8 Foods Women Should NEVER Eat In Weight Loss Journey

It feels like the right time, so you’ve made a very important decision about your weight loss journey.

The next thing you will undoubtedly be wondering is how you should go about your weight loss journey.

The best way to approach sensible, healthy weight loss is to eat healthily, cut back on fatty and sugary foods, and consider daily exercise.

However, with supermarket shelves stocked with foods that promise to achieve the weight loss you want; it’s hard to determine which products will work for you and which won’t.

There are diet foods, low-fat foods, low-sugar foods, and more, but many don’t work and that’s why women like you fail to lose what they want to lose, piling on the pounds quickly because they soon give up.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the foods you should never eat for a weight loss journey and tell you why they won’t help you in your quest for a slim and trim body.

1. Table of Contents

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   Artificial Sweetener

If you feel like you’re making a big difference by adding artificial sweetener to your beverage, cereal, or fruit plate, think again.

First of all, these types of sweeteners aren’t all that safe in the weight loss journey (some might even be carcinogenic) and there’s a lot of research evidence showing that consuming sweeteners can actually lead to weight gain.

There are several animal studies showing that artificial sweeteners can trigger a craving for sweet foods.

It’s simple: When your brain thinks you’re eating something sweet and you’re not consuming the calories you want, it still craves sweetness, risking a vicious cycle.

See this Weight Loss Journey article for more details.

2. Popcorn

A big bucket of salty popcorn at the movies is no worse than eating an entire bag of oily potato chips.

In fact, many brands of popcorn are fattening and not the guilt-free snack you think.

Popcorn at the movies is full of oil and calories, loaded with salt (and sugar if you choose that option).

A box of sweet popcorn contains more than 1,200 calories and 60 g of fat, while a box of salty popcorn can contain 3 g of salt (that’s half the RDA for salt for an adult).

If you love popcorn (and who doesn’t?) and want to achieve your weight loss journey but want to eat it healthy, make it at home, without oil or with very low-fat oil, and skip the salt and sugar.

3. Protein Bars

So easy to take on the go, but a protein bar packed with nuts and dried fruit can be just as fattening (if not more) than a chocolate bar.

That’s because these bars are processed and packed with artificial ingredients and loaded with sugar.

If you really want one, check the ingredients.

If it’s over 200 calories and contains more than 8 grams of sugar, you’re screwing up your diet and your weight loss journey.

Skip it, go and buy an apple instead, at only 50 calories it will fit your waist much better!

4. Margarine

Most people on a diet immediately switch from butter to a margarine alternative, but this won’t help you at all.

Margarine is based on highly processed vegetable oils, such as palm oil and soybean oil.

These processed oils are fattening and unhealthy, so they’re not much different from whole butter.

Instead of margarine, why not try organic grass-fed butter and spread it very thin?

5. Fruit Yogurts

Even the ones labeled low-fat or low-calorie or even fat-free are not good for you. Why?

Well, it’s the problem with artificial sweeteners again, it just makes you crave sweeter foods and regular fruit yogurts are no different than choosing a fruity, fatty dessert.

Most of the calories come from added sugar and are simply not healthy (although yogurt conjures up images of good health).

Good alternatives to yogurt are Greek yogurt or natural yogurt, natural and to sweeten it, just add a handful of blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.

Now that won’t accumulate the fat.

6. Store-Bought Granola

It sounds healthy, looks healthy, and is often advertised as good for you, but store-bought granola is a no-no if you’re on a diet. Why?

Well, it’s full of sugar and preservatives, high in calories, and will definitely fill you up, but it’ll also likely add an extra layer to your thighs.

According to the US government dietary guidelines, granola must be labeled as a dessert because its sugar content is no different from that of a chocolate cake.

In 100g of berry granola, for example, you’ll find over 20g of sugar!

If you crave granola, why not make your own and achieve your weight loss journey?

7. Nuts

Reaching for a bag of raisins or currants, grabbing those banana chips, or stabbing dried mango may “feel” like a healthier option, but they’re all high in sugar and extremely caloric.

They’re also loaded with preservatives like sulfur dioxide, which is used to extend shelf life and isn’t good for you, especially when you’re on a diet.

Keep in mind that most trail mixes contain double or triple the sugar content of fresh fruit (that’s up to 70g of sugar per serving).

So keep the trail mix, instead chop up fresh fruit and perhaps serve it with a dollop of plain yogurt and a small handful of chopped almonds.

8. Hummus

If you think you’re having a healthy snack or appetizer for your main course, hummus with crudités, what better?

Well, hold on to the hummus!

While it’s made with chickpeas, it should be healthy, but store-bought hummus is usually made with salt and fat.

In fact, a campaign group called Cash tested 210 supermarket sauces and found that some brands of hummus contained more salt than four bags of salty potato chips.

Store-bought hummus contains tahini and olive oil, but many brands add toppings that increase the fat content.

A tablespoon of store-bought hummus contains about 1.4g of fat and 25 calories—sounds low, but when you keep dipping and licking, those 25 calories soon add up.

Just four crudités with a tablespoon of hummus equals 100 calories that you didn’t necessarily need.

You can avoid this calorie mistake by making your own, simply reduce the tahini to about 1 tablespoon and switch your oil to a low-fat alternative.

You can still enjoy hummus, but avoid the jars from the supermarket to disturb your weight loss journey.