Foods to Avoid if You Want to Lose Weight

If your New Year's resolution is to lose weight, you may want to limit your consumption of these foods.

Foods to Avoid if You Want to Lose Weight

The new year is upon us, which means many of us have set some resolutions and health-related goals for ourselves. If one of your goals is to lose some weight in 2022, you'll need some tools for setting yourself up for success.

Losing weight in a healthy way looks different for every individual, but it oftentimes requires some daily changes related to movement and diet. And while there's no one food that can make you gain or lose weight, there are certain foods that can have harmful effects on your goals.

1. White bread

Shutterstock

White bread is a processed carbohydrate that can quickly derail your health goals of losing weight.

"White bread doesn't help you stay full, so you might end up eating more calories than you need at your meal and gain weight over time," says Jinan Banna, PhD, RD, "especially because white bread has been stripped of the fiber you need to give you that sense of fullness. Because of this, it is better to choose whole-grain items to prevent weight gain in 2022."

2. Fried food

Shutterstock

Your consumption of foods that are fried in oil should also be limited as much as possible. "Fried foods are generally high in calories, and if you consume more calories than you burn, this promotes weight gain," says Dr. Banna.

In one study, it was found that consumption of fried food was associated with a higher risk of gaining weight or developing obesity. And another study from the British Medical Journal found that it was crucial for those who might be genetically predisposed to limit their consumption of fried foods.

3. Sugar substitutes

iStock Photos

According to registered dietitian Janet Coleman, RD with The Consumer Mag, sugar substitutes can be troubling when you're trying to shed some pounds, even though they're technically calorie-free.

"It's important to recognize that even though these substitutes have zero calories, they still cause an increase in blood glucose levels which can affect your ability to lose weight," says Coleman, "and research has shown that sugar substitutes can actually encourage weight gain due to their effect on insulin sensitivity."

4. Low-fiber foods

Shutterstock

"You should avoid foods that are low in fiber—like white bread, rice cakes, potato crisps, and other non-whole grain-based items—as they can contribute to weight gain in several ways," says registered dietitian Kara Landau, RD, gut health expert and founder at Uplift Food, "for example, soluble fiber slows gastric emptying, which keeps you feeling fuller for longer so you are less likely to overeat at your next meal.

Landau also notes a lesser-known type of fiber that is still crucial for weight loss, called resistant starch. "This type of fiber resists digestion as it travels along your gut, and upon reaching your large intestine, is fermented by the beneficial bacteria living there. This fermentation process releases byproducts which improve the body's insulin response, ultimately reducing fat stored around the waistline."

Source: Eatthis