What’s on your plate can have a major impact on your weight loss journey.
Some foods like eggs, full-fat yogurt, and coconut oil can help you lose weight. However, other foods like refined and processed products can highly contribute to weight gain.
So here are 20 foods you should avoid while trying to shed pounds.
1. Potato Chips and French Fries
Although whole potatoes are filling and nutrient dense, potato chips and French fries are not. They are high in calories, plus eating too many of them thoughtlessly and quickly is very easy.
Consuming potato chips and French fries has been found in observational studies to be associated with weight gain.
In addition, potato chips have been found in one study to contribute to more weight gain compared to any other food.
What’s more, potatoes that are fried, roasted, or baked may contain acrylamides, which are cancer-causing substances.
Eating plain, boiled potatoes is always the best.
2. White Bread
Being highly refined, white bread often contains added sugar. It has a high glycemic index, which can lead to blood sugar spikes.
People who eat two slices—equivalent to 120 grams—of white bread every day have been found in one study to have a 40% greater risk of weight gain and obesity.
Good thing there are a number of healthy alternatives to conventional wheat bread. One example is the Ezekiel bread; it is probably the healthiest bread you can buy.
However, it is important to note that all wheat breads have gluten. Other options include almond flour bread, cornbread, and oopsie bread.
3. Candy Bars
Loaded with a lot of refined flour, added sugar, and added oils into a small package, candy bars are low in nutrients and high in calories. They are extremely unhealthy.
An average-sized, chocolate-coated candy can harbor around 200–300 calories; extra-large bars may carry even more.
Unfortunately, candy bars are everywhere, strategically placed in stores to attract and tempt consumers to buy them.
Eating a handful of nuts or a piece of fruit is a great idea instead of having candy bars.
4. Cookies, Cakes, and Pastries
Cookies, cakes, and pastries contain unhealthy ingredients like refined flour and added sugar, as well as artificial trans fat, which are linked to many diseases.
These high-calorie, low-nutrient foods will likely make you feel hungry very quickly, as they are not very satisfying. If you want to eat something sweet, have a piece of dark chocolate instead.
5. Ice Cream
Although incredibly delicious, ice cream is very unhealthy. It is loaded with sugar and is high in calories.
Consuming a small portion every now and then is fine; however, it’s very easy to eat massive amounts of ice cream in one sitting.
If you really want to eat ice cream, you can make your own using healthier ingredients like the healthiest fruits and full-fat yogurt and less sugar. Make sure you are serving yourself a small portion so you won’t end up eating too much.
6. Commercially Made Pizza
A very popular fast food, commercially made pizzas often contain unhealthy ingredients like processed meat and highly refined flour. They are extremely high in calories and very unhealthy.
If you want to eat pizza, you can make your own using healthier ingredients or look for a pizza place that makes healthier pizzas.
7. Foods High in Added Sugar
Added sugar is undoubtedly one of the worst things in the modern diet. In fact, consuming large amounts has been associated with some of the most serious diseases today.
Foods that contain massive amounts of added sugar, such as granola bars, sugary breakfast cereals, and low-fat, flavored yogurt, usually are not very filling and can provide tons of empty calories.
In addition, low-fat or fat-free foods are often loaded with added sugar to make up for the lost flavor when the fat was removed, so you better be careful in choosing those kinds of foods.
8. Most Fruit Juices
Fruit juices at the supermarket are loaded with sugar and are highly processed. They have very little in common with whole fruit.
Most fruit juices carry just as much calories and sugar as sodas. They don’t require chewing and usually have no fiber, which means that a glass of apple juice may not provide the same effects on fullness as an apple. This makes fruit juices easier to consume in large amounts even within a short period of time.
Eating the best fruits for weight loss, such as berries and grapefruit, instead of drinking fruit juices is a great idea.
9. High-Calorie Coffee Drinks
Coffee contains active substances like caffeine, which can increase fat burning and boost metabolism, at least in the short term.
However, adding sugar or artificial cream or any unhealthy ingredients to your coffee has negative effects, which can outweigh the coffee’s protective effects.
