‘Healthy’ Foods To Avoid For Losing Weight – Monica May
Nutrition is the most important thing when it comes to losing weight and getting fit.
However, even though I try to eat healthy most of the time, I usually make mistakes every now and then.
And I have no problem with cheat meals when I intentionally reach for the food I am not supposed to eat.
However, what I have a huge problem with is the food I thought was healthy and turned out it’s actually not.
This has happened to me so many times, mainly because most of these so-called healthy products are not as healthy as they sound.
And I know how frustrating it is to think you’re doing everything right, yet you are making these mistakes that just hold you back.
Usually feels like going one step forward, two steps back.
So, to make it easier for you, I listed 11 foods to avoid for losing weight.
Most of these foods are ones that I thought were healthy but as it turns out, they’re not.
So, let’s bust some foods to avoid and make sure we reach for a healthier substitute next time.
‘Healthy’ Foods To Avoid For Losing Weight
#1 Overripe Fruits
Bananas are so delicious, and I personally feel like they are an essential part of my diet.
They are a great source of many nutrients including potassium, magnesium, and B6, and they are an amazing source of healthy energy.
I love them from green to brown, however, it turns out the greener the better.
When it’s overripe, like most fruits, the banana loses its nutrients and turns into pure starch.
It’s far from a cheat meal, however, if you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle you might want to avoid it when ripe.
#2 Too Much Fruit
The next foods to avoid for weight loss are fruits.
Yes, it’s fruit. Yes, it’s natural and healthy.
However, sugar is still sugar, and too much of it on a daily basis can ruin your weight loss efforts.
That’s why studies recommend eating 2 servings of fruit per day.
In my nutrition guide The Hungry Fit Girl, I explain why you should be careful with how much fruit you consume on a daily basis.
It’s still better than eating a dessert, however, you’ll have to watch your portions for sure.
#3 Energy Bars
Even though they have this “all healthy and natural” packages, energy bars can be loaded with sugars and artificial sweeteners.
Some of them can be great for loading you up with energy for your upcoming workout, but I’ll choose a piece of fruit to do that for me every time.
#4 Multigrain Bread
Words like “multigrain,” “wheat,” and “8 grain” may sound healthy, however, that’s not the case 90% of the time.
Most loaves of bread labeled as multigrain actually contain refined grains too.
So, make sure to read the label and make sure your bread is clean before reaching out for a multigrain bread.
#5 Instant oatmeal
Instant oatmeal has to be on the list of foods to avoid for losing weight, for one main reason:
The packages scream healthy, sugar-free, and gluten-free.
However, don’t judge a book by its cover, because instant oatmeals are not the way to go if you want to have a healthy and balanced breakfast.
They are overprocessed and flavored with more sugar and sodium than regular rolled or steel-cut oats.
So, make sure to get your own whole rolled oats, and flavor them yourself with fresh fruits and clean nut butter.
It’s way healthier and a better option when it comes to maintaining a balanced life.
You can find plenty of recipes in my meal plan Burn Baby Burn.
Also, check out how I do my favorite healthy breakfast recipe in my morning routine video.
#6 Couscous
I’m so sorry to break this one up for all of you couscous lovers out there, but couscous is really just a tiny pasta.
Meaning, it’s refined grain pretty similar in nutrients to white pasta.
So if you really love couscous, make sure to look for whole-wheat couscous, or just switch it up for a healthier whole grain like quinoa.
#7 Dried Fruits
Of course, fruit by itself is healthy.
However, when it comes to the dried versions, not that much.
Once dried, it not only shrinks in size, but it’s concentrated with sweetness making it more likely for people to eat more of it.
Not to mention the fact that it’s really hard to find unsweetened dried fruit on the market.
#8 Fruit Juice
But why?
Well, for starters, liquids are easily digestible and they are processed by our body within a minute. This means that the sugars kick in faster then if the body has to process them itself.
This way our body barely burns calories for chewing and digestion.
This would be perfect if you’re looking for a fast way to energize right before your workout, but if you are in the game for weight loss AVOID FRUIT JUICE for good!
Not to mention the fact that when you drink an 8-ounce glass of (let’s say) orange juice, you’re consuming the juice of four medium-sized oranges in literally seconds.
Compare this to how long it would take to eat four oranges, and you can quickly see how eating the fruit in its whole form is always a better idea.
#9 Maple Syrup
Maple, agave, honey… you may think they are healthy but they are basically a substitute for sugar.
They may be a better option than white sugar, however, this doesn’t change the fact that they are still loaded with sugar.
So, yes, you should avoid fast-digesting sugars as much as you can if you want to make the best out of your weight loss.
#10 Granola
Yes, granola oats have “healthy-looking” packages and actually deliver impressive nutrients.
