Today I want to write a list of foods that I reduced/removed from my own diet that helped me to lose the weight I wanted to lose but also helped me to maintain that weight loss for three years now. These changes have helped me feel much healthier and generally better in myself. I have more energy and find it easier to balance work/life/exercise. I believe that little changes consistently practiced over time is the key to weight loss success.
The idea of this post is to give a list of foods to stay away from when you are trying to lose weight. These are the foods that don’t need to be in your shopping trolley every week.
1) Sugar: Cut the calories. Try to not add Sugar to Tea/Coffee or Breakfast Cereals.
2) Salt: Bad for the heart. Take Salt shaker off the dinner table, its unnecessary as you should like the taste of the food you are eating. Use herbs and spices when cooking instead.
3) Alcohol: Offers no nutritional benefits to the body just empty calories. Big stumbling block on the road to weight loss.
4) Sugary Cereal. Breakfast cereals are often very high in sugar, try porridge or eggs in the morning or chose a healthier cereal option and add fruit/Nuts not sugar.
5) Fast Food/Take Away Food: Very high in Saturated Fat and Salt. Need to stay away from these if weight loss is your goal. You can always add them back in, in moderation once you have achieved your goals.
6) Fizzy Drinks: Too much Sugar, Very high in calories. One of the leading causes of Childhood obesity.
7) Sports Drinks: Again too much Sugar/Calories (approx 250), don’t undo the calories you burned during your training session by drinking these. Water will get you through your workout. Choose the LITE versions if you feel you need the sports drink. Some only have 50 Calories
8) Cereal Bars: Sugar, Sugar and More Sugar. Not the healthy breakfast alternative they are marketed as.
9) Vegetable Oil: Throw it out. Choose Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead
10) Frozen Pizza: Make your own, Buy bases and add your own toppings. No nutrition value to frozen pizza. Pumped full of salt too.
11) Frozen Meals/Ready Meals. Frozen pre-prepared Food such as Wedges, Southern Fired Chicken, Chips or Burgers.
Same story as Frozen Pizza. Get the fresh (non frozen) alternatives and cook yourself at home.
12) White Bread OUT Brown Bread IN (Fibre)
13) White Pasta OUT Brown Pasta IN (Fibre)
14) White Rice OUT Brown Rice IN (Fibre)
15) Crisps: High Salt, High Fat content.
16) Chocolate: Try Dark Chocolate instead the darker the better but only in small amounts
17) Sweets/Confectionery: Too much Sugar.
18) Packet Soups: Too much Salt. Make your own soup using fresh vegetables.
19) Full Fat Milk: 0% Fat milk has the same Protein and Calcium content but with less Fat and Calories.
20) Processed Ham: Less processed meats more lean meats like Chicken.
21) Ice Cream: High in Sugar and Fat.
22) Biscuits: High in Sugar and Fat.
23) Cheese: Good source of calcium but too high in fat. Try the Reduced Fat Cheese and use smaller amounts. Some cheese is already sliced into the ideal portion size.
24) Sports Supplements: Unless you are training very hard every week or training in a specific way that requires you to consume a lot of calories chances are you don’t need sports supplements such as protein shakes. These are designed for the needs of Elite Athletes. Just use food instead to refuel after your workout. Save a fortune too.
All the information I give on this blog is tried and tested by me so you can be assured it will be good solid advice. While I am not a nutritionist, I do have a minor qualification in Nutrition as well as having done this for myself . While I can promise I wont be giving any unproven or bogus advice on this blog it is my advise that you always consult a qualified Nutritionist/Dietitian for any new meal plans you wish to start.
Tomorrow I will be posting about the Foods to ADD to your diet to help with Weight loss and Good Health.
Hope you enjoyed this post.
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Regards,
Phil
PR Fitness & Performance 