Whether you made the popular New
Year’s resolution to lose weight back in January, or if you’ve just decided to
drop a few pounds for 2013 it can seem like an uphill struggle, especially when
you’re stood with both feet planted on the starting line. Here at Fitness Essex
we have created the below post to help you to identify which of the foods in
your diet could be hampering your progress, and some of the foods may well
surprise you! We all know that donuts and cakes are not appropriate diet foods;
however did you know that your morning slice of buttery toast is one of the top
sources of calories in your diet?
Our first piece of advice is to
always read the labels on your food so that you can be sure of the levels of
fats (particularly saturated and trans fats) and sugars which they contain.
Some supermarkets make this easy by labelling their products clearly; however
this is the exception rather than the norm. So, always read the label so that
you can make an informed decision.
Surprisingly High Fat Foods:
·
Breakfast
cereals & cereal bars – breakfast cereals and cereal bars are notorious
for being very high in sugar, but for also blending into the background of our
daily diets. Reading the label on some of the most popular cereals can be a
real eye opener. Many cereals are full of healthy but very fatty nuts, and this
combined with the milk you slosh over it could be causing you problems. Our
advice would be to dodge the sugary kid’s cereals, cut down on the size of your
bowl, add some fresh fruit to the mix and opt for skinny milk.
·
Breads,
rolls & bagels – yes we all love hot buttery toast but bread can be
very high in calories (and other nasties), particularly if it is made from
refined grains (white bread). However, if you’re a bread lover don’t despair as
there are healthier versions out there in the bakery aisle. Opt for healthy
Vogal bread and cut down on the amount of butter you use. Simple!
·
Concentrated
fruit juice – many brands of concentrated orange juice contain a startling
amount of sugar. Sipping on some OJ can often make you feel like you’re being
healthy by getting some of your 5 a day, however unless you are consuming
‘freshly squeezed not from concentrate’ orange juice you may be drinking sugar
and preservatives rather than vitamins and minerals. Always read the label
before you buy juice and go for the purest you can find.
·
Salad
dressings – rustling up a bright, cheerful and healthy salad is great for
the soul as well as the body, however if you then douse it in mayonnaise, salad
cream or a salad dressing you may end up consuming more fat than if you’d opted
for that sarnie. Be sparing with the dressing and add flavour by sprinkling a
small amount of seeds on top.
·
Cheese
and cheese spreads – cheese is exceptionally easy to get addicted to and is
one of the dieter’s worst enemies. It’s in so many of the countries favourite
dishes that it can be difficult to avoid, however even small amounts of cheese
and cheese spread will derail a diet with its high fat content. So steer clear.
·
Alcohol –
another menace for the dieter is alcohol! Alcohol is one of the most
calorie-dense food stuffs around and therefore should be avoided by people who
are trying to lose weight. Alcohol actually halts the burning of fat in the
body and activates fat production and storage. Cut down as much as possible,
and cut it out completely if you can! Every time you down a pint of beer you
are consuming the equivalent of a slice of cheesy pizza…
We think that it’s important to end on
a positive note here and to mention that not all fats are bad for us, and our
bodies do need some good fats to function properly. It’s all a question of
moderation, so yes go ahead and have a small handful of healthy walnuts nuts
(which are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids), just don’t follow it up with lots of
other high fat foods.
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