10 Foods That are Hurting your Weight Loss Goals

by varsha - November 10, 2020

In the current scenario, losing weight and getting healthy has become more about “what not to eat” rather than “what to eat.” Some foods which have been hailed extremely weight-loss friendly, are in fact, the ones that lead to weight gain. Flavoured and sweetened Greek yogurt that are available in the supermarket and claim to be full of weight-loss friendly probiotics, but they are also rich in sugar that can completely put a full stop to the weight loss progress. Calorie deficit is the base from which weight loss lifts off, but that’s not the only driving factor. The food source of each calorie matters because they have strong effects on the production and functioning of hormones and other biochemical processes. And that’s why it’s extremely important to pick the right kind of food, that would not cause weight gain or metabolic disorders. In this post, we list out some food stuff that are weight loss enemies and are hurting your weight loss goals if you are trying to lose weight.

1. Oats Biscuits: Those packaged biscuits that claim to be made of healthy oats have actually “refined flour” or maida as their main ingredient and oats is usually the third or fourth ingredient (included in a lesser proportion). These are no more good for your weight loss goals than regular biscuits, so don’t fall into the trap, and bake your own cookies
2. High Fructose Corn Syrup: HFCS or high fructose corn syrup is commonly found in baked goodies, salad dressings, soda, candies, sauces, and also in some breakfast cereals. High fructose corn syrup is extremely unhealthy and can cause insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and obesity with regular consumption.
2. Flavoured Greek yogurt: Though we might think it as a good source of probiotics, flavoured Greek yogurt are also loaded with artificial color, flavour, preservatives, and loads of added sugar
3. Diet Soda: While regular soda is loaded with empty calories with high sugar content, it’s so-called healthier version, “diet soda,” is equally bad with artificial sweeteners that are linked with increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. While this variety of soda claims to be low on calories, it still manages to spike insulin and trigger the fat storage process. Water is the best beverage ever and nothing can be healthy as plain water
4. Sports Drinks: Contain loads of sugar that can boost your energy for a short time, but the slump and subsequent calorie surplus can undo every effort you are putting in. Most of these sports drinks pack a lot of calories with high quantity of sugar, so better switch to coconut or plain water to rehydrate.
5. Muffins: We often do not think twice before biting into a small muffin, but they can easily derail your weight loss goals with their high calorie count and sugar content. High fructose corn syrup and the possibility of hydrogenated fat can add up and make one gain weight rapidly.
6. Candied Fruits: It’s a completely wrong way to include fruits in your diet – candied fruits come soaked in sugar syrup and can completely nullify any weight loss efforts.
7. Instant Soups: Most of these instant soups have high sodium content that leads to water retention and recent studies have found links to increased belly fat as well.
8. Granola: That granola bar that you thought is mighty healthy, is actually not! Granola is extremely high in calories with high amount of sugar, and can lead to weight gain and insulin resistance.
9. Breakfast Cereals: Wanna lose weight? Then skip having cereals from a box for breakfast and switch to traditional Indian breakfasts. It’s much better to start your day with a nutritious homemade breakfast or even boiled eggs to kickstart the metabolism. Most breakfast cereals, are low on nutrients, have loads of sugar, and lack fiber – all of which are extremely important for weight loss.
10. Microwave Popcorn: Popcorn is a low-calorie snack without which our movie nights are incomplete, but opting for those which come packaged in puffy bags that needs to be microwaved usually have a chemical called “diacetyl” that gives popcorn its buttery flavor and aroma. Also, these bags are usually made of PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals) that break down into perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), that is linked to cancer. Also, the presence of hydrogenated oil, transfat, saturated fat, sodium, and artificial flavours make it a completely unhealthy food that would also lead to weight gain.