There are certain foods that simply spell trouble whether you’re trying to lose weight or simply to protect or improve your health by changing your eating habits. From known diet busters to seemingly healthy choices, here are the top 10 foods experts say not to eat when you’re trying to lose weight:
1. Bagels
The average bagel made with refined wheat flour contains no less than 350 calories before adding any toppings. Moreover, bagels offer no nutritional benefits. In fact, this treat has a high glycemic index which increases insulin and increases inflammation in the body, which in turn also worsen acne and rosacea, which means both your waistline and your skin will benefit from eliminating this indulgence from your diet.
2. Popcorn
While popcorn has long been considered a relatively healthy diet-friendly snack, it’s definitely not true for microwave popcorn and popcorn sold in movie theaters. While the issue with movie theater popcorn is mostly due to the large portion sizes and high fat content, microwave popcorn has a different set of issues, especially the butter flavored variety which contains Diacetyl, a flavoring agent linked to respiratory issues. Moreover, the chemicals in the bag itself can be hazardous for the health. If you’re not ready to give up popcorn, toss corn kernels in a microwave safe bowl with a plate on top and keep the portions small.
3. Canned goods
Besides containing BPA, a toxic chemical that can leak into food, canned goods are also loaded with sodium, being among the foods not to eat if your goal is to have flat abs, which is why most food experts advise avoiding them.
4. Soda
While it’s technically not a food, soda (both the regular and diet variety) inevitably makes it on every list of foods not to eat when trying to lose weight due to the many risks it poses both silhouette and health-wise. Consider this: replacing a 20 oz bottle of soda with water on a daily basis can result in a 35 pounds weight loss over the course of a year.
5. Processed meats
With 80% of calories coming from fat, hot dogs are definitely one of the foods not to eat when you’re trying to lose weight, however, the same is true for most processed meats since they contain 4 times more sodium and 50 percent more nitrate preservatives compared to unprocessed meat, which is why it’s smart to avoid them as much as possible.
6. Deep fried anything
Besides being loaded with calories, deep fried foods increase the risk for certain types of cancers such as breast, lung and pancreatic cancers, especially if consumed more than once a week due to both their high fat content and the high temperature cooking process which increases oxidative stress.
7. Margarine
There’s a good reason why experts avoid margarine: it’s loaded with trans fats that raise LDL cholesterol levels. A single tablespoon of margarine contains a whopping 100 calories. Moreover, margarine is an ingredient used in a variety of snacks so, even if you don’t buy margarine it’s still important to keep an eye for hidden sources found in most pastry goods.
8. Thick crust pizza
While pizza isn’t exactly a diet friendly food, thick crust pizza is one of the worst offenders when it comes to the silhouette since just two slices can contain up to 1,300 calories and 24 grams of saturated fats. A thin crust pizza loaded with veggies instead of meat toppers will have significantly less calories, being a much better choice for a rare indulgence.
9. Frosted baked goods
While cakes and cookies are problematic on their own even without frosting, frosted goods are even worse for your health since their frosting inevitably contains trans fats and high levels of artificial sweeteners which lead to belly fat, inflammation and even serious diseases like diabetes or heart disease.
10. Dried fruits
Healthier than most of the foods included in the list, dried fruits can still be problematic for your waistline since most of the dried fruits sold in stores are loaded with added sugar and it’s extremely easy to go overboard when eating them since they have a small volume.
See also:Lose Weight on a Budget: Cheapest Diet FoodsFoods for a 2000 Calorie Diet
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