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Meal replacement shakes, vegetarian meals, calorie restriction–you’ve probably tried these methods in your quest to lose weight. Sometimes it can be frustrating when the scale doesn’t seem to budge. Are you doing it wrong? Are you doomed to be stuck at the same weight? Or, perhaps you need a healthy jump-start to your new health regimen.
How many times have you heard that losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise? If that’s the case, then the most important factor in shedding pounds is what you put into your body. But if you’ve tried three or four different methods already, where do you start afresh? Here are five foods or ingredients to immediately cut out of your daily diet in order to jump-start weight loss.
Dessert
Whether you enjoy baking pies or dipping your spoon into a bowl of ice cream, unfortunately, these goodies aren’t so good for your waistline. Sugary foods contain fructose , which your body doesn’t need nor produces naturally on its own. This means that it goes straight to your liver, which gets overloaded and ends up turning it into fat.
Much of the total calories in the typical Western diet come from sugar ( sucrose ) and high fructose corn syrup .Both are composed of 2 simple sugars: glucose and fructose.
Bread, rice, and potatoes are starches that contain glucose. Glucose is essential for life, and our bodies produce it.
On the other hand, we can not say the same thing about fructose. The body does not produce it and according to our evolutionary history has never been consumed except for the fruits when they reach their maturing season.
The body metabolizes glucose and fructose differently. Glucose is used by all cells in the body. However fructose can only be metabolized in the liver in large quantities which means that when you eat a diet high in calories and fructose, the liver is responsible for converting the excess into fat, this process is called lipogenesis .
By avoiding foods with high sugar content, you’ll be setting yourself up for an easier transition to weight loss. Try healthier dessert and snack alternatives such as fruit, cacao nibs or bars, and natural or greek yogurt. And remember, don’t cheat! You can’t eat a chocolate bar and promise yourself that you’ll “work it off” later. Stick to your healthy commitment, and you will see (and feel) a difference.
White BPRs (Bread, Pasta, & Rice)
Yes, another fun category of food to snatch from your grasp. White bread, pasta, and rice are high in carbohydrates (which your body converts to glucose) and spike your blood sugar level.White bread is a highly refined food with a high sugar content.
It has a high glycemic index and can cause an increase in blood sugar levels. According to a study carried out with 9267 people who were given two slices of white bread equivalent to 120 g daily, the result was a 40% higher risk of obesity and weight gain.
A blood sugar level spike can lead to insulin resistance, which means your body won’t use insulin effectively and will just store the excess glucose as fat. By avoiding these foods and swapping them out for whole grain bread, brown rice, and wheat pasta , it will make a huge difference in your body’s metabolism which can be put to better use–like losing weight!
Soda and Sugary Drinks
Yes, even the diet sodas. Most sodas, bottled sweet teas, and fruit punches have high sugar content. If it’s bad to eat sugary foods, then it’s certainly no better to drink liquid sugar.
Drinks that are sweetened with artificial sweeteners may promote inflammation, so they aren’t necessarily the better choice. Try increasing your water intake (your body will thank you), brewing homemade teas and iced teas, and drinking unsweetened sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon.
Fruit Snacks
Most varieties of fruit snacks are filled with high fructose corn syrup and sugar cane which can lead to weight gain and diabetes risk and also contain very little fruit-derived ingredients.
These unhealthy options can also have the side effect of adding excess sugar and gelatinous ingredients that stick to our teeth which create a perfect environment for bacterial growth and subsequently cause tooth decay
Hidden Sugar
The added sugars are all types of sugar that do not occur naturally in the food and have been added manually.
Many foods whose labels claim to be organic or natural do not mean that they are free of added sugar. The same goes for free or low-fat products as many of them are treated with added sugars to enhance the taste and consistency.
You should check nutrition facts labels which include naturally occurring sugars that can be found in significant amounts in foods such as cereal and yogurt. As of July 2018, nutrition facts labels will have to offer the consumer the grams of added sugar that have been included in products.
Though you might be going at this alone, don’t forget to consult your physician or a nutritionist when starting a new diet or exercise regimen; their guidance will only help you.
Whether your aim is to lose ten pounds or thirty, the most important part of your healthy eating journey is to stay motivated and stay committed.
By cutting out the above foods and drinks from your diet, it will help pull your metabolism out of its sugar-filled rut and give you the boost you need to start seeing real results.
