When you’re trying to drop a few pounds, unless the weight is caused by a medical condition, there’s no getting around the need to make changes in your diet.
1. French Fries & Potato Chips
Fried potato products are among the most craving-inducing snacks around. Something about that crisp, salty bite feels so good, and grabbing a handful of either is an easy way to fill up fast. But both of these foods are extremely high in calories and are linked to weight gain. In fact, one study even suggests that potato chips contribute more to weight gain, serving for serving, than any other individual food.
2. Sugary Drinks
Sweetened beverages like soda and fruit juice contain massive amounts of added sugar and a high caloric load, but the brain does not recognize sugary drinks the same way it does solid foods. Liquid calories don’t have the same ability to make you feel full, so you are unlikely to eat any less food when it is washed down with a Coke, which can more than double the number of calories consumed in a sitting.
3. White Bread
White bread is made from white flour, which is a highly refined product that has little to none of the health benefits found in whole grains. White flour itself it high on the glycemic index, and white bread may also contain a lot of added sugar. The effect of consuming white bread is spiked blood sugar levels which will shortly crash, leave you feeling hungry again, and potentially lead to overeating.
4. Alcohol
Alcohol can be a calorie heavy beverage that people often do not factor into their daily consumption. For reference, 12 ounces of regular beer contains approximately 150 calories, five ounces of wine comes in at around 120 calories, and a seven-ounce rum and Coke tips the scale at about 155 calories. Multiply those calories by the number of drinks you may have in an evening, and they really add up.
5. Pizza
Pizza is an extremely popular and delicious food, but they way it is produced commercially is very unhealthy. From the refined flour crust to sugar-laden sauce, an overabundance of cheese and greasy, processed meats, your favorite brand is likely doing you no favors. Many large pizza chains are even adding more cheese to pizza crust, or coating crust in oily, salty flavors!
