20 Foods to Avoid for Weight Loss

Everything you eat directly impacts your weight – low-calorie foods will help you to lose weight or, in the case of high-calorie foods, make you gain weight.

If you are trying to lose weight and want to know which foods to avoid, read on to find out what foods to avoid in your regular diet plan and how you can bring about simple positive changes to a healthy weight.

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What Not to Eat for Weight Loss?

Eating unhealthy, high-calorie foods, especially processed foods, foods that are ready to eat, and foods that are high in sodium, fat, sugar, or starch content, are usually the culprits that contribute to your weight gain. 

If you regularly exercise but have foods that are high in calories, it can be an impediment to losing weight. As a result, you may not see any positive benefits from your exercise while still on a diet loaded with high calories.   

Here is a list of foods high in calories to avoid when you are on a weight loss journey:

1. Bakery Products

• Foods that are made using maida, also known as white flour or refined flour, are high in calorie and carbohydrate content.
• However, most often, these do not have any nutritional value as they are low in fiber, protein, and other nutrient content. 
• While white bread may make you feel full, it is not nutritionally rich, and chances are you are only filling yourself up with calories. 

Most baked items might contain varying amounts of trans-fat content. Eating foods that are relatively high in trans fat can make you gain weight, as well as increase your risk of higher cholesterol levels, heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and other cardiovascular diseases. 

2. Chips

• According to some studies, consuming potato chips may actually lead to more weight gain in each serving, as compared to any other type of food. 
• Eating fried food makes it difficult to maintain a healthy weight and makes your weight loss journey more difficult. 
• As compared to those who have less fried food, people who consume more fried food on a regular basis tend to put on more weight. 

3. White pasta

• White pasta is made using maida, also known as white flour or refined flour.
• This is high in its calorie and carbohydrate content but does not have any nutritional value.
• Also, white pasta is low in fiber, protein, and other nutrient content, which means that it is not doing you any good in terms of health benefits. 

4. Fruit juice or desi beverages 

• Fruit juices or traditionally made desi beverages like sugarcane juice, aam panna, kokum juice, rooh afza, etc
• Ready-to-drink fruit juices may be marketed as containing real fruits and other healthy ingredients.
• But in reality, they tend to have sugar in them with little to no fruit, mostly flavoring agents.
• When you consume these sugary drinks, you only add calories to your body without feeling full.
• According to studies, there is a direct relation between the intake of sugary beverages and weight gain.

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5. Maida or refined flour

• Maida products such as pasta, puris, namkeens, farsan, sweet, bakery items, vadas, bhaturey, etc
• Consuming refined flour on a regular basis may increase fluctuations in your blood glucose levels and, as a result, make you feel hungry and eat at odd hours.
• Often, eating maida can also lead to sudden sweet cravings, where your body craves more calories.  

6. Sports & soft drinks

• Sports drinks contain very high amounts of sugar.
• When you drink these, you add more calories to your body without any real nutrients, and as a result, you do not feel full.
• Because of this, your hunger is not satiated, and you will often need to eat more, thus making you eat more than your body needs. This is often a cause of weight gain. 

7. Alcohol

• Alcoholic beverages have high-calorie content and usually contain a lot of sugar.
• Studies have shown a direct relationship between alcohol consumption and weight gain over some time.  
• A small bottle of beer contains between 140 and 180 calories, a glass of wine may contain about 120 calories, a glass of sweet wine may contain about 165 calories, one shot of whiskey may contain about 97 calories, and so on. 

If you like a sip of something strong now and then, a good idea would be to limit your alcohol intake as much as you can, especially if you cannot or do not want to give it up completely.

Allowances or permissible amounts of alcohol for each person will vary depending on various factors such as current weight, overall health, age, gender, and current metabolic condition.

Please speak to a doctor and nutritionist to understand how much alcohol consumption is permissible for you.

8. French fries 

• French fries and a great bar munchie go perfectly with any party menu.
• But while having potatoes in moderation may be alright, French fries are a sure-shot culprit in your weight loss journey.
• One of the biggest reasons you should stay away from French fries is that having too many of them is just too easy.
• French fries are very high in their calorie content and are also high in trans fat. Both these factors can directly lead to weight gain. 

9. Red meats

• While red meats are loaded with protein, they are also very high in iron content.
• When consumed in excess, the iron content in red meats can lead to significant weight gain over some time.
• These can also increase your cholesterol levels, leading to the potential risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases. 

10. Chocolates

• Most chocolate bars, no matter how small the packaging, are loaded with added sugars, refined flour, added oils, and more.
• These are very high in their calorie content but have almost no nutritional value.

If you regularly find yourself craving chocolates, keep a box of raisins or dates with you and munch on them when the sweet craving hits. 

11. Cookies, biscuits and cakes

• Cookies, cakes, and pastries are loaded with added sugar, refined flour, and more culprits that will make you gain weight and derail your weight loss efforts.
• Most of these are also they may contain varied amounts of trans-fat content, which may lead to weight gain as well as cause high levels of cholesterol, lead to heart diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and more.
• As these are of no nutritional value and are packed with empty calories, chances are you will feel a hunger rush very soon after consuming them, causing you to eat more than you really need to. 

12. Pizza & sandwiches

• Most of us reach out for a pizza, whether alone, lazy to cook, with friends, or simply in party mode.
• But each time you bite into a pizza, chances are you gain some more on the weighing scale.
• Pizzas are especially high in their calorie content and contain very harmful ingredients such as refined flour, cheese, processed meats, and so on.

Go for homemade pizza or healthier and leaner pizza options from stores that are more health-conscious. 

13. Ice cream, kulfis, and mithai 

• Loaded with sugar and high amounts of calories, these are extremely unhealthy, especially if you are trying to lose weight.
• It is fine if you have it sparingly, but in most cases, people tend to have larger quantities of all these items in one go, making it especially unhealthy.

Make your own at home using fresh fruits, whole grains, nuts, and yogurt. Or if you want to buy from a store, look for brands that use real fruits and less sugar or sugar alternatives. 

14. Milk beverages 

• This covers beverages such as coffees, shakes, teas, Amul Cool, lassi, etc
• Black coffee contains caffeine that can boost your metabolism and aid in burning fat from the body.
• However, if you are in the habit of having creamy or sugary varieties of coffee, it will do you more harm than good.
• The creamy and sugary types of coffee have a high amount of artificial cream and sugar, which negates the otherwise positive metabolic impact it can have. 
• If you love your coffee and are also trying to lose weight, try to have black coffee. Or, if you really want to add milk, try to use low-fat or skimmed milk instead of the creamier and fatty versions.
• Avoid adding more ingredients to your coffee, such as milk, creamer, or sugar.  

15. Unhealthy salad dressings

• Many salad dressings that you buy from the store may have trans fat and calories that will actually make you gain weight.
• Even if you prepare a healthy and fresh salad, adding these dressings could rule out the positive health benefits you can get from your fresh veggies.
• Pre-made salad dressings may have fat, sugar, and sodium content.
• Instead of regular mayonnaise, go for light or low-fat mayonnaise or mustard. 

Try to make your healthy salad dressings at home, using low-fat, low-sodium, and healthier alternatives.

16. Sev, Bhujia, or Farsan

• Yet another mistake that most people tend to make is to add a handful of farsan to their meals, such as poha, upma, or sevaiya.
• These are high in calories and fat content and are a potential disaster for your weight loss journey.

17. Bhajia, samosa and vada

• If you love your drinks or your snack time, chances are you have reached out for the super delicious and addictive plate of fried foods.
• Onion rings, onion bhaji, or pyaz ke pakode are a storehouse of calories and will make you gain weight pretty fast, especially if you have a sedentary lifestyle or do not exercise on a regular basis. 

18. Butter

• Butter has about 102 calories in 1 tablespoon.
• While it is alright to have butter once in a while, unless your doctor has asked you to stay away from it completely, having butter regularly will harm your overall health.
• Consuming butter can not only make you gain weight, but it can also shoot up your cholesterol levels and lead to various heart and cardiovascular diseases. 

Instead of using butter, go for ghee or clarified butter instead, in moderation.

19. Cheese

• While eating cheese does have certain health benefits, it is not a very good food choice when you are trying to lose weight.
• Cheese is high in fat as well as calorie content, and if you eat it regularly, it can definitely lead to weight gain and make it difficult for you to lose weight.

20. Breakfast cereals

• Many cereal contain a high amount of added sugars, are made out of processed grains, and contain a large number of calories.
• While they may promise to do so, there is no guarantee that they are actually good for your weight loss journey.
• If you want to have breakfast cereal, make sure to read the ingredient list carefully. 

Simple tips to reduce high-calorie food intake:

Planning your meals and making a conscious choice about what you are eating can help you reduce those calories as well as shed some kilos.

Try out these simple yet very effective tips that can help you stay off high-calorie foods:

1. Read the label carefully

• When you are shopping for groceries, read the labels carefully and see the ingredient and nutritional value list that is provided on the food packaging.
• Limit buying foods that are high in sodium, fat, sugar, or starch content. 
• In most cases, foods that are high in calories will give a calorie count of about 225 calories per 100 grams on the label. 

2. Avoid processed foods as much as possible

• The less food has been processed, the higher its nutritional content.
• Processed foods may be easy to cook or eat, but you are really not getting any value out of them. Also, these usually tend to have extra sodium, which is especially bad for overall health and weight loss.

3. Lean is better

• If you love your meats, go for the lean variety, as these have less fat and calories and are better for your overall weight loss too.
• For instance, instead of going for regular chicken, go for lean chicken cuts such as lean breast pieces or lean thigh pieces. 
• Also, when buying chicken or fish, go for skinless chicken or white fish, as these are healthier alternatives. 

FitterTake

When you are trying to lose weight, it is important that you keep an eye on what you are eating and what nutritional value it has. Remember, the quality of the food is just as important as the quantity you have. 

If you notice any discomfort or issues after making any dietary changes, make sure to speak to your doctor and weight management program team to understand your nutritional requirements and follow the same.

If you are also considering losing weight but are finding it difficult to achieve it, do not worry; our team of industry experts at Fitterfly can help you. Our Fitterfly Weight Loss program has been designed just for that. To learn more, simply give us a missed call at 08046807733, and we will reach out to you.