Last Updated on July 23, 2017
We have the obvious food that many people had placed into the ‘sin’ category, namely the 5 Cs: Cookies, Candies, Cakes, Chocolates & Chips. But anyone who had lost weight and maintained it for a long time will tell you that it’s okay to indulge once a while.
Today, I will not talk about those but instead, about other food that sabotage our best efforts to lose that tummy. Watch the portions that you are taking very carefully:
1. Peanut Butter
Whatever type, be it chunky, smooth, with sugar or no added sugar, peanut butter is seriously very fattening. You only need to eat about 2 tablespoons of it daily and you will be gaining weight in no time, even though with vigorous exercise. There are times that I am eating just right for weight loss as recommended in certain books. I reduced my sugar and starch intake but replaced them with peanut butter. And the most is about 2 tablespoons per day, considering I had cut down sugar, rice and white bread. Even with rigorous exercise, I could not reduce my tummy. And when I stopped taking peanut butter, my tummy grew flatter. When women asked me why they could not lose weight despite trying very hard, I asked them if peanut butter is in their food list. The answer is normally yes.
2. Cheese
Cheese, found in burgers, cheesecakes- are high in calories. If you must take, small quantities once a few days- don’t take it everyday.
3. White bread & white rice.
These are high in Glycemic index and is known to trigger hunger easily. Many ladies I’ve known, especially those who have given birth, maintain their figure by literally cutting down on rice. In terms of caloric content, white bread vs whole grain bread, white rice vs Basmati rice may be almost similar. But the way the react in our bodies are different. Whole grain & Basmati rice (medium GI index) does not trigger a surge of blood sugar, followed by a drop due to over secretion of insulin that will cause food cravings.
4. Sweetened Drinks
Many people are not aware how much sugar sweetened drinks contains. Sometimes, people drink bottles of low fat yogurt drink, fruit juice, carbonated drinks and wondered why they could not lose weight when they cannot consume a lot. Ice blended moccas, lattes- are very fattening as the sugar and (from the whipped cream) contents rock the sky. Drinks that you buy with ice such as iced lemon tea and iced coffee would require lots of sugar to make the drink sweet. These are ’empty’ calories that are causing you to gain weight without knowing it. And don’t think about switching to sugar substitutes- studies have how linked sugar substitudes to multiple sclerosis (MS) and other degenerative diseases .
5. Salad Dressing
Especially mayo, tartar sauce & thousand island. If you are going to take salad with these type of dressing, you might as well choose other more satisfying food. Many people, who thought eating vegetables are not fattening, have no idea the calorie contents of the dressing. You just need to go to a supermarket and check out how many calorie content of those dressings.
I will never forget how I learned this lesson the hard way. A few years ago I was trying to lose weight to attend my friend’s wedding – and my colleague’s husband was selling salad. I ate that for one week and at the end the week- not only I did not manage to lose weight, I gained weight- and I could not wear the dress I wanted.
6. Wholemeal, wheatmeal biscuits and energy bars
Jacobs have a brand of wholemeal and wheatmeal biscuits with the health implications written all over the tin. Biscuits, no matter what type there are, are high in calorie content. A friend of mine loved Jacobs and she could eat 10 or more in a go. Because biscuits are generally not filling, we will tend to overeat in volume. As for energy bars, you can be looking at about 300 – 500 kcal per bar. Energy bars are suitable for those who are running a marathon or undergoing intensive exercise. But if you choose wisely, some chocolate flavoured energy bars with medium GI index are more filling than a normal chocolate bar. And btw, compared to eating chocolates, Snickers bar of the same volume actually make you feel full and satisfied quicker because of its lower Glycemic Index than chocolate bar.
7. Fried food, eg fried chicken, fish fillet, hash browns, fries.
Fried foods contains high fat content. This may not be immediately evident especially when the food is hot, crispy and yummy. Most of these food will leave a deep oil stain on tissues and paperbacks if you do not eat them after a while. Each time I tried to buy the frozen fried chicken at the supermarket, I always ended up putting down the packet when I see the calories content. It was just not worth it. And like sweet food, many people also tend to overeat on the fried ones.