But along with these benefits, granola can be very high in calories, oils and fats you don’t need.
Also, in order to stick the grains together, they usually use sugars and sweeteners that have healthy-sounding names but are still unhealthy.
So, unless you make your own homemade granola, make sure to avoid it.
#11 Instant Soup
Homemade soups may be a great way to flush out and just have a healthy “detox” every now and then.
However, this is not the case with packed instant soups, as they are not a healthy option at all.
Packaged soups do not carry half as many health benefits of natural soup simply because nutrition cannot be stored for such a long time.
Besides, all the preservatives used to improve the shelf life of these perishable goods destroy the antioxidant qualities of the vegetables, adding up on sodium and carbs.
So, make sure to cook your soups at home, or don’t have them at all.
You can also try bone broths
They are so popular nowadays, and there’s a good reason why – bone broths are loaded with proteins and nutrients, that will help you get fit and healthy.
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Foods To Avoid For Weight Loss
I hope I helped in learning a bit more about nutrition and the foods to avoid for losing weight.
Let me know if you ever reached out for one or more of these ‘healthy’ foods, by commenting in the section below.
You can learn everything about nutrition in my nutrition guide The Hungry Fit Girl.
And don’t forget to share this with your friends.
Hugs,
Monica
Love your blog!
Great article there. I learned new tips. Thank you!
Hi there! I like this article, thankyou for inspiring other s on youre own way!
i didnt know about the banana thing. thanks for sharing.
Love this blog, very informative. It can help anyone who have a problem in their health.
This is great article! This might help you in loosing weight!
This is so helpful, will follow these tips. Thanks for this blog :)
I wouldn’t say those foods are unhealthy. I eat most of the foods you have listed here on a daily basis and (suprise!) That doesn’t change my weight (and I don’t even work out). How could bananas (even overriped) be ever unhealthy??? Or maple syrup. We also need sugary things in moderation (and it’s ok if they’re not totally “natural”), out brain runs on glucose. And bread. People have been eating bread for centuries, and yes, I get it that before the bread was “wholegrain” but in today’s world it’s time-consuming, inconvenient or even not possible in some situations to only get the “natural” version of foods. And take an overrall look. What do a bit of “refined grains” extra or less actually DO to your body? You’ll say :”it’s healthy, more nutrients, more fiber, etc” but I say :”nothing will happen”. You can eat it on a daily basis in moderation and still lose weight and also be healthy. It’s all about the quantity. Of course, no one says to eat only unhealthy foods. And this probably also applies to most of the foods listed here. I, for example, am eating all those “forbidden” foods and I am slim and healthy. On the other side, a few years ago, I wanted to get “healthy” so I ditched all the “unhealthy” carbs in my diet (like most types of bread/pasta/rice, I only ate them if they were “brown”) and also almost all sources of sugar and guess what, my period went MIA. When I started eating those again, it came back( after a few months, not really immediately).
What I also want to emphasize here is that the “problem” you wanted to point out with those foods is that they only CONTAIN MORE CALORIES than other (oops!) not that they’re unhealthy. If you gain weight from those foods it’s because you ate too much of them, not because they don’t contain nutrients and other such stuff. Nowadays, “unhealthy” is often confused with “calorie-dense”
Louise,
I get your point. These foods may not do that much of a change if you eat them every now and then.
The problem is when consuming them on a daily basis.
Also (sadly) not everyone maintains a healthy weight, the way you do.
You may not have problems with your weight even if you consume them on a daily basis. However, for some of us, it is super hard to shed those last few inches around the waist, and avoiding these foods will help for sure.
I know that avoiding them helped me lose those last few pounds that were bothering me.
Also, I try to advise girls on how to eat healthy. And highly processed foods are not healthy by any means. Period.
They may not affect your weight, but they affect my weight for sure. That’s because we are all different.
And for girls that have problems in maintaining a healthy weight, try everything and still can’t seem to lose weight, avoiding these foods helps in the whole process.
And last, I believe in healthy food.
The thing is, we are all different, with different metabolism and genetics. However, healthy food is healthy for everyone, and unhealthy food is unhealthy for everyone. And that’s a fact.
It’s the same as if you try to tell a vegan that eating meat every now and then (or every day) won’t do that much harm to them.
I am a nutritionist and I believe in healthy food. And I know for a fact that junk food is not healthy for your body. Not carbs in general, but highly processed foods.
That’s why I point out foods that are not that healthy, and are highly processed, in order to help girls that want to try their very best in getting healthy.
Best,
Monica
Thanks for the explanation! I liked that example with the vegans:) I understand your point;))
No problem babe :)
And, thanks for stopping by and going through my articles in the first place – it means a lot to me <3
Keep it up!
Hugs,
Monica