Ten Foods That Will Make It Hard To Lose Weight.  

Granola bars

Everyone has tried to find food that will help with weight loss.  The list below are commonly used foods that are sold as healthy but are terrible for your waistline, and you would be better off eating something else.  I am not saying that you should forbid yourself from eating them because that would make you desire them even more if you like them.   Denying yourself something you really want to eat will only make you want them more and may lead to binge eating and worsening of your weight gain. What I am saying is that you should reduce your intake of them.  Each fo these foods are of limited value, and if you can avoid them foods, you will be better off.  

List of foods to avoid or reduce:

1. Snack Bars: Snack and breakfast bars such as granola, protein bars, and the so-called “high fiber” bars.  These have an insufficient amount of fiber and nutritional value.  The fiber in them is often chicory root or maltodextrin.  Instead of having these snacks that are of limited nutritional value, have a fruit or a slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter.  
2. Sugary Drink and Juices: These are both sources of empty calories.  Empty calories make it hard to meet your nutritional needs without busting the calorie bank.  
   

   Refreshing Bubbly Soda Pop

   Even though sugary drinks contain a lot of calories, your brain doesn’t register satiety with them as it does with solid food, so you do not get that full feeling.  Because they are full of sugary calories, they quickly add up.  Instead of drinking these, have a cold glass of lemon or lime infused water.  I keep a pitcher in the refrigerator.  

3. Candy of All Types: Candy is mostly sugar and is healthy. They are packed full of added sugar and fats.  It is full of empty calories and low on nutrients.  Unfortunately, these little treats are convenient, and you can find them just about everywhere. Heck, look around your office, and you find bowls of these little things conveniently places within grazing distance of your desk.  Instead of giving into the temptation, bring fruit or nuts from home.  Heck, these things come in small single serving packs that are just as convenient and a lot more healthy.  
4. Potatoes of Any Type:  These little salty and flavored delights are just about as low on the nutrition scale you can get.  You would be better off just eating a scoop of table sugar (just kidding, but it is close).  Chips and fries have sent many a belly expanding.  I recommend that you eat some broccoli and hummus instead.  
5. Soda: I recently read a study advising against drinking soda whether it is diet or not.  At the time, I was a doubter because I could understand how diet soda could add to you expanding waistline.  Now, I fully understand the mechanism.  Nearly all artificial sweeteners raise your insulin level, and persistent insulin elevations are the cause of obesity.  Drink seltzer water instead.  
6. 

   Chocolate: Stick to Dark

   Frozen Microwave Meals: I generally would support the consumption of these convenient little meals, but they are high in sodium and low in taste.  I started cooking for myself about 3-4 months ago.  I have to found that food that you prepare yourself is more flavorful, more nutritious, and more filling than any microwave meal you can purchase.  Prepare your meals and limit your consumption of frozen meals.  

7. Ice Cream: I love ice cream.  It is a comfort food for me.  It is also of limited nutritional value and loaded with calories.  I have found the replacement for you.  Instead of ice cream, have a fruit or a vanilla smoothie made with skim milk.  If you can tolerate it, jump, start the nutrition with spinach or kale (I can’t).  
8. Cookies or Cakes:  Cookies are packed with sugar and refined flour.  They are of limited nutritional value, and they are not filling at all.  If you want something sweet, have an apple.  If it is chocolate you desire, have a square or two of dark chocolate to fill that desire.  Avoid the milk chocolate but if you must, limit to a single square.
9. White rice:  White rice is what you have left when the whole grain is stripped of filling fiber and much of the most nutritious portions of the grain.  Most calories in white rice come from carbohydrates.  Because the fiber is removed, the carbohydrates are rapidly absorbed, and you will feel hungry quickly after consumption, so there is some truth to the eating Chinese food and feeling hungry one hour later.  This rapid absorption will result in an insulin spike that will leave you tired and hungry.  Eat brown rice instead.  
10. Popcorn cakes: These are terrible for you.  These are entirely carbohydrates and like the white rice.  Like white and other carbs, it has limited fiber to slow absorption and will rapidly raise your insulin level and increase hunger.  If you must eat them, add a thin layer of peanut butter.  Even better, use whole grain bread.  

I will post ten more next time.  I hope you find this helpful.