Trying to lose weight is not always easy. You need to get several things right to succeed. For example, avoiding certain foods will help in your quest to lose weight.
Foods to avoid include the following:
Potato Chips and French Fries
French fries and potato chips are incredibly high in calories. Moreover, you can easily eat too much of them.
One study revealed that eating potato chips and French fries contributes to more weight gain per serving compared to any other food. You’re better off eating plain, boiled potatoes if you’re trying to lose weight.
Sugary Beverages
Many drinks, such as fruit juices, sodas, and sports drinks contain high levels of added sugars. However, they are usually low in other nutrients. Excess sugar consumption is one of the major causes of weight gain.
While drinking these beverages adds calories to your diet, they don’t help you feel satisfied. According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, you should limit calories from added sugars to a maximum of 10% of your total daily intake. That is about 12 teaspoons for a 2,000-calorie diet.
Tropical Fruits
Fruits can be an excellent snack when on a diet. However, there are certain fruits that you should avoid if you’re looking to lose weight.
Fruits such as ripe pineapples and mangoes are exceptionally high in natural sugars. Consuming them may undermine your weight loss efforts.
Alcohol
Alcohol can add lots of unnecessary calories to your diet. Beer and mixed sugary drinks are the major culprits here.
Furthermore, people tend to overeat after taking alcohol. If you must have a drink, it’s advisable to go for liquor on the rocks or with low-calories mixers such as club soda. Remember to drink responsibly.
Pre-made Smoothies
You can order a smoothie at a shop or make your own at home. There’s a huge difference between these two smoothies.
When you make your own smoothie, you can measure the right amounts of fruit and swap water or almond juice. You can also avoid extra sweeteners.
However, pre-made smoothies are high in sugar and can contain up to 1,000 calories. An individual trying to lose weight is perhaps on a 1,400-calorie diet. Hence, 1000 calories from one smoothie can undermine your weight loss efforts.
White Bread
White bread is highly refined. It may also contain high amounts of added sugar. A study of 9,267 individuals revealed that consuming 120 grams (two slices) of white bread per day is 40% more likely to cause weight gain and obesity.
There are healthier alternatives to regular white bread. However, you should realize that all wheat-based breads have gluten. If you must eat bread, consider going for healthier options like cornbread, oopsie bread, and almond flour bread.
Avoiding these foods and many others can help boost your weight loss efforts. If you’re looking for a faster yet healthy way to lose weight, you might want to subscribe to the Mediplan Diet weight loss program.