roles in the body but unfortunately, some of the foods favored by many of us are not always the healthiest
Some of those foods have harmful side effects even when eaten in moderation, and therefore should be drastically reduced or avoided completely since they are strongly associated with weight gain and many other undesirable effects
That notwithstanding, whether you are trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight, it is still possible to eat almost anything if you control your portion effectively
The list below contains some foods that you should consider reducing or cutting off from your diet as well as some other contributory factors to your weight gain that you should take action about
10 Foods to Avoid to Lose Weight
The following are foods you must cut down on or eliminate from your meal if you are not just interested in losing or maintaining a good weight, but also living a healthier life.
1. Fries (French fries, Potato Chips, etc)
First on our list of foods to avoid to lose weight are fries. They are packed with saturated fats that can cause a spike in your “bad” LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol level, which may lead to heart disease and stroke because of the fatty deposits it leaves in your blood vessels
French fries, in particular, are high in calories and contain a significant amount of trans fat which is unhealthy for you.
Potato Chips are also in this category because they contain large quantities of salt and oil, which when taken uncontrolled can increase blood pressure
Fries are generally bad for you because their method of cooking usually affects the nutrients your body would ordinarily have gained from them.
Look for a healthier alternative such as getting an air fryer since it has several advantages over oil frying
2. Bread (White)
The normal bread you know is made up of processed flour and many other additives that aren’t helpful to your body because they can lead to health conditions like obesity, heart diseases, and diabetes when consumed in excess
There are many alternatives to white bread but perhaps the most accessible one is whole wheat bread. This type of bread has several advantages over white bread as they generally contain fewer calories and have higher fiber contents which help in promoting weight loss
If you are already used to white bread, however, making the switch could be difficult at the beginning since whole wheat bread does not taste as good as white bread and are always denser in texture
Additionally, people with digestive diseases could have difficulties with whole wheat bread because of its high fiber contents. Consult a healthcare professional if you experience issues after making the switch
3. Fizzy Drinks (Carbonated Drinks)
Fizzy drinks are those drinks that contain dissolved carbon dioxide in addition to sweeteners and coloring. They made their way to this list of foods to avoid to lose weight because of the harmful effects they have on your body
Their high sugar contents aside, most of them only provide temporary satisfaction and only add calories to your meal, which eventually leads to higher chances of diabetes and obesity
As a substitute, try adding a slice or two of lime, lemon, orange, or even berries to your water. The presence of any of them in a glass of water can make it a lot more refreshing and will give you a different taste from the normal water you are used to
4. Juices
The problem with juicing any fruit is that you end up separating its juice from other parts of the fruit such as the skin and pulp.
They are two parts with very high fiber content, which play an essential role in your body by preventing weight gain and constipation
Packaged juices, on the other hand, contain lots of preservatives and added sugar that can cause unimaginable harm such as increased insulin resistance and others to your body when consumed in excess
5. Fast Foods
Nobody can deny the usefulness of fast foods, especially after a long and stressful day of work. To buttress that point, a 2018 survey by the CDC revealed that over 1 in every 3 Americans eat fast foods every day
As useful as they can be, however, they are mostly unhealthy for us because of the remarkably high sugar, salt, and saturated fat contents of most of them
We have pointed out other harmful side effects of those substances earlier, of which weight gain is part of, so I would avoid sounding like a broken record by repeating them.
In addition, they are the perfect example of processed foods, and different studies have been warning us against them for ages. A piece of sausage once in a while is not bad, as long as you keep it in complete check
One hack that might be helpful is to avoid waiting until you are hungry before you eat because you will most likely be low on energy and that could lead to a higher tendency of resorting to fast foods
6. Alcoholic Drinks (Beer)
Although the relationship between alcohol consumption and weight gain is yet to be established, there is still evidence that uncontrolled consumption of it does lead to weight gain – especially around your midsection area
Beer in particular is famous for giving people the “beer belly”, but if you must take it, try as much as you can to limit it to one beer per day or on social events only. Even then, go for alternatives such as wines
7. Fat and Oil
The amount of fat you consume at any given time is far less important than the type of fat you take in. Your priority from now on should be to reduce the intake of saturated fat while actively going for foods high in unsaturated fat
Trans fat is another killer in this category since it only raises the bad (LDL) cholesterol level in the body while decreasing the good (HDL) cholesterol. Although the FDA’s ban on it went into effect in 2018, some foods still contain traceable amounts of trans fat as a result of the processing methods used for their production
Since we already know that saturated fat and trans fat are bad for the body, you should know the sort of foods that are high in them and cut down their intake.
