It is really annoying when you have been working hard to shed the pounds only to jump on the scale and see that it hasn’t budged. If that sounds like you, then you need to learn which so-called healthy foods you need to avoid for weight loss.
Grocery shopping when you’re trying to lose weight is more complicated than ever. Product makers do an excellent job of selling us foods that we often think of as ‘healthy’ when in fact they are not.
Many times, packages are labelled with wording like low-fat, fat-free, sugar free, and diet. But are such foods actually helpful when you’re trying to lose fat?
If you think you are eating well and you’re getting regular exercise but the pounds still won’t move, then it’s time to take a closer look at what you’re eating.
Why The Foods You May Be Eating Are Sabotaging You
One of the biggest reasons you may be struggling to lose weight is due to the foods you are choosing to eat.
Walk down the aisles of any grocery store, and you will see product after product labelled with marketing terms like organic, fat-free, low carb or gluten free.
It’s easy to believe that these types of foods are healthier alternatives. But often, this is not the case.
Just because something looks like a healthier option, does not mean that it will help you lose weight. Let’s look at some of the top offenders you may not even be aware of that are preventing you from reaching your weight loss goals.
1. Granola / Granola Bars
Granola and its derivatives have been always been marketed as healthy. However, even if the nutritional content is high, many times these products are loaded with extra sugar or unhealthy fats.
That extra sugar and fat can lead to more calories than you need. And that will stop the scales.
For the healthiest diet, try to limit your consumption of sugar wherever you can. Diets that are high in sugar can lead to obesity as well as a multitude of health problems down the road.
2. Sweetened, Flavored Yogurts
Although eating yogurt can be a healthy way to get your protein, if you are eating flavored or sweetened yogurt, you are probably getting additional sugars that are sabotaging your diet.
There is a fair amount of sugar in yogurts that contain fruit on the bottom or different sweet flavors.
Be sure to check your labels if you are unsure of how much extra sugar is in your favorite yogurt. To avoid the extra calories, opt for unsweetened, plain yogurt and top it with some fresh fruit.
Related: How To Control Sugar Addiction – Get Started Now
3. Energy Bars / Protein Bars
These convenience foods are marketed as healthy because of their protein-on-the-go factor. However, many of these bars contain unhealthy oils, artificial colors and sweeteners.
If you are eating a healthy, balanced diet you may already be eating enough protein. Take a look at your meals to determine whether or not you require additional protein supplements.
Related: How Much Protein Should I Eat Daily – Why It Matters
4. Low-Fat / Fat-Free Products
We tend to think if something has less fat then it must be healthier. But with packaged foods, when something has been removed, keep in mind that it is replaced with something else.
Oftentimes low-fat and fat-free products contain additional sugars to replace the fat that was removed. This can work against you because fat is satiating. Therefore, eating less fat can make you feel less full.
Fats are an important nutrient in the diet. Olive oil and coconut oil are healthier choices.
5. Cereal
There are so many different choices of cereal at the supermarket that it can spin your head. There’s plenty of ‘healthy’ cereals to choose from but many of them contain refined grains, hydrogenated oils or even hidden sugars.
Many of these cereals also lack protein and sufficient fiber which are things that help fill you up. The hidden oils and added sugar can really add to the calorie load and your waistline.
Moreover, many cereal portion sizes are significantly less than what we tend to pour into a bowl. You may be eating much more than you think.
If your goal is to lose weight, eating packaged cereal every day may not be as healthy as you think.
6. Certain Vegetable Oils
Our bodies require both omega-6 and omega-3 fats. However, our modern Western diet is often out of balance with what is required for both.
It is very common for too many omega-6 fats to be in our diets. Research has shown that this imbalance can lead to inflammation and risk of disease.
Most people who are eating a Western diet are consuming too many omega-6s and this can hinder your weight loss. These fats are typically found in soybean, corn, and sunflower oils. They are also in fast food.
One way to increase your intake of healthy omega-3s is to eat more walnuts, fatty fish like salmon and flaxseed oil and drop the drive-thru lane.
7. Bread
There are many breads that appear to look healthy and diet-friendly. Many of them contains labels like gluten-free, whole grain, sprouted grain or wheat.
It can be very confusing to make sense of. The real problem with bread is that it contains a lot of carbohydrates. Many of the ‘healthy’ breads are the worst offenders.
The bottom line when it comes to bread is that too many of those extra carbs leads to fat gain. If you want to shed fat, you need to eat less bread, regardless of how ‘healthy’ it looks.
8. Trail Mix and Packaged Snacks
We tend to think of trail mix as a sensible snack because it’s full of ‘healthy’ ingredients like nuts and seeds, right?
The problem is that many of those mixes also contain dried fruits, chocolate or other treats that are loaded with sugar, salt, the wrong fats and extra calories.
Nuts and seeds on their own can be healthy snacks when they are raw as they are packed with filling fiber, healthy fats and vitamins/minerals.
But as with any packaged snacks, you are often getting a lot more sodium, unhealthy fat, artificial preservatives and sugar than you’d like.
Eating trail mix and prepackaged snacks can be hard to stop. Next time you’re looking for a snack, consider a handful of raw almonds, or a whole piece of fruit with a tablespoon of nut butter.
Related: High Protein Low Calorie Snacks – Simple Easy Ideas
Final Thoughts on Healthy Foods You Need To Avoid For Weight Loss
Processed foods that are labelled as healthy are often not nutritious choices for dieters. Food manufacturers have perfected marketing tactics that can be confusing to understand.
Just because a product is marketed as a healthy option, it may not be. You have to read the product labels and ingredient lists to know for sure.
Many of these health foods have added sugars, unhealthy fats and poor nutrition which can all derail your diet efforts. Over the long term, many of these ingredients can also lead to health risks.
So be your own food detective. Get informed. Remember, the best foods are usually whole foods in their natural form.
If we decide to eat healthy and lose a few pounds along the way, we must prepare for high food prices. However, there are plenty of affordable foods like the ones you listed here. Everyone could afford this way of eating. For me, energy bars are great when it comes to health, and at the same time they keep the body full for a long time.
Losing weight involves many factors but some of the foods we have listed here can sabotage weight loss – especially for those who are doing the right thing but can’t understand why losing is so difficult. Although energy bars might work for you, they are not recommended for those who are struggling to lose weight due to their artificial ingredients and sugars.