10 Foods to Avoid if You're Trying to Lose Weight ...

With diabetes on the rise and nearly 2 billion people overweight, it is time to make a change in your life and avoid food that will cause weight gain. Two thirds of all Americans over age 20 are overweight. Nearly one third of all Americans over age 20 are obese. And worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. We can’t afford to be overweight and obese because we are ruining our health. Let’s learn how to do something about this now and make a change. Start with learning which foods make us fat. This can help you to avoid the foods that make you gain weight.

1 Artificial Sweeteners

When people turn to diet soda or diet foods to shed some pounds they are sadly mistaken. Because of the artificial sweeteners you can actually gain weight. These chemicals do nothing good for the body and can even cause weight gain. A study found that people who drank two or more diet sodas a day had six times the waistline compared to those who skip the diet soda. Research has also shown that NutraSweet, one of the most popular artificial sweeteners, leads to the same surge of insulin as white carbs because of sweetness detectors in the small intestine. This false blood sugar spike can cause weight gain so skip the fake sugars!

2 White Sugar

A sugar rush always feels good because your energy is boosted but this is temporary and then you have a large crash. And this is not good! White sugar is full of calories that sabotage healthy eating and the more you eat, the more sugar you will crave. And the world is filled with so many people addicted to white sugar. This probably adds to the rage and mood swings of many. When our blood sugars are high we are high, feeling great. When our blood sugar is low, we feel totally run down and exhausted and crave more sugar. It is like a drug addiction to our bodies. And sugar will make you gain weight. Sugar has no vitamins or minerals, just lots of fat-building calories. Watch out for hidden sugars!

3 Cheese

There are countless cheeses varying in the aging process, taste, calories and fat content but they all have one thing in common. Cheese contains a large amount of fat and is hard to digest. And poor digestion causes weight gain. Fat has nine calories per gram, protein and carbohydrates have only four. So skip or skimp or your cheese to slim down and shape up this year!

4 Gluten Free Food

Read the labels; they are full of starch and sugar. A study discovered that it was easy to eat too many slices of bread in one sitting. Too little fiber, too many carbs, and lack of nutrients are just a few of the problems with gluten-free products. Going gluten-free means you will be avoiding grains. And avoiding grains means that you will be getting less iron, calcium, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folate. Include these 7 gluten-free whole grains millet, quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, buckwheat, cornmeal whole grain (not corn starch), and oats.

5 Processed Foods

Loaded with calories and pretty much no nutrients, processed foods will cause you to gain weight. Diet microwave meals and frozen meals are high in sodium and calorie-rich fat to preserve flavor. Eating them causes you to retain water in your arms and legs, leaving you bloated and completely uncomfortable.

6 Processed Meats

Processed meats include lunch meats, deli meats, sausage, and hot dogs which are high in calories, fat, sodium and low in nutritional content. In fact the majority of calories in processed meat come from fat and most of this is saturated fat. Too much salt in your body leads to water retention and bloating. And no amount of processed meat is considered safe to eat, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. So skip the cold cuts, slim down and make more healthy food choices.

7 Fats and Oils

Fat and oils are fattening especially when they come as deep fried foods and baked goods. Fats and oils also contain 120 calories per tablespoon. Even olive oil has lots of calories even though it has significant health benefits. So skimp on the oils to stay slim and avoid weight gain.

8 Trans Fats

Trans fats are so damaging to your health! Tons of foods contain them but it's the amount that you need to consider. Frozen foods, "ready to eat" foods, and even most processed foods contain high amounts of trans fats which is a big no-no.

9 Refined Grains

Lots of people reach for white rice as a side because it's cheap and easy, however, that's not necessarily a good thing. White rice is bleached making it unnatural because it's extremely processed. If you want to choose rice, pick a whole grain or brown rice because it hasn't been altered.

10 Prepared Fruit Juices

Prepared fruit juices may seem like a healthier alternative to soda, however, they aren't. Even if they're labeled "100% fruit juice" they still contain high amounts of sugar because fruit has natural sugars. A single apple doesn't juice into a cup of apple juice so you're consuming more of the fruit serving than you actually need. Add the coloring and preservatives in there too and you could say fruit juice is pretty bad.

Now that you know the foods that can cause weight gain, steer clear of them and make the best choices for you and your body! You only have one life so make healthy choices to live it right!