Losing weight does not mean eating only one type of food or drinking only liquids for long periods of time. In fact, people who lose weight slowly by eating a balanced, healthy diet are more likely to keep the weight off than those who lose weight on a fad diet. The trick to weight loss is teaching yourself to eat healthy foods in smaller portions so you can continue eating healthy for a lifetime. Eliminating one or more of the following foods can help you get started on your weight loss journey. You will be surprised that by making small changes to your diet, you can lose weight without feeling deprived.
Cut Back on Sugary Soft Drinks
One 12-ounce can of regular soda contains 140 calories. If you drink two sodas a day, you are consuming 280 unnecessary calories every day. It takes 3,500 calories to gain one pound, so in one year you can gain 29 pounds just from those two sodas. But if you eliminate two sodas a day from your existing diet, in one year you will have lost those 29 pounds. You will also be consuming less sugar which, in high quantities, can lead to developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, a weakened immune system and rapid weight gain. Substitute water for sodas and watch the weight melt off.
Drink Less Fruit Juice
Fruit juice sounds healthy but most of the fruit juice that is purchased in the store is packed full of sugar and calories. One eight-ounce cup of apple juice contains 117 calories and 27 grams of sugar while one eight-ounce cup of orange juice contains 112 calories and 20 grams of sugar. Since the USDA Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of sugar is less than 40 grams per day, then just one cup of juice will use half of your daily allowance. You can save on calories and sugar by eating fresh fruit instead of fruit juice. One apple has 65 calories and 13 grams of sugar while a fresh orange contains 85 calories and 16 grams of sugar. If you must drink fruit juice, make your own fresh juice and don’t add sugar.
Skip the Fried Foods
Fried foods are generally double or triple the amount of calories than foods that are baked, broiled or grilled. One piece of fried chicken, white meat only, is 440 calories, while a piece of baked chicken is only 211 calories. One small order of French fries from a fast food restaurant contains 230 calories while one plain whole baked potato is 57 calories. By eliminating fried foods from your diet, you can practically cut the calories you eat in half. You will also lower your cholesterol and risk of heart disease because you will be eliminating unhealthy fats from your diet. If you eat in restaurants often, this can be difficult to do but not impossible. Request that meat be grilled, broiled or baked and substitute the French fries for a baked potato, salad or fresh fruit.
Eat Less Foods High in Sodium (Salt)
The American diet consists of large quantities of processed foods that are canned, frozen or boxed and these foods are high in sodium. Sodium is used in processed foods as a preservative and to flavor foods. To function properly, the human body only requires one teaspoon a day of salt or 1,500 to 2,400 milligrams. Too much sodium can damage the kidneys and increase the volume of blood so that the heart needs to work harder. Sodium also causes the body to retain water, which makes you feel bloated and fat. Canned vegetables, soup, crackers, packaged cookies and snacks and canned fruits are just a few of the foods that are high in sodium. To lower your intake of sodium, read package labels carefully for sodium content. Skip packaged snacks and eat fresh fruits or vegetables instead. Buy fresh vegetables for cooking instead of canned or frozen. Watching sodium levels will help you lose weight easier and keep your body healthier.
Drink Less Alcoholic Beverages
Drinking one or two alcoholic beverages a day can cause you to gain up to 41 pounds in one year. In addition, alcohol contains high quantities of sugar which can raise your cholesterol, increase your risk of heart disease and increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. One regular beer contains 153 calories, one glass of red wine has 200 calories and one ounce of vodka contains 64 calories. If you typically drink two or more beers each evening, you are adding 306 non-nutritional calories to your diet each day. But by eliminating those two beers each day you can lose 31 pounds in one year. If you are serious about losing weight, the first place you should start is by eliminating alcoholic beverages from your diet.
Losing weight does not have to be a difficult process because you can lose weight just by eliminating one or two types of food from your diet. Try eliminating one or more of the foods mentioned above and watch the pounds melt off over time.
Sources:
FamilyDoctor.org “What it Takes to Lose Weight” Retrieved September 13, 2010.
Deanna Lynn Sletten - Deanna Lynn Sletten has been a freelance writer for newspapers, regional magazines and websites for 20 years. She specializes in the ...
