5 'healthy' foods that prevent your weight loss

Let me guess what you do the minute someone tells you that you look like you’ve gained a couple of pounds. You either go on a crash diet to the point of starving yourself; you hit the pool, the track and the gym; or you turn into a crazy calorie-counting freak, checking every little morsel of food to see how many calories it contains.

Of course, there is always a chance that you approach your weight-loss project rationally and try to eat only healthy foods and exercise regularly. However, be warned that some so-called healthy foods may actually prevent your weight loss.

1. Whole grain breads

The first thing many people do when trying to reduce calories from their diet is replace white bread with wholegrain bread or brown bread. What they don’t realise is that although wholegrain or brown bread has a lot of nutrition and a good amount of fibre, it is baked and hence, not very healthy.

So avoid all types of bread if you want to lose weight quickly.



2. Fruit juices

I know what you’re thinking now,

“Fruit juices prevent weight loss?”

Well, they do. Yes, they are nutritious, boost energy and contain vitamins. Sounds healthy, right? But they prevent weight loss because they are processed and don’t contain any fibre. All packed juices contain a certain amount of sugar and artificial flavouring, no matter what they claim and hence, they are not really pure anymore.



It takes almost six to seven oranges to make one glass of pure orange juice. Have you ever seen anyone eating six or seven oranges in one go? I’m sure you haven’t.

So if you want to lose weight, avoid fruit juices and eat fresh fruit instead.

3. Granola bars and cereals

Most granola bar fans swear by the product and can’t stop raving about the high fibre content and energy boost they get from consuming granola bars and cereals. But the fact is, these products are processed and hence, unhealthy. Substitute your granola bars and cereals with oat meal (not instant) which is not processed.



Add your favourite fruits to enhance the flavour and enjoy eating!

4. Sports drinks

I’m sure you’ve seen many a commercial showing athletes drinking sports drinks. As tempting as they seem, never ever go for them! They are targeted towards athletes who burn a lot of calories a day while a normal person works out for maximum an hour or so in a day (if at all).



5. ‘Organic’  junk food

It may be from an organic store and prepared from all-natural ingredients. But remember, junk food is junk! Organic junk food may be lower in calories but still has enough of them to slow down the weight loss process.



Still not convinced? Think of it this way, it’s like dabbing a tissue paper over a pizza slice before eating it; all it does is remove the excess oil from the top but the calories in the pizza are still intact. That’s all ‘organic’ junk food does.

So, what should you do to lose weight?

Firstly, avoid any kind of processed food even if it is labelled ‘healthy’, ‘sugar-free’ or ‘organic’. And secondly, try these tips:

• Add more raw vegetables and fresh fruits to your diet.


• Avoid food that contains starch.


• Drink lots of water, minimum eight glasses a day.

These tips will not only help you lose weight, you’ll end up feeling lighter, happier and more energetic! Give it a try and I guarantee you will definitely have a jump in your step.

This post originally appeared here.