Are you trying to lose weight in the New Year but unsure where to start?
Here are my top foods to cut out if you want to achieve your weight loss goals!
1. Sugary Drinks and Sodas (including the specialty drinks from Starbucks and Dunkin)
Sugar causes an inflammatory response in our bodies when we are digesting it. High amounts of sugar in one sitting (such as form sugary drinks) cause our pancreas to go on “overdrive” and secrete excessive amounts of insulin to break it down. Unfortunately, our body doesn’t burn off sugar that we consume that fast and it is likely converted into fat for storage.
Just to give you an idea about exactly how much sugar is in some drinks, let’s look at 3.
– Can of Pepsi: 41 gms of sugar, which is 10¼ teaspoons
– Medium Iced Caramel Latte (Dunkin): 54 gms of sugar, that is 13½ teaspoons
– Chestnut Praline Latte (Starbucks): 39 gms of sugar, which is 9¾ teaspoons
he moral of the story is get informed about what you are drinking. Many people don’t realize how much sugar is in these drinks! Try to stick with water or fruit in fused water. If you like to drink coffee, try cutting down the sugar or just using almond milk to sweeten it.
2. Pasta
Pasta is very processed and tends to be low in fiber. The portion size of pasta is vey small, one serving of pasta is only 1/3 of a cup. Try to think of your starch in the meal as a side dish, not the main dish! Instead trying brown rice or quinoa (a high protein grain) as your starch in the meal.
3. Excessive Amounts of Dairy
Dairy causes many people to have bloating and GI issues. If you are trying to eliminate bloating or gas, try cutting out the whole milk and cheeses for a week or two and see how you feel. Swiss and cheddar cheeses are naturally the lowest in lactose, so if you want to have cheese occationally, try to stick to those. Full fat dairy is high in saturated fat which is something that you want to cut down on if you are trying to lower cholesterol levels. Instead of milk, try almond milk. You want to make sure you are getting the calcium that you would get from the dairy from another product.
4. Chips and Crackers
These “junk food” snack items tend to be low in fiber and other nutrients as well as being highly processed. If you are looking for a snack food, try having pre-cut veggies available with hummus or an apple with almond butter. Try to shop the perimeter of the grocery store to help you focus on whole foods instead of food products.
5. Trail Mixes
Many of these trail mixes are loaded with dried fruit (sweetened with sugar) and candies. If you are looking for a snack for on the road, just get a bag of almonds or mixed nuts instead of the trail mixes. Just beware; the serving size for nuts is small because they are packed with nutrients. Don’t get me wrong, nuts are a good source of fat! We just have to be mindful of the serving size and portions when consuming them.
Expert Advise: There is so much information available about weight loss on the internet. Everywhere you turn, you have people telling you conflicting things or trying to sell you products. My advise to you is focus on whole foods (fruits, vegetables, lean meats and healthy fats). Look up portion sizes and stick to one serving of each food in a setting. Don’t look for the quick fix; pills and powders aren’t going to keep the weight off. You need a lifestyle change!
If you would like more help losing weight, contact us today or click here sign up for our Healthy Steps Jump Start Program starting January 17th!
