20 Foods You Should Cut From Your Diet If You're Losing Weight
Are you looking to go on a diet and lose some weight? While hitting the gym is just one part of it, it's also necessary that you make changes to your diet. Here are 20 foods you should look to cut out of your diet if you're planning on losing weight.
1. Fried Chicken
Sorry guys, but your favourite comfort meal might just have to take a backseat if you're planning on dieting. Fried chicken is definitely not your friend when you're trying to lose weight - it's loaded with unhealthy fats and calories thanks to its batter, coating, and deep-fried preparation. Opt for grilled or baked chicken instead!
2. Soda
It's not just food you should be concerned about, it's also about what you drink. Soda is a big nono when it comes to weight loss; they're high in calories and sugar and provide pretty much no nutritional value at all. You should switch to water or unsweetened beverages if you really want to reduce your calorie intake and improve your health.
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3. White Bread
Consider changing your typical white bread for whole wheat or whole grain options instead. White bread is surprisingly more unhealthy for you than you might realize. It's made from refined flour which means all of the nutrients have essentially been stripped away, and it's known for spiking blood sugar levels.
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4. Sugary Cereals
You should be starting off your mornings feeling energized, not crashing from a sugar high. Many breakfast cereals that taste good are unfortunately loaded in sugars while being lower in nutrients like fiber and protein.
Always check the box to see how much sugar is in these cereals so you can make more informed choices regarding your diet.
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5. Full-Fat Ice Cream
For all the big dessert lovers out there, cutting out your sweet treats is definitely going to be a difficult task at the start. For one, ice cream is definitely something you've got to leave behind. It's incredibly high in sugar and fat, and will definitely add a lot of unwanted calories to your count. If you really can't resist, always consider lower-calorie, healthier alternatives.
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6. Candy Bars
It goes without saying that candy bars/chocolate aren't a part of a healthy diet. And when you're trying to lose weight, these little things loaded in sugar, fats, and calories are the last thing that you want. Eating too much can increase your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes too!
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7. Cookies
Although these little treats are the perfect, easy to eat snack or dessert, it's time to say goodbye while you're on your diet. Cookies are typically made with ingredients high in sugar, fats, and calories, which will only contribute to weight gain if frequently eaten. With little to no nutritional value in them, there are definitely other sweet snacks you should consider to satisfy your sweet cravings.
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8. Pizza
Whether it's frozen or restaurant-bought, you're probably not surprised to hear that pizza isn't one of the healthiest foods out there. After all, it's made with a lot of refined flour and loaded with gooey cheese that makes it high fat and high calorie. Consider making homemade versions during your weight loss where you can control what goes on it and how it's prepared!
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9. Potato Chips
The hardest thing about potato chips is that once you've had a bite, it's so hard to put them down! That's the dangers of eating these chips, which are already high in fat and calories. People typically eat very large amounts of them in one sitting, which means they tend to contribute to weight gain.
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10. Alcohol
Did you know that many alcoholic beverages and coolers are incredibly high in calories while providing you with no nutrients at all? That's why these can be unsuspecting contributors to weight gain some times. Not to mention, once alcohol lowers your inhibitions, you might make some bad food choices you might regret.
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11. Cream-Based Soups
Creamy soups are delicious and satisfying, but all that creaminess comes with high calories and fats. Thanks to all that added heavy cream and butter, these soups can be significant in adding unwanted calories to your intake.
When dieting, it's all about knowing what you're eating and cutting things out that aren't healthy for you.
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12. Flavored Yogurt
While yogurt is a part of a healthy diet, it does depend why type of yogurt you're eating. While plain Greek yogurt can make a great snack, it's important that you know many flavoured yogurts aren't the same. They contain a lot of added sugars and might have a more negative than positive effect on your diet.
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13. French Fries
Resist that temptation to drive up to the McDonald's drive-thru to grab some of their iconic french fries! Because if you're dieting with a focus on losing weight, french fries are just another thing you're going to have to be wary of. These fried goodies are high in calories and salt, contributing to potential weight gain that you don't want. Try baking or air-frying potatoes instead for a healthier alternative that'll satisfying your cravings too.
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14. Granola Bars
Surprise, surprise. Turns out, while granola bars are typically associated with being a healthier snack, that's not always the case. Most granola bars are actually loaded with sugars, fats, and calories, making them a lot worse for your body than you might have realized. When grocery shopping, you should always be reading the ingredients and nutritional facts to find granola bars made with actual whole foods and healthy ingredients.
15. Sweetened Dried Fruits
Just because the word "fruit" is in the name doesn't mean it's actually healthy! Dried fruits can be surprisingly bad for your body. Many of these products actually contain a lot of added sugars and are a lot more calorie-dense than you'd think. Always check the labels to see how much sugar has been added, or even better, enjoy them in their natural forms!
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16. Store-Bought Salad Dressings
You've probably heard about this many times before, but store-bought salad dressings, like your favourite caesar, 1000 island, and blue cheese ones, are all high in calories, fat, and sugars. If you really want to enjoy a healthy salad, it's a better idea to make your own dressings. Try using alternatives like olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice together!
17. Instant Noodles
Although they make quick and easy meals, instant noodles aren't exactly the healthiest, low-calorie options out there. Quick and easy usually comes with a price after all! They tend to be pretty high in calories, fats, and sodium while also being low in nutritional value. The more you eat these, the more your weight loss efforts will be put in vain!
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18. Doughnuts
Your morning coffees are about to get a whole lot lonelier now that you've got to kick out doughnuts in the morning.
When they're deep-fried and loaded in topping like frosting and sprinkles, it's not surprising that these baked goods are high in sugar and trans fat. You definitely don't want to be eating a lot of these when dieting.
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19. Bacon
As one of America's favourite food/topping, bacon is sadly going to have to be kicked out. Not only are they high in calories, they're incredibly unhealthy and high in saturated fats and additives too. It's not just about weight gain, but it's about your overall health too. It's much better to leave these out of your diet or at least highly moderate your intake.
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20. Cream Cheese
Beloved on bagels and use in spreads and dips, cream cheese is a versatile ingredient that adds a lot of creaminess to a lot of dishes. Sadly, you'll be sad to hear how high in fat this product is. It's one way to add a lot of unwanted calories to your diet. That's why you should consider using lower-fat versions or trying other spreads like avocado or hummus if you want to lose weight.
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