High-calorie coffee drinks are loaded with empty calories that can equal a whole meal.
When trying to lose weight, it is best to stick to plain, black coffee. You can add a little milk or cream but just make sure to avoid unhealthy ingredients like sugar and high-calorie creamers.
10. Sugary Drinks
Sugary drinks are among the unhealthiest foods on the planet. Excessive consumption can lead to disastrous health effects and weight gain.
Liquid sugar calories won’t make you eat less, as they don’t make you feel full. You then end up adding these calories to your normal intake.
If you want to achieve weight loss, try eliminating sugary drinks from your diet.
11. Certain Types of Alcohol (Beer)
Alcohol holds more calories than protein and carbs.
Although evidence on weight gain and alcohol is yet unclear, moderate consumption of alcohol seems to be fine and is actually associated with reduced weight gain. It is the heavy consumption that’s linked to increased weight gain.
It also depends on the type of alcohol: wine in moderation can be beneficial, while beer can lead to weight gain.
12. Processed Meats
Eating processed meats like sausage, hot dogs, and bacon can put your life at risk; it has been associated with an increased risk of hypertension, cancer, and diabetes.
Processed meat consumption can also lead to weight gain.
13. Deli Meats
Deli meats are loaded with sodium and chemicals that have been associated with chronic diseases and obesity. Obviously, they should be one of the foods to avoid when you’re trying to shed pounds.
14. Sugary, Refined Cereals
Sugary, refined carbs are not healthy and do not help shrink your waist. If you want to lose weight, you can try switching to something more filling like overnight oats.
Having oatmeal for breakfast has been found in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism study to cause less hunger, greater fullness, and fewer calorie intake at lunch compared to a serving of corn flakes.
15. Chocolate Bars
Dark chocolate can aid weight loss; however, chocolate bars have heaps of sugar and sky-high calorie counts, which are common contributors of visceral fat growth. This makes chocolate bars a common culprit for our expanding waistlines.
Leaving chocolate bars out of your weight loss diet is therefore a great idea.
16. Canned Soups
Not all soups are the same. Those that are cream-based are much higher in fat and calories, while those that are straight out of a can are processed goods that sneak in sodium, which can cause belly bloat, as well as dampen your ability to sense when you’re full and increase your appetite. All these are not helpful when you’re trying to shed pounds.
17. Pancake Syrups
Most of the popular syrup brands are made with two ingredients you must avoid: gut-expanding, health harming caramel coloring and high fructose corn syrup.
It is important to note that high fructose corn syrup has been associated with the drive to overeat, abdominal obesity, and overall weight gain, as well as impaired insulin sensitivity.
If you are trying to lose weight, sticking to 100% pure maple syrup in moderation is a great idea.
18. Drive-Thru Fast Foods
Drive-thru fast foods are highly processed foods that are packed with trans fat, salt, and preservatives. They also involve high-calorie, high-fat, high-carb foods that can be eaten thoughtlessly, which can also quickly add to the calorie intake for the day.
19. Fried Chicken
Fried chicken and other deep-fried foods can carry high levels of inflammatory advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
People who cut out fried and processed foods with high levels of AGEs from their diets have been found by the researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine to have reduced markers of inflammation.
If you are trying to lose weight, then giving up fried chicken and other deep-fried foods can be helpful.
20. Crackers
Buttery, flour-based crackers do not provide satiating, heart-healthy fiber, and this can cause soon-after feelings of hunger and blood sugar spikes. So don’t expect your waistline to reduce when you’re also eating these crackers.
Conclusion
Highly processed foods are typically loaded with added fats, refined wheat, and added sugar. This makes them the worst foods for weight loss.
To ensure that the food you’re eating is healthy, make sure you read the label and watch out for any misleading health claims.
Mindful eating is an excellent technique to help monitor and moderate your food intake. It allows you to chew your foods slowly, pay close attention to each bite, and monitor your fullness.
You can also try using a weight loss calculator to determine the number of calories you should eat within the day to shed pounds.
