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Have you been trying to lose weight for a while but it just doesn’t seem to be working? And you seem to be eating only healthy foods that you’ve heard are perfect for weight loss? Well, one of the main reasons why people fail at weight loss is that they don’t know exactly which foods to avoid.
These days, the internet is flooded with tons of weight loss tips, tricks, recipes and also false advertising. Many foods may be portrayed or advertised as perfect for weight loss while the reality may not be so. In this article, we’re going to give you 7 “healthy” foods that are actually ruining your diet to avoid during your weight loss journey.
7 “Healthy” Foods To Avoid When Losing Weight:
1.Takeout salads
Don’t get us wrong, salads are very healthy and usually perfect for weight loss! Definitely, not all salads are among the foods to avoid.
Takeout salads, however, are a different story. Usually, takeout salads contain various additional ingredients to enhance the taste. These include fried crunchy toppings, cheese, and a very high-calorie dressing. So when you’re at a restaurant and are craving a salad, take a careful look at the menu and know all of the ingredients.
You can easily turn a high-calorie takeout salad into a weight loss diet-friendly one by asking for no additional toppings and swapping the dressing with some olive oil!
2.Granola and trail mix
For the most part, granola is very healthy: it contains mainly grains and whole oats. However, granola is very often prepared with lots of sugar, oil and butter, which takes most of the “healthy” away from it. So if you’re buying granola at the store, carefully read the ingredients!
A helpful thing to know is that if the granola is sticky and clumpy, then it probably isn’t diet-friendly.
It may be difficult to find healthy granola at the store that isn’t too expensive. That’s why it’s a great idea to make your own! There are plenty of different recipes online, just take your pick.
3.Fat-free foods
First of all, let me mention that fats are a crucial part of your weight loss diet. While your body is losing weight, essential fats ensure that your brain, heart and whole body is functioning properly.
However, you should focus mainly on plant-based fats. That’s why many foods dense in saturated fats are being substituted with fat-free foods. However, again, these foods can be deceptive. They may be low in fats but high in sugar or high-fructose syrup. Of course, some fat-free foods may actually be the healthier choice, such as various dairy products made with skim milk. But always be cautious and carefully read the ingredients.
4.Smoothies
Smoothies are usually very healthy and nutritionally-packed. However, most smoothies contain far more calories than you could imagine due to the abundance of fruits and proteins. If you don’t track the calories in a smoothie, then you’d be shocked to find out that your smoothies may contain up to 1500 calories! This may just be the reason that your weight loss isn’t going so smoothly.
So next time you crave a smoothie, add in lots of vegetables and just a small chunk of fruit for flavor.
Here are some healthy smoothies for weight loss that aren’t packed with sugar!
5.Dried fruit
This may come shocking to you, but dried fruit is one of the main foods to avoid during weight loss. The reason for this is that dried fruit is extremely dense in sugar and calories. And not even necessarily from the fruit itself: very often, dried fruits also have tons of added sugars.
As you may know, sugar is one of the worst things to consume during weight loss because it completely stops the whole process and may be the reason your hard work is going to waste. We’re not saying that dried fruit is pretty much a junk food: it still has lots of vitamins and minerals. But it’s certainly best to avoid it during weight loss.
6.Fruit juices
A lot of people like to have a glass of orange juice or apple juice at breakfast thinking it’s just an innocent drink. Well, fruit juices are actually extremely high in sugar and calories. Plus, many fruit juices you can find at the store are just sugar and artificial tastes, which completely take away all the health benefits you may get from natural fruit.
If you’re really craving a glass of orange juice or apple juice, just have the real thing! You’ll consume much less sugar and much more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. But be sure to only have a small amount so it doesn’t mess with your weight loss.
7.Alcohol
I know what you may be thinking: but how can I not even have the occasional glass of wine? Well, we highly recommend not drinking any alcohol during your weight loss journey. The reason for this is that once you drink alcohol, your body focuses most of its energy on recovering from the alcohol and not on weight loss.
So even if your diet is perfect, alcohol may greatly decrease its effectiveness. But you’ll see, once you stop drinking alcohol, it will totally be worth it once you start seeing your results!
There are many more foods to avoid for weight loss…
So there you have it! 7 foods to avoid during weight loss. But don’t be fooled, there are many other foods to avoid as there are so many bad foods for weight loss. But hopefully, this list will help you get a better picture.
If you don’t know too much about weight loss and are unsure about what exactly you should eat, consider investing in a diet plan!
We highly recommend The 2 Week Diet, which has already helped thousands of people in their weight loss journeys. You’ll get a personalized plan instructing you on when to eat, how much to eat and when to workout. Expect to lose at least 6 pounds in just 2 weeks!
If the working out part intimidated you – relax because you can complete all workouts from the comfort of your own home. Plus, if you’re unsatisfied with the plan and the results, expect a full refund!
So go ahead and take your first step toward a healthier, happier, and thinner you!