What foods do I absolutly have to STAY AWAY from?

missmeagan89

What foods do I need to stay away from that are just full of fat, sodium or calories or that are just plain bad for you?
What foods do I need to stay away from to loose weight?
And lastly, What foods besides fruits and veggies will help me slim down, and not bulk up?
Any tips will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

millesun

NONE....its all about portion control...and staying under or at your calorie limit!

_Jessica_

Read the aritcle 20 foods you must eat written by army_cobra I have posted below....

** 20 foods you should be eating **
I came across this today and thought I would share it

Eating fats also helps fat loss: your body holds fat if you don’t eat fats. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym.

Lots of you struggle to get these foods. Sometimes because you’re too busy or sometimes because you just lack information. This list will help you — 20 super foods you need to build muscle & lose fat.


1. Whole Eggs. Cheap & rich source of protein: 7g/egg. The yolk contains most nutrients: half the protein, vitamins A/D/E and cholesterol to naturally increase your testosterone levels.

Don’t worry about cholesterol in eggs. Dietary cholesterol isn’t bound to blood cholesterol. Read this, this, this & this. If you have bad cholesterol, lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away.


2. Fish Oil. Reduces inflammation (joints/skin), lowers body fat and increases testosterone levels. You need 9000mg EPA/DHA per day. Since you’ll probably struggle to get that from eating fatty fish, consider a fish oil supplement.



3. Wild Salmon. One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids that also gets you 20g protein per 100g serving. Farm raised salmon is, however, omega-3 deficient: it’s corn/grain fed. Go with wild salmon.


4. Berries. Strong antioxidants that prevent cancer, heart & eye diseases. Any kind works: cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. Buy fresh or frozen berries and mix with oatmeal.


5. Yogurt. Contain bacteria that improve your gastrointestinal health. Don’t buy frozen yogurt or yogurt with added sugar and fruits at the bottom. Get plain low fat yogurt. Eat it with berries & flax seeds.


6. Flax Seeds. Source of fiber, protein & omega-3. Grind the flax seeds to get the most out of them. Take 1 tbsp with yogurt & berries before going to bed. Stay away from flax oil: it’s unstable and contains no fiber.


7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 70% monounsaturated fats that protect against heart diseases and cancer. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil to your salads. Buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil: it contains more polyphenols and tastes better.


8. Mixed Nuts. Contain mono- & polyunsaturated fats, proteins, fiber, vitamin E, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc. Mixed nuts are caloric dense, great if you’re a skinny guy who wants to gain weight.

Anything works: almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, … Peanut butter also works as long as you buy natural peanut butter without added salts/sugars.


9. Red Meat. Protein, vitamin B12, heme iron, zinc, creatine, carnosine and even omega-3 if you eat grass-fed beef. Eat steaks & hamburgers from top round or sirloin. Read Dr. Lonnie Lowery’s article on Meat.


10. Broccoli. High in cancer-fighting phytochemicals and anti-estrogenic indoles. Broccoli is also high in soluble fiber and low calorie, helping fat loss. Eat other cruciferous vegetables for a change: cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, kale, …


11. Spinach. One of the most alkaline foods. Spinach prevents muscle & bone loss, but also cancer and heart diseases because of its high nutrient profile. Try one of the spinach recipes I shared a while back.


12. Turkey. If you don’t believe saturated fat is good for you, try white turkey. The leanest beef has about 4.5g saturated fat/100g, while white turkey has close to 0g (that why it’s so dry). Eat turkey with spinach & quinoa.


13. Quinoa. South American “king of grains”. Quinoa is higher in fiber & protein than rice or oats, tastes a lot better and is gluten free. Buy the whiter grain, it’s better quality. Eat it post workout with meat & spinach.


14. Oats. Reduce cholesterol, provide you with low-gi carbs for energy, and high in soluble fiber. Try this post workout shake of whey & oats.


15. Tomatoes. High in lycopene, which prevents cancer. The lycopene in tomato paste is 4 times more bioavailable than in fresh tomatoes. Have pizza or pasta with tomato sauce & olive oil post strength training.


16. Oranges. Vitamin C to fight diseases, magnesium to lower blood pressure, anti-oxidant beta-carotenes, etc. Quit drinking processed orange juice which often has added sugars. Eat oranges or make your own orange juice.


17. Apples. Pectin in apples helps weight loss by increasing satiety. Apples are also the strongest antioxidiant after cranberries (eat the peels). Unfortunately apples are one of the most pesticide-contaminated fruits. Go organic.


18. Carrots. Their huge vitamin A content improves eye-health, especially night vision. Carrots are also rich in fiber, low calorie and taste good, even raw.


19. Water. Your body holds water if you don’t drink enough. Drinking prevents water retention, helps muscle recovery and prevents dehydration from strength training. Get a brita filter and drink 2 cups of water with each meal.


20. Green Tