Worst Foods To Eat For Weight Loss – 7 Foods To Avoid
Here’s a list of the 7 worst foods to eat for weight loss. Avoid these 7 foods to eat if you want to stay on track!
Let’s chat about the worst food to eat for weight loss.
FYI – Here’s a list of the 7 worst foods to eat if you are trying to stick to a healthy diet.
It’s best to steer clear of these worst foods to eat if you want to maximise your chances of staying healthy
If you’re looking for a list of the 7 worst foods you should avoid for good health, you have come to the right place!
Even though Alton Brown once so wisely said:
There are no bad foods, only bad food habits (which is so true…)
I think that most people would acknowledge that there are some foods that lead to those bad food habits.
Am I right?
There are certain health-offending foods out there that are unequivocally bad for your health (according to the experts) and can do some real damage, even in small quantities.
While it’s true that everything is okay in moderation, you’ll be doing your body a good service by keeping some of the worst foods to a minimum.
Chances are there are healthy food alternatives you can introduce into your diet instead of these less-than-healthy culprits.
That doesn’t mean you can’t ever have these “bad” foods again in your life (you are an adult – you get to decide when and what you eat!).
But maybe try to save some of these offenders for special occasions, instead of indulging in them every day.
Here is a list of some of the top offenders:
WORST FOODS TO EAT # 1 – French Fries
Sigh I can’t believe my favorite guilty pleasure has topped the list of these 7 worst offenders.
Now I know I’m not alone in secretly (or openly admitting) I love French fries because they are everywhere.
Even in the fanciest restaurants, the kid meals usually come with fries and I have to say the appeal in choosing a gourmet burger (not from a crappy fast food joint – the real gourmet burger that is) is the fries that come along with it.
French fries sort of trick you into thinking they are a healthy option because they are technically a vegetable.
Poor potatoes, they get a bad rap when they are dressed in oil.
Potatoes can actually be healthy when cooked in certain ways (i.e. not the way French fries are cooked) but you should avoid deep-fried potatoes, like they are cooked in most restaurants.
If you enjoy potatoes, consider eating a baked potato or opt to enjoy mashed potatoes. Also, try to have more sweet potatoes as they’re packed with even better vitamins and fiber.
WORST FOODS TO EAT # 2 – Donuts
Oh this round little friends of ours is a nice sweet treat, but news alert: donuts are packed with calories and the sugar and fat content add up quickly.
While it’s okay to have the occasional indulgence, this sweet is a tricky to stop at just one.
Most people end up eating more than they should.
If you’re looking for a good alternative to this popular morning treat, consider having a plain whole grain bagel and some fresh fruit instead.
You can also try making some homemade banana, pumpkin, or zucchini bread (which is easy enough to make and a much-healthier option).
WORST FOODS TO EAT # 3 – Ice Cream
Ice-cream is made of dairy so it must be healthy, right?
Nope, wrong!
Once again you should definitely save this treat for special occasions only.
The fat content is high and bedtime is the worst time of day to eat high calorie foods (if you are trying to sneak in a quick ice-cream before bedtime).
The good news is however there are some healthy treats similar to ice cream that you can enjoy instead.
Try some low fat alternatives like sorbet or sugar-free gelato but obviously keep the portion-size small
WORST FOODS TO EAT # 4 – Fruit Smoothies
Now you may be thinking “WHAT? How in the world did the innocent fruit smoothie make it onto this list?
I know, I know, I thought the same thing at first.
Of course if you were to come to my house I’d make you a fruit smoothie the way nature intended it to be made.
My homemade smoothie recipe: I just throw in one banana, some almond milk, ice along with a dash of cinnamon and that’s it.
Fruit smoothies make the worst offender list purely because when purchased from cafes or restaurants they’re a health food in disguise.
Sure we assume they are made of fruit but often they are fruit SYRUP mixed with sugar and/or ice-cream.
They’re also often served in large portions.
This means that one smoothie may even eat up all of your calories for the day.
You can combat this problem by making your own smoothies out of lower calorie fresh fruits (my preference), or you can opt for smaller portions or diet smoothies.
WORST FOODS TO EAT # 5 – Pie
Oh the humble pie.
Here’s another dessert option that should be left for special occasions only. They’re packed with extra sugar and, often, large amounts of trans fat (the worst sort of fats EVER!)
One slice of pecan pie can actually top the 500 calorie mark.
If you really can’t resist a pie, you can attempt lower calorie pies by using more fruit and less sugar, cream and nut additives.
WORST FOODS TO EAT # 6 – Chocolate
Chocolate is certainly a tough one to give up!
(FYI – This has always been my sweet tooth weakness – I personally don’t care for cake or biscuits or ice-cream but chocolate… sigh!)
Of course everything is okay in moderation but beware the calories.
100 grams of dark chocolate contains a whopping 546 calories.
Compare that to:
100 grams of apple (52 calories)
100 grams of bread (265 calories)
100 grams of cucumber (16 calories)
100 grams of celery (16 calories)
100 grams of rice (130 calories)
100 grams of pasta (131 calories)
100 grams of baked beans (155 calories)
100 grams of green peas (81 calories
Seriously, take a look at those figures again.
You could eat 100 grams of cucumber for 16 calories versus 100 grams of chocolate – the exact same weight – for 546 calories.
Even more mind blowing:
You would need to eat 34 x 100 grams so 3.4 KILOS of cucumbers to get the same amount of calories (546) as 100 grams of chocolate.
The reason it’s jam-packed with calories is because it’s full of sugar and fat.
Therefore it should be limited. If you MUST have chocolate opt for dark chocolate in small quantities because it actually has the health benefit of antioxidants.
WORST FOODS TO EAT # 7 – Margarine
While margarine was once advertised as a healthy alternative to butter, it’s actually not.
Ever heard of trans fat?
Artificial trans fat are formed during hydrogenation, a process in which hydrogren is added to vegetable oil to form a semi-solid product known as partially hydrogenated oil.
In a nutshell trans fats significantly raises LDL (the bad kind) cholesterol while lowering HDL (the good sort) cholesterol.
Well that’s the stuff that’s found in margarine.
Now that the research is coming back about the health risks of consuming trans fats, it’s best that they are avoided all together.
Your best bet is to use smaller quantities of butter when necessary, or opt for margarine that is labeled as trans fat free.
(Here in Australia we use the dairy free brand called Nuttelex made from Olive oil.)
Low Fat Or Healthier Alternatives
So there you have it – the 7 worst foods to avoid if you are hoping to stay on track with your health.
Did you agree with the list?
Did you think anything was missing?
The good news is you’ll find that most of the offenders have lower fat or healthier alternatives (even my beloved French fries which can be substituted with oven-baked potatoes slices with a minimal amount of olive oil).
While they may not taste as good to you at first, keep in mind that these healthier options are best for you and your health in the long run.
Keep in mind that you can indulge yourself every once in a while, but control is key.
Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts.
If you don’t control what you think, you can’t control what you do.
Never let your emotions overpower your intelligence when it comes to making good food choices.
Self-discipline is the magic power that will make you virtually unstoppable.
So take the time to work out if there are any other “bad food” culprits that makes you lose control when it comes to your eating or get off track.
You know your body, you know your mind, and you know your temptations.
Identify your own personal tempting bad food choices and work out how to diminish the power these foods have over you.
To master this healthy living lifestyle, you will definitely need to learn to master your emotions and control yourself or something else will control you.
Wishing you the best of luck on this journey!
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I’m Frances Vidakovic – a mindset & action coach for quietly ambitious women who want to stop overthinking and finally take aligned action. I help women achieve their goals and follow through on what matters, without sacrificing their sanity or soul.