Some healthy choices may actually make you gain weight, says Rhea Dhanbhoora
Do you replace sugar with honey and stay as far away from snacking as you can? Sometimes, the healthy food you pick as well as your “good eating habits” could do more harm to your waist than good. Take a look at what diet sins you may be committing:
Skipping snacks
We assume you’re also eating less because of it. However, this means you’re getting hungry and overeating at your next meal. Or starving yourself. Both of which are really bad options. We suggest snacking on a few nuts or carrot sticks when hunger strikes.
Sugar-free cookies & cakes
Sugar-free and fat-free varieties of food not only make you want to eat more than you set out to (which means you’re not actually saving on calories), they’re also not very healthy. Instead of going sugar-free, have a limited amount of a normal cookie or one slice of cake on occasion.
Margarine
Although there’s no conclusive evidence to suggest that margarine is actually that bad, we suggest sticking to butter because margarine can also lower your good cholesterol and contains more trans fats.
Lots of dry fruit
We know nuts are good to snack on, but instead of dry fruit, we suggest you pick the fresh variety. Dry fruits have up to eight times more calories than fresh fruits as they are dehydrated; making them denser and filled with more calories. And, if they’ve been artificially sweetened before packaging, the sugar content will add to your calorie count as well.
Granola bars
Unless you’re making them at home and staying away from any type of sugar or oil, granola bars can lead to weight gain. Instead, eat wheat cereal or something that’s lighter and not loaded with sugar.
Drinking juice
Big diet mistake. Just eat the fruit instead. Fruit juices do not help you lose weight and usually contain a lot of sugar. Even if you comfort yourself by opting for juice without sugar, it’s still going to add to the calories in your diet. We suggest you limit your intake.
Flavoured yogurt
You’re getting the same deal here as you do with fruit juices. Especially since yogurt is so light that you can eat more than one cup of it a day. We suggest that you reduce your consumption of sugars and processed fruits and opt for plain yogurt instead. You can add fresh fruits to make it more interesting.
Honey
A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that honey is healthier as well as lower in calories than sugar. Honey in fact, has very little nutritional value and the calorie content is the same as sugar.
Olive oil In everything
Olive oil is good for your health, but it is by no means less fattening than other types of oil or butter. So, avoid using it for everything. And also, avoid using it while cooking your food.