Avoid These Healthy Foods That Make You Fat
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You bought an LBD to wear at your BFF’s pre-wedding bash. And to fit into that, you have tried every trick under the sun, including cutting down on your food and sticking to what is called ‘healthy.’ But finally, when the D-day arrives and you are all set to begin your dressing up, you discover that you still can’t fit into your favorite LBD! All your efforts have gone in vain, and all you want to do is scream your lungs out, and you wonder what went wrong. Relate to this? Well, you are not alone, girl! We sort of figured out who the culprit was! And you would be shocked to know if we told you. Here you go…
You didn’t realize that what you thought would burn your fat had actually contributed to your weight gain. Can you beat that? Most of the times, we end up eating the so-called healthy foods only to discover later that they make us gain pounds! Here’s a list of few foods that come under that category. Take a look and make sure you avoid them at all costs.
Eat breakfast like a king. Haven’t we all heard this one before? Yes, the first meal of the day must be the heaviest, so it ups your metabolic rate – this is what every nutrition expert will tell you. And just to keep it to the minimum and not pile on calories, you end up sticking to your favorite cereals, hoping they keep you full and offer all the goodness that your body requires. But, here’s the hitch – most of them are loaded with sugar and refined carbs, which you know will ultimately up your sugar levels.
Fruit Facts: Most dietitians recommend fruits when you are on a detox diet. We don’t deny that they are superfoods. However, you have to be a little careful about what fruits you choose. Fruits like banana and avocado are a strict no-no when you are dieting.
Go Nuts: Yes, nuts provide wholesome nutrition as they are rich sources of protein, vitamin E, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. But did you know that they also have high-calorie content? There are 132 calories in a quarter cup of almonds. Add other dry fruits to these, and they become even more dangerous for weight watchers. The water is removed from these fruits, and they pack five times more calories than fresh fruit. So make sure you limit your intake.
Dark Chocolate: When your personal trainer wants to pamper you, he will reward you with ‘Treat yourself to a dark chocolate.’ We have all heard that it is bitter (low on sugar) and aids weight loss. But make sure you have this in moderation as it can also be high in calories.
Fancy Gluten-Free Foods: We are in an age of intolerance. I mean, right from sugar and milk to gluten, our body has suddenly started rebelling against every good old food that we used to enjoy during our childhood. The result – we are lactose intolerant, can’t have the regular breads/rotis, and always opt for sugar-free products. But did you know that gluten-free packaged foods actually contain brown rice flour and cornstarch that are actually high in calories?
Creamy Milkshakes: You take pride that you are off caffeine and instead swapped it with fruit smoothies without sugar. But what you didn’t gather is that a few fruits have high sugar content. When you mix two-three fruits along with milk or flavored yogurt to make a lip-smacking smoothie, those calories go straight to your waistline.
Yogurt: Wow, a fancy name for your humble curd! You see advertisements that claim how yogurt is probiotic and helps digestion…blah blah. Yes, it sure does. But if your yogurt is flavored or comes with fruits added on top, then you better avoid it. That is if you are serious about losing some flab.
Fish: Yes, you heard me right. If you are boasting to your friends about how you have substituted the cholesterol heavy meat with fish, this is for you. Yes, raw fish doesn’t come with many calories. But should the foodie side of you come out and you choose a sushi, then you just gifted yourself a mouthful of calories. The accompaniments of this Japanese delicacy are so rich that you might as well forget your weight loss mission.
Salad: You order a salad from Subway with all your favorite veggies and toppings thrown in. That’s just fine. But the problem is if you forget to tell the vendor not to add all the yummy sauces that are loaded with calories. Honey mustard, mayonnaise, red chili sauce, tomato sauce, Chipotle sauce, green chili sauce, sweet onion sauce, BBQ sauce – you name it, and all the possible varieties with possibly the highest sodium content are on what was to be your diet-friendly salad!
Paneer Substitute: You always make a conscious effort to buy tofu instead of paneer (cottage cheese), thinking it’s healthy. Yes, tofu is loaded with calcium, iron, and protein, and is the best substitute for cottage cheese that comes closest to its taste. Well, what if I told you that the tofu soaks up more oil when you cook them? Unless you are eating them raw, they are not healthy at all.
Energy Bars: By no means a healthy food given its high glycemic index. Best avoided.
Eliminating junk food from your diet can be a great start to losing weight. But the healthy foods you substitute may be high in calories and not be good after all. This is not an exhaustive list but can come handy and give you some clue as to what to avoid particularly if you are looking forward to slimming your waistline.
Do you have any more foods to add to this list? Suggestions welcome in the comments box below.
