There are foods you should avoid if you are trying to lose weight. This is because the foods you eat can affect your weight. While some foods help with weight loss, others foods such as processed and refined carbohydrates can make you gain weight.
I gain weight whenever I get careless and start loading my body with white rice, sugary drinks and fried foods. Even though these foods taste delicious, they are not good for my body. They make me feel heavy.
These days, I try as much as possible to avoid them. I do this for my health and well being. I love feeling lighter and healthier after replacing these unhealthy foods with healthier options.
Here are 10 foods you should avoid if you want to lose weight:
1. Sugary Drinks
Sugary drinks like soda, are one of the unhealthiest foods you can consume. They cause weight gain and have disastrous health effects on people who consume them. Liquid sugar calories are not solid food and make you feel hungrier.
2. Potato Chips and Fried Foods
Cooked potatoes are healthy and filling but potato chips are not. They are very high in calories. If you are not careful, you can eat them a lot to the detriment of your health. Consuming fried foods and potato chips are linked to weight gain.
3. Sweets and Candy Bars
Sweets and candy bars are extremely unhealthy. They contain a lot of added sugar which is unhealthy. They are low in nutrients and very high in calories. The challenge is that you can find sweets everywhere you turn in the streets tempting people to buy and consume them.
4. Cakes, Pastries and Cookies
Cakes, pastries and cookies are contain unhealthy ingredients like added sugar and refined flour. They are also loaded with artificial trans fats which are harmful to the body and linked to many diseases. They are not satisfying and will likely make you hungry just like other high-calorie, low-nutrient foods.
5. White Bread
White bread is highly refined and often contains a lot of added sugar. It can spike your blood sugar because it is high on the glycemic index. According to a study, eating two slices of white bread per day was linked to a 40% greater risk of weight gain and obesity. The good news is that you can eat wheat bread instead.
6. Ice Cream
I love ice cream because it is incredibly delicious, but it is very unhealthy. It is high in calories, and are loaded with sugar. A small portion of ice cream is fine once in a while but the problem is that it’s very easy to consume massive scoops at a time. You should serve yourself a small portion if you must indulge.
7. Packaged Fruit Juices
Most packaged fruit juices you buy in shops and supermarkets near you have contain little whole fruit. They are highly processed and loaded with sugar. They contain as much as sugar found in soda. In addition, packaged fruit juices have no fiber. You should avoid them and eat whole fruits instead.
8. Good Old Pizza
Pizza is a very popular fast food. My daughter loves pepperoni pizza. She eats it with satisfaction. The sad thing is that commercially made pizzas are unhealthy. They are high in calories and most times, contain unhealthy ingredients like highly refined flour and processed meat. Homemade pizza is an healthy alternative.
9. Alcohol
Alcohol provides more calories than protein and carbohydrates. It’s fine if you drink alcohol in moderation but heavy drinking, on the other hand, is associated with increased weight gain. Drinking wine in moderation is okay but consuming beer can cause weight gain.
10. Sweetened Coffee
This one is hard for me because I love drinking my coffee with cream and sweetener. Drinking plain black coffee can boost your metabolism and increase your ability to burn fat. However, adding unhealthy ingredients like artificial cream and sugar in your coffee has negative effects on your weight. If you must drink coffee to lose weight, stick to black coffee. It’s fine if you add a little cream or milk to your coffee but avoid adding high calories creamers and sugar.
Take Away
Nigerians should know that the worst foods for weight loss are highly processed junk foods which unfortunately are readily available everywhere. These foods are loaded with added sugar, refined wheat and added fats.
It is better to eat whole foods than consume foods in packages. They are packed with preservatives and unhealthy ingredients. If you are not sure if a food is healthy or unhealthy, read the label. You must also watch out for unhealthy health claims and other hidden names for sugar.
If you want to lose weight, aside from watching what you eat and when you eat them, eat the right portions. Measure what you eat. Eat healthy foods in moderation too. Portion control is very important if you want to lose weight.
You can overeat some healthy foods which are high in calories like cheese, sugary fruits, nuts and dried fruits. You shouldn’t eat them too much if you desire to lose weight because they can be easily consumed in a short time.