Some examples of them include processed and packaged foods, margarine, fatty red meats, processed meats, etc
8. Desserts (Cookies, Chocolate bars, etc)
Desserts like chocolate bars, cookies, doughnuts, etc are all high in calories but low in nutrients. To make matters worse, they contain loads of added sugar and other harmful additives
A good number of them also contain trans fat which studies have linked to several diseases. So, when next you are at an event, try to skip the dessert and savor the lingering taste of the main meal you just had
If you have the habit of taking something after meals, however, consider healthier alternatives such as eating a piece of fruit or nuts instead
9. Sugared Coffee
Coffee is not one of the most consumed substances on the planet for no reason. Everyone’s favorite drink has a lot of wonderful benefits to the body which includes promotion of longevity, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, etc
The most relevant benefit to us in this article though is its potential to assist in weight loss, but that benefit, alongside others, could be ruined by the addition of artificial creams and sugar which will only add calories that are of no value to your body
These calories in turn end up leading to the weight gain you are trying to fight and many other undesirable results
When next you are shopping for coffee, opt for plain ones to fully reap the many benefits it has. It is fine if you add little quantities of milk or low-calorie creams to make it a bit tastier – just avoid sugar
10. Ice cream
One of the major problems with ice creams is their addictive tendencies. One little cup could easily turn to two, three, or more cups and before you know what’s going on, you’ve consumed way more than is healthy for your body
Additionally, the regular ice cream out there has high calorific value and a significant amount of both saturated and unsaturated fat.
As a result of this, frequent consumption of your favorite ice creams can affect your weight over time
Since the goal is to either lose or maintain a good weight, you should watch your love for ice creams, irrespective of whichever flavor they come in
Other Factors
We just covered the list of foods to avoid to lose weight, but there are other contributory factors to weight gain that you should be reminded of. Let’s touch on a few of them below:
- Eating Late at Nights
This is not the first time you are being advised against eating late at night. It has many undesirable effects on the body such as poor digestion, increased blood pressure, etc, but the most relevant one to us now is its capability to cause unhealthy weight gain
It is possible because your body metabolism generally tends to slow down during the night hours and the implication is that your body will not be able to burn calories as effectively as it would normally do during the day
There are a few options available for you to snack on if you happen to have cravings later on at night. These can be anything from bananas, greek yogurt, nuts, etc to hot cereals, popcorn, and many others
- Overeating Anything
Just like everything in life, moderation is key when it comes to what we consume. This is true even for the healthiest of meals because almost all types of foods are not good when excessively consumed
Portion control is everything. It is a highly effective practice that helps you to lead a healthy lifestyle, maintain a healthy weight or even lose weight altogether – without depriving yourself of some of your favorite meals
Since weight loss is the objective, you can adopt portion control to “coerce” your body into using stored fat to provide the necessary energy required for optimum bodily functions.
This is possible by eating at a calorie deficit – which is simply not eating up to the right quantity of food your body needs for daily operation
The result of that would be weight loss since the excess fat stored in your body is being converted back into glucose to make up for the new insufficiency.
This article explains an effective way to implement portion control without starving yourself
Final Words
We have reached the end of this discussion on the 10 foods to avoid to lose weight. They might be a little overwhelming at first glance, especially if you are guilty of some of them, but it is something you would get used to as you make the necessary changes
Looking good aside, there are so many health benefits to maintaining an optimal weight, and those are what you must remind yourself of constantly anytime you seem to lack good dietary discipline. To a healthier life!
