Diet foods are often our go-to panacea to get rid of stubborn weight. Often tipped as seemingly healthy food options for weight-shedding, new research shows some diet foods can make you gain weight.
The fitness industry is obsessed with getting you on a fat-cutting meal plan, but gorging on these diet foods can shoot your weight through the roof.
1. Smoothies and Protein Shakes
We all love smoothies and protein shakes, especially for their yummy and refreshing taste. While loads of smoothies and protein shakes are rich in essential vitamins and minerals, others are replete with sugar and unhealthy calories that plump you up.
Vetting the percentage of sugar and calorie content before consuming can help you make the right smoothie and shake choices.
2. Low-Fat Flavored Yogurt
If it smells so good, it may contain some fat. And because fat is unhealthy, manufacturers of flavored yogurt, having removed fat, can maintain its flavorful allure by adding some extra sugar. You do not need all the extra sugar if you're serious about weight loss. Also great if you are on a gluten free diet.
3. Fresh-Pressed Juices
The idea of fresh, unprocessed juice rid of refined sugar appears healthy and harmless, but it isn't always as plain as daylight. Fruits contain sugars that can fatten you up due to their excess calories. If you want to curtail your calorie intake, avoid sugary fruits and starchy veggie juices while doing the press.
4. Diet Soda
Although diet sodas are marketed as zero-calorie alternatives to regular soda, the artificial sweetener that replaces sugar can distort body mechanisms. Diet soda can trick your body into the feeling of hunger, thereby causing you to eat more food than necessary.
5. Pizza
Americans love pizza, and although it can fit into a well-rounded diet, it can spike your calorie levels. Some pizzas may contain highly processed meat which has been linked to obesity and will make you gain weight.
6. Trail Mix
They taste great and are refreshing, but portion control is crucial to keep trail mix healthy. A combo of too many fruits, cereal, and candy may contain excess sugar, high calories, and unhealthy fats. If you can avoid the cereal and candy condiments in your trail mix, it'll help keep your weight in check. Nuts are high in fat so don't eat the entire bag if you are trying to lose weight.
7. Low-Calorie Cereal
We often begin the day with low-calorie cereals because they are free of proteins and fat. However, low-calorie cereals are usually stocked in excess sugar, which makes them counterproductive toward your weight-loss goals.
8. Granola Bars
Buying nuts, seeds, oats, and coconut to make granola bars can be daunting, so we choose branded bars rather than make them ourselves. But ready-made granola bars are often saturated with added sugar to improve flavor and taste, and this seeming diet food option can result in massive weight gain, especially when overly consumed.
9. Dried Fruits
Dried fruits are healthy and great for weight loss, but because they are yummier than fresh fruits and are small to touch, you may consume way more than you should, gulping loads of calories than you would if you were eating them fresh. The trick is to always choose fresh over dried.
10. Low-Calorie Condiments
We love our salads dressed in ketchup, barbecue sauce, wine vinegar, and mayonnaise; they improve taste and make the eating experience more enjoyable.
Interestingly, many seemingly innocuous dressings on low-calorie condiments are calories and sugar storehouses that readily plump your body up.
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