If you are trying to lose weight or are doing your best to maintain a slim figure, you probably think of yourself as something of an expert on the subject of which foods are hazardous to your waistline. However, at least thirteen of the foods and drinks that people commonly think of as healthy are actually capable of stopping you from losing weight. Read on to find out which of these foods and drinks are the worst, and to discover more genuinely healthy substitutes.
1) Energy bars:
Energy bars are often found in the weight loss sections of grocery stores and are usually stocked by health food stores as well. However, the shocking truth is that many of them are worse than candy bars when it comes to promoting weight gain. Many of them contain a staggering 500 calories or more, and (in spite of providing you with more calories than an average lunch) they are small in size and tend to leave you craving even more food. If you are looking for an energy bar, make sure that you carefully check the labels in order to find one that contains no more than 230 calories and provides you with at least four grams of protein.
2) Products that are labeled as ‘multigrain’:
It is highly likely that you implicitly associate the word ‘multigrain’ with healthiness, but it turns out that this is a rather deceptive term. Specifically, it is important to know that it is perfectly acceptable for companies to call their products ‘multigrain’ when they contain mostly refined grains. This is problematic, because refined grains have been repeatedly shown to lack nutritional value and cause weight gain. When buying pasta or bread, opt for wholegrain products every time.
3) Iced tea:
Iced tea is a delicious alternative to traditional tea on a hot day, and you might think that you are being good to your body by buying it instead of a sugary soda. However, most brands are around 250 calories and provide you with even more sugar than the average soda. Indeed, the average iced tea contains around 60g of sugar, so regular consumption of this beverage can make it much harder for you to lose weight.
4) Reduced fat milk:
Replacing whole fat milk with reduced fat milk is certainly a good move if you want to lose weight, but taking a step further could make a huge difference. One serving of reduced fat milk adds up to more than 125 calories, and it contains slightly more than half of the saturated fat found in whole milk. Fat-free milk, on the other hand, contains around 85 calories per serving. If you exclusively buy fat-free milk, then you will find that the lack of extra saturated fat in your coffee, tea, and breakfast cereals will start to have a positive influence on your attempts to lose weight.
5) Banana chips:
You might think that there is no way that any sort of fruit could be bad for you, but in truth banana chips are deep-fried snacks that contain close to 10g of saturated fat and 150 calories per serving. A fresh banana is always a better choice, as they are free from fat and contain just 100 calories on average.
6) Fresh fruit smoothies:
There is a lot to recommend regular consumption of smoothies, as a diet that is high in fruit can influence everything from the health of your heart to how likely you are to develop certain forms of cancer. However, many smoothies are incompatible with weight loss, as they provide you with around 350 calories and a large amount of added sugar. Instead of buying smoothies in stores, try making your own by blending fresh fruit with low-fat yogurt. Whenever you do buy a smoothie, talk to your server about replacing ice cream with yogurt, and make sure that the smoothie is made from fresh fruit (as smoothies made from concentrate lack nutritional benefits).
7) Muesli:
Muesli tends to be billed as a healthy alternative to the stereotypical sugary breakfast cereals that are on offer. However, the muesli stocked by most grocery stores will provide you with a level of fat that is incompatible with your attempts to lose weight. In addition, many muesli mixes provide you with approximately 500 calories per serving, and this is far too much to be consuming at breakfast! Luckily, you can make your own tasty muesli by simply buying oats, raisins, and fat-free milk.
8) Coleslaw:
Coleslaw might look healthy because it is commonly paired with a salad, but it is full of fatty mayonnaise and makes it very hard for you to lose weight. Most servings will contain more than 260 calories and over 20g of fat. However, you can make a healthier coleslaw using fat free yogurt or reduced fat mayonnaise.
9) Prepackaged sandwiches:
Most sandwiches that you find in stores are drenched in mayonnaise, which provides you with excessive levels of saturated fat and a calorie intake that is too high for a lunchtime meal. If you are trying to lose weight, you should go the extra mile and make your own sandwiches. Use wholegrain bread, a healthy salad, a light dressing, and margarine.
10) Reduced fat yogurts:
Low-fat yogurts are highly appealing to dieters, but the companies that make them know full well that the lack of fat makes these yogurts taste bland (or even offensive). In order to compensate, they sneak a lot of extra sugar into the yogurt, and this means that the benefits of your reduced fat snack are often outweighed by the negative impact of this additional sweetness. The trick is to find a yogurt that strikes a balance between fat content and sugar content, containing a little of each but excessive amounts of neither.
11) Nuts:
Nuts contain monounsaturated fat, which is very good for your body, but if you are trying to lose weight then it certainly does not help you attain that goal if you eat too many.. Peanuts and cashew nuts are particularly high in fat, so if you like nuts then you should opt for lower fat alternatives like almonds and walnuts.
12) Caesar salads:
A small serving of Caesar salad is 350 calories on average and contains as much as 30 grams of fat. Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of thinking that any salad on the menu will help them to lose weight, so it can be easy to fall into the trap of ordering Caeser salads when you do not know how unhealthy the dressing can be.
13) Orange juice:
Unfortunately, a serving of orange juice will provide you with 200 calories, and a large amount of sugar. If you are trying to lose weight, opt for a juice that has no added sugar, and always buy freshly squeezed juice instead of juice from concentrate.
Seemingly Healthy Foods and Drinks Bottom Line
Now that you know more about which seemingly healthy foods and drinks can thwart your attempts to lose weight, your diet should be much more successful. If you combine a sensible eating plan with a rigorous and enthusiastic exercise routine, you will be well on your way to attaining the figure you desire. However, if you find that you are not losing weight after months of effort (or are even gaining more weight), make an appointment with your doctor to discuss the possibility that an underlying health problem may be responsible.
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