10 Foods that Will Sabotage Your New Year’s Weight Loss Resolutions

If you are working on losing weight for the New Year, then you are among thousands who make this resolution. It’s a good choice to make because you can live a happier, more comfortable life when you are healthy. However, you may be sabotaging yourself without even knowing it. There are foods you may be consuming because you think they are good for you, but in reality, they may be keeping you from your weight loss resolutions.

1.  Diet Sodas

This is proof that just because something says “diet” on it doesn’t mean that it will help you lose weight. In fact, it could be doing just the opposite. “A recent study correlated metabolic syndrome with the frequent consumption of beverages sweetened with sucralose, aspartame, and saccharine [used in diet sodas]. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of abdominal fat, high cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar that has been definitely linked with heart disease and diabetes.” (Plodkowski, 2013)

2. Vegetable Spreads

Vegetable dips and spreads are common in restaurants and in grocery stores. However, these pre-packaged spreads contain oil and unhealthy fat. If you want spreads or dips, then make your own so that you will have complete control of the ingredients.

3. Wraps

If you make the wraps yourself, then they can be much healthier than a sandwich, but if you buy them, you could be making a mistake. Many commercial wraps are made from large flour wrappers and so much filling and dressing that you could be packing in 350 calories per wrap.

4. Smoothies

We have all heard how good for us smoothies can be, and made properly, they are healthy. However, you have to be careful before you buy one commercially. Many smoothies are made from high calorie fruits and fat ridden bases. If you drink a mango, orange and banana smoothie made in a commercial restaurant, you could be consuming as many calories as if you drank a chocolate milkshake. If you want to drink smoothies, you are better off making them at home.

5. Frozen Pasta Dinners

Frozen, pre-packaged pasta dinners made with chicken may sound healthy, but they may not be as good for you as you would like. In fact, many of those pre-packaged meals contain exorbitant amounts of sodium. You could end up taking in as much as twice the amount of sodium you should have in a day in one small meal. Watch out before you purchase these frozen pasta dinners and check their nutrition facts first.

6. Fat-Free Cottage Cheese

Be careful before you buy fat free cottage cheese as well. Some brands add salt to enhance the taste and this could result in one serving having as much sodium as two bags of potato chips.

7. Fruit Juice Cocktails

Just because something supposedly contains fruit juice doesn’t mean it is healthy. The word cocktail is actually a red flag, and many of these beverages have the same amount of sugar as soda. Instead, consider flavored seltzer, which will have no added sugar.

8.  Low Fat Ice Cream

This is another case of something saying “diet” on the label and being very deceptive. Many of the low-fat ice creams actually add sugar to make up for the lack in fat and you could be consuming as much as double the amount of sugar you would if you ate regular ice cream.

9. Baked Vegetable Chips

The idea of a vegetable crisp sure seems like it would be healthy, but you have to be very careful when you buy them. That’s because some of them contain as much fat as a bag of potato chips.

10. Greek Yogurt

In some ways, yogurt is extremely good for you because it is high in calcium and filled with good cultures. However, full-fat Greek yogurt can contain as much as 23 grams of fat and 300 calories in one little serving.

When you are working on losing weight for the New Year, make sure you aren’t sabotaging yourself. Some foods you may have thought were good for you are actually causing you a big problem. Make sure you are staying on track and making the healthiest choices for your foods so that you can enjoy better results.

Works Cited

Plodkowski, R. (2013, September 10). 5 Diet Foods that Sabotage Weight Loss. Retrieved December 9, 2013, from Scripps