foods to avoid or Limit while losing weight

Hi Friends,

To lose 1 kg , you have to burn 3850 calories per week or 550 calories per day. Instead of a hard diet, you can burn some calories by exercising and remaining from food. As i mentioned in previous post "How to start a weight loss program?", use a calorie counter and understand total calories including exercise you need for a day.

There are some foods which you should avoid or limit while you follow a weight loss program. Here i am giving the foods which i avoided / limited after referring some health magazines and websites about weight loss.

1. Potato Chips & French Fries :

According to new Harvard study, researchers says that "Potato chips and French fries, and generally any potato products contribute to the biggest weight gain over time". The high calories and excessive fat content in fried potatoes make them a less than desirable choice for weight loss and research shows that fried potatoes are a culprit in weight gain.

Avoid potato chips entirely while dieting or switch from potato chips fried in oil to those baked in an oven(only if you really want to eat it).

2 All purpose flour :

All-purpose flour is refined from whole-wheat flour, and during the process most of the fibers and nutrients are removed. It is the most commonly used flour in foods like cookies, crackers, bagels, breads, pastries, white pasta and naan. Its not a good choice when you follow a weight loss program. There are 114 calories in 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and 85% is carbohydrates. You should definitely make sure you're eating all-purpose flour in moderation.

Switch to Whole wheat flour and increase the fiber and nutrients in your diet. 

3. Sugary Beverages :

"Consuming sugary beverages such as sodas, energy drinks, and sweetened coffees/teas  have been linked to obesity for a decade", said Dr. David Ludwig, the senior author of the study and director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children's Hospital in Massachusetts. Sugar is a main enemy, when it comes to weight loss program as it often increases your cravings for more sugar and quickly affects  your blood sugar spikes and falls. "One can of soda is like a can of water with 10 packets of sugar in it," says nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, and director and owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants, LLC. 

Always read the nutrition labels when you purchase Sugary beverages. 

4. Store bought Frosting :

Yes, i know it tastes great on cakes, cup cakes and cookies, but store bought frosting from a tub is packed with some unhealthy ingredients. "It's one of the items in the grocery store that still has trans fats, which are terrible for your health and waistline," says Melina Jampolis, MD, physician nutrition expert and coauthor of The Calendar Diet. "Trans fat raises bad cholesterol, lowers good cholesterol, and causes inflammation, which can lead to belly fat and diseases ranging from heart disease to diabetes." On top of that, tub frosting is loaded with sugar, and high-sugar diets contribute to premature wrinkles. 

5. Processed Meats :

Processed meats include bacon, sausage  and hot dogs. They are generally higher in calories, excess amounts of sodium, and high in fat. For example, a single beef hot dog has 156 calories, 14 g of fat, and 1,037 mg of sodium. 

If you want to have a hot dog or piece of sausage, look for brands that use no nitrates in the processing and are lower in sodium than traditional brands.

6. Stick Margarine :

Margarine is usually loaded with trans fat, and its used in plenty of pastries, crackers, snack foods, microwave pop corn.