Which foods should i avoid when trying to lose weight?

It is a matter of what you eat and how much you eat. In addition, daily cardio exercise is excellent for weight loss. Do not eat past 2-3 hours before bedtime. Measure high carbohydrate foods like pasta and rice to get no more than half a cup. Eliminate sugars, sweets, desserts, or anything with sugar and all refined processed carbohydrates (just allow yourself a treat now and then).

Refined processed carbohydrates are a major cause of weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many other diet related diseases. For weight loss, eliminate them or strictly limit them (apart from the occasion treat). Replace refined processed carbohydrates with ‘fat burning’ foods, If you are unsure what these foods are, you will find a list of refined processed carbohydrates, and a list of fat burning foods, further down this page, under Sources and Related Links.

Avoid fruit juice; juice is loaded with calories and carbohydrates. Eat a low carbohydrate, quality protein, breakfast; this will stop you overeating later in the day. Eliminate sandwiches and burgers. Use mustard instead of mayonnaise. When eating out, look for color in sauces. Tomato based sauces will have almost no fat; white creamy sauces are loaded with fat. Use grains very sparingly; they are very high in carbohydrates. Drink at least eight, 8 oz. glasses of water a day. If you are able, do cardio exercise daily.

Eat five or six small meals per day. Keep a food dairy to track what you are eating. Drink lots of water. The benefits of water are tremendous. Cut out sodas they are loaded with sugars. Cut out even diet soda, they can cause water retention. Look out for ‘hidden sugar.’ For example, many protein bars are loaded with sugar. Eat turkey, fish, lean ground beef, lean steak, Boca burgers, grilled chicken, and load up with veggies or salad. Avoid the “no fat or low fat” dressings. They are loaded with sugar. Any weight loss diet is not an overnight diet but if you are consistent, you will establish good habits. In addition, you need to add exercise.

To lose body fat and keep it off, eliminate processed refined carbohydrates. Refined processed carbohydrates are very bad for health; they can also slow down metabolism. When digested all carbohydrates turn into sugar, and sugar becomes fat. Therefore, think of eating carbohydrates as eating sugar and think of eating refined processed carbohydrates as eating concentrated sugar. To increase your metabolism, allow yourself 20 to 60 grams of carbohydrates daily. Get those carbohydrates from natural sources such as fresh vegetables and fresh low carbohydrate fruits such as berries.

There is no minimum daily requirement for carbohydrates, but they do have beneficial phytochemicals and fiber so eating some is fine as long as they are unprocessed. Replace refined processed carbohydrates with ‘fat burning’ foods, and foods that speed up metabolism, and take full advantage of the thermic effect of these foods.

Eat a meal about every three waking hours (5 or 6 meals per day). You will not be eating more food; you will simply be spreading it throughout the day. Each of those five or six feedings should contain at least 15 grams of a fat burning food for a female or at least 20 grams per feeding for a male. This change will speed up your metabolism and help to curb any food cravings.

You can do more to boost your metabolism. For example, weight training will increase muscle. Muscle is your metabolic furnace that will burn extra energy (calories) 24 hours a day. Similarly, brisk walking (cardio exercise) will burn extra calories during and immediately after walks. If you are too heavy to exercise, begin with the correct fat burning foods. When you have lost enough weight to exercise comfortably, then add exercise to your program. (Before changing your physical habits, you may wish to obtain the blessing of your physician.)