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Getting That Summer Body: 7 Foods To Avoid To Lose Weight

Getting ready for summer can be tough. In the winter months, it is cold and all you want to do is wrap up warm and binge on your favorite comfort food, forgoing the gym.

There is temptation everywhere you look and at Christmas, it is even worse. Constant adverts for chocolate and fattening turkeys. Everybody at work, at school and friends and family, gives you food and treats. 

Then after Christmas comes a moment of strength as you vow to hit the gym and burn off those extra calories. 

But hitting the gym is hard work if you’re still gorging on fatty foods and sugary drinks because all you’re doing is keeping yourself afloat and burning off the excess fat rather than actually sliming down.

If you’re serious about getting that summer body, here are a list of foods to avoid to lose weight and a list of healthy foods. 

1. Chocolate 

It can be hard to resist sometimes, especially when you see a cheap offer in your local supermarket.

But did you know the cheaper the chocolate the worse it’s going to be for you since it has most likely been filled with extra sugar and has a lesser percentage of cocoa?

If you are going to have chocolate then opt for the more expensive brands like Lindt which is crafted by experts from Switzerland. Perhaps you can even save up all the money you would usually spend on chocolate over three to six years and spend it on the world’s most expensive chocolate tasting and tour.

This should also discourage you from buying it too often. You can afford an expensive bar as a treat – after the gym when your body needs glucose – once a month. Otherwise, it might be out of your price range for a weekly shop and will simply add to your calories. 

2.Fried Food 

Fast food restaurants are everywhere in the United States. From Wendy’s to McDonald’sM to KFC. You can’t walk from one block to another without being overcome by that intoxicating smell of fried chicken and freshly cooked fries. 

And this makes it the easiest thing in the world to stop by for a cheeky binge when you’re in a hurry or are just too tired and can’t be bothered to go home and cook. 

But fried food is one of the worst culprits. In just one month you can rocket in size. 

3. Yogurt 

There is a common misconception that yogurt is healthy food. But In fact, yogurt is full of sugar so that it doesn’t have a sour taste and to give it flavor.

If you are going to buy yogurt be sure to check the back of the packaging to check that it’s a natural yogurt with no sugar added in.   

And, regardless of the sugar content, since it can be quite fattening, only have it at breakfast once a week, alongside some fruit. 

4. Cereal 

Cereal is another breakfast it is best to avoid. Although many big brands like Kellogg’s market themselves as being the healthy option, in fact, their claims are often misleading. 

Cereals can contain a huge amount of added sugar. The problem is they seem like a simple solution for breakfast in the morning because they simply require milk poured over them. 

But this is a bad habit to get into. In fact, it is best to set time aside every morning to make sure you have a healthy breakfast.

This can involve preparing fruit for yourself or cooking yourself some oatmeal, topped with cinnamon. Or it can be as simple as making yourself scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast. 

If you don’t have time to cook yourself breakfast in the morning then set aside an hour a week to investigate which outlets near you offer the healthiest options for breakfast.

Is there a store which can make you sugar-free oatmeal or a bowl of fruit for you to pick up on your way to work? Get to know the people who work there, if you can explain that you are on a diet they can perhaps cater the food to your tastes and ensure that there is no added sugar or fat.

5. Caffeine and Sugar 

What makes a good nights sleep? Having a comfortable mattress from somewhere like The Mattress Nerd is a good first step. But so too is making sure what you eat and drink before you go to bed is going to make your head hit the pillow more easily. 

And the worst thing you can do is to gulp down a drink high in caffeine and sugar before you go to bed. 63% of Americans drink at least one cup of coffee a day. These are not on any list of healthy foods. But it can be hard to cut back on the caffeine.

First only drink coffee or tea in the morning and the afternoon, not in the hours before you go to bed. It’s best to attempt to slowly change your habits rather than going cold turkey as you can get headaches. 

If you like coffee reduce the amount you drink every day and try to drink weaker coffees with more milk rather than a black coffee. Do not put sugar in your coffee. 

Then try switching to black tea. Equally, if you like drinking copious amounts of black tea, slowly make the switch to green teas or flavorful ones like jasmine tea to avoid the need for sugar. 

Foods to Avoid to Lose Weight: Sugar, Fat, and Caffeine

The best way to get that summer body and lead a more healthy lifestyle is to make gradual changes to your diet. We know the foods we need to avoid to lose weight: sugar, fat, and caffeine. 

But trying to stop binging on fast food, quitting coffee and avoiding sugar all at once is too much of a mountain to climb. You’re bound to fail because you’ve taken out all of the fun in your food. This has got to be a slow process where you focus on cutting back on one thing at a time.

Start with caffeine, then go for the fatty foods and end with the hardest drug of all to quit: sugar. And be sure to cut back slowly, reducing your intake rather than going cold turkey with foods to avoid to lose weight.

If you’ve been inspired to lead a healthier lifestyle by this article be sure to share it on social media and see what your friends and family think.