Weight loss is always a big challenge. You have to control your diet, along with proper exercise to shed all those excess fat. While controlling your diet, you must avoid a few food at all costs. Some of these foods might be an integral part of your diet and you may find difficulty removing them from your diet. Rest assured, these are 5 foods that stand in the way of you becoming fit and healthy. 

1. White bread 

This might come as a surprise to most people out there, but it is true. White bread is an integral part of the breakfast of nearly half the world’s population. It is not at all an unhealthy food, but when you are trying to shed those extra kilos, it is best to avoid it.

Breads contains a huge amount of carbohydrates – the arc enemy of weight loss. They are evil carbohydrate factories, which break down into sugar pretty fast in your stomach. Other than the carbs, breads do not have much nutritional value. Moreover, it does not satisfy your hunger properly and you are likely to feel hungry again in a couple of hours. Research has shown than people who tend to eat white bread are more likely to gain weight.

Instead of white bread, you can opt for it less evil cousin – brown bread, whole grain or whole wheat bread. They are better for your health. They contain gamma oryzanol, which can reduce your cholesterol levels and help reduce the chances of getting breast cancer.


2. Soda and other sugary drinks: 

If you are trying to lose weight, its time you stopped popping all those soda cans. Feeling thirsty? Grab a glass of water (cold water if you are feeling hot). Soda is not the best way to quench your thirst. It is basically carbonated water, with a few tablespoons of sugar. As you are well aware, sugar = calories. Lots of calories.

A can of soda contains twice the amount of sugar you need in your daily nutritional requirements. Moreover, it does not have any nutritional value. Diet cokes do not make things any better. The biggest problem is that soda is never fulfilling. You will always be inclined to take that second helping. Research shows that drinking a can of soda daily can increase your weight by 10 – 15 pounds per year.

So, next time when you are filing thirsty, grab a glass of good old water or make yourself a glass of lemonade, which minimum sugar.

3. Red Meat or Processed meat: 

For all those hardcore non-vegetarians out there, this might be hard to follow. Yes, meat is a great source of protein, but it comes with its share of cons. Bacons, sausages and hotdogs fall under this category. Now if you think closely, all these meats are deep-fried. I don’t think I need to tell you that fried food is a strict no.

Another problem is that, these kinds of meat pack a good amount of fat. On top of that, a lot of salt is added for processing purpose, which can cause an increase in blood pressure levels, and cause fluid retention in your body. Both are definitely not good for your health.

You must be thinking – how will I get protein? Well, I am not asking you to avoid all meat. You can easily get your meat from poultry (eggs and chicken). They are very good sources of protein which does not cause any harm. You can even try seafood and other sources of proteins. However, remember, by chicken, I do not mean – Deep-fried crispy Chicken.

4. Dairy Products: Margarine, Butter, Cheese, Cream: 

Now, who doesn’t like butter, cheese, cream or margarine? These find their way into the diets of almost every person. They add flavor to a variety of food. Can you imagine your favourite pizza without any cheese? Unfortunately, these are not your friends when you are fighting to loose your body weight. Many doctors suggest a “Dairy free” diet for weight loss.

Cheese is an ingredient used in all types of junk foods, like pizza, burgers, etc. Cheese is very high in calories and fat (not the good type). Although adding cheese makes the food more tasty, but some sacrifices need to me made when you are trying to lose weight.

The same thing goes for other dairy products as well. Butter, Cream and Margarine contains large amounts of fat, which adds to your daily calorie count. For a normal person, these things are fine, but for a person trying to lose weight, I would recommend that you stay away from them. You can also try to use the fat-free versions of cheese, cream, butter or Margarine if available.

5. Fried Food 

When it comes to dieting, the food you should remove from your diet is Fried foods. Not only do they cause you pile on the pounds, these foods have very little nutritional value and can cause quite a few serious health problems. Remember, 1 tablespoon of oil adds around 100 calories to your diet.

Fired foods are usually associated with higher levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, both of which decrease the health of your cardiovascular system (heart). This makes you more prone to suffering from heart attacks or strokes.

Fried food also causes digestive problems. They cause acidity and other gastrointestinal problems. Moreover, fried food is also somewhat addictive; you will always be inclined for the second helping. This only adds to your woes.

So, its time you laid off those tasty French fried, Onion rings and Chicken nuggets. These things are not your friends when you are trying to lose weight. Try for alternate sources – such as baked chicken or air fried food.

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