When you’re trying to drop a few pounds, unless the weight is caused by a medical condition, there’s no getting around the need to make changes in your diet. This can be the hardest thing because our brains are hardwired to repeat routines and to crave things that boost serotonin levels, even when those foods have unhealthy results in our bodies.
The first step in the battle to eat better and lose weight is to understand the fight. Following is a list of the foods you ought to avoid in order to slim your waistline and be healthier overall. Some of these items will be no surprise, but be sure to read to the end as you may be shocked by a few of the foods that are sneakily dangerous.
1. French Fries & Potato Chips
Fried potato products are among the most craving-inducing snacks around. Something about that crisp, salty bite feels so good, and grabbing a handful of either is an easy way to fill up fast. But both of these foods are extremely high in calories and are linked to weight gain. In fact, one study even suggests that potato chips contribute more to weight gain, serving for serving, than any other individual food.
2. Sugary Drinks
Sweetened beverages like soda and fruit juice contain massive amounts of added sugar and a high caloric load, but the brain does not recognize sugary drinks the same way it does solid foods. Liquid calories don’t have the same ability to make you feel full, so you are unlikely to eat any less food when it is washed down with a Coke, which can more than double the number of calories consumed in a sitting. The risk of excess weight gain from sugary drinks seems to affect people with a genetic predisposition to obesity even more. To lose weight, it’s best to stick to water as a beverage. Try lightly sweetened tea rather than soda when you need a caffeine boost.
3. White Bread
White bread is made from white flour, which is a highly refined product that has little to none of the health benefits found in whole grains. White flour itself it high on the glycemic index, and white bread may also contain a lot of added sugar. The effect of consuming white bread is spiked blood sugar levels which will shortly crash, leave you feeling hungry again, and potentially lead to overeating. One study including over 9,000 people reports that consuming just two slices of white bread per day (such as in one sandwich) can raise your risk of weight gain and obesity by 40%. Luckily, there are a lot of options available for whole grain bread with low added sugar – read the packages at the store to find one that appeals to you.
4. Candy
Shocking, huh? Candy is full of almost nothing but added sugar, unhealthy oils, and refined flour. Even candies that contain nuts or raisins overwhelm the health benefits of those ingredients with fuel for weight gain. Though candy contains a ton of calories, it’s not very filling because it is largely devoid of nutrients, and therefore extremely easy to overeat. Stores understand that the resolve to resist candy can be weakened by impulse, which is why you will find candy at every checkout lane. Much better snack choices are a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts; if you still need a bite of candy, choose dark chocolate, which has less added sugar and some health benefits in the form of antioxidants.
5. Alcohol
Alcohol can be a calorie heavy beverage that people often do not factor into their daily consumption. For reference, 12 ounces of regular beer contains approximately 150 calories, five ounces of wine comes in at around 120 calories, and a seven-ounce rum and Coke tips the scale at about 155 calories. Multiply those calories by the number of drinks you may have in an evening, and they really add up.