Six Food Traps That Can Sabotage Your Diet By Bruno At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

If you are trying to lose weight, or want to maintain your weight, then you need to know all the facts about the food that you eat. Some foods are promoted 'healthy' or are considered staple food for dieters. However on closer inspection, these foods can have an adverse effect on your weight loss program.

1. 'Low Fat' foods.

For a food to carry the label of 'low fat' it should contain around one quarter less fat than the original food. This sounds good. But the reality is that usually, the original food is high in fat to begin with. In this case, even with a 25% reduction of fat, you may still be taking in many more calories than you think. The trick here, is not to be swayed by the 'low fat' label. Instead, read the whole label and look for the overall fat content of the food. You may even find it more satisfying and tasty to eat a smaller portion of the original food rather than the larger portion of the low fat food.

2. Yogurt.

This is a dieters staple food. But beware! Many brands of yogurt are sweetened with added sugars. Again, the only way to ensure that you are eating a low fat, low calorie yogurt is to check the labels for fat, calorie and sugar content. Also check if it is made from semi-skimmed or full fat milk. A yogurt with no more than 3% fat and low sugar content is a safe bet. If it tastes too bitter, try adding some fresh fruit to sweeten it.

3. Pre-Prepared Salads.

You may think you are doing yourself a favor when you opt for a pre-packed salad for lunch, but again, these can often be packed with invisible calories. Check for toppings and any dressing that is used in the salad. Avoid salads that contain sweet corn or potatoes. Look at the label for diet friendly vegetables with a high water content, such as cucumber, tomatoes and celery. If you have a topping, choose one with a high protein content. If the salad comes with a dressing sachet, then try and eat your salad without it.

4. Nuts

Nuts are a well known health food. But if you are trying to lose weight, you should look for an alternative source of the protein that they provide. Nuts are very high in fat, but reading the labels will tell you which nuts are the worse offenders. Try swapping macadamia nuts for almonds which have less fat content. Again, becoming an avid label reader will allow you to make an informed choice.

5. Processed Cereals

Try and swap your processed cereals for oatmeal sweetened with honey or berries. Processed cereals may seem to be low in fat, but by checking the label, you can often see that they have a very high sugar content. Oatmeal made with skimmed milk, may seem to contain more fat, but it will keep you satisfied for longer, and help you avoid the mid morning munchies.

6. Coffee

Yes, the dieters staple of a black coffee could be sabotaging your efforts to lose weight! The problem is that being a stimulant, coffee releases adrenaline, which can trigger your body to expect more food. If you do not eat soon after a cup of coffee, then your adrenaline levels go down, your blood sugar level will drop, and you will often feel very hungry. However you do not have to give up your morning cup of coffee, but you should always have your coffee with your breakfast and not instead of breakfast. One or two cups of coffee a day should not have any adverse effect, and drinking water as well as your coffee has be found to help stave off the hunger in some cases.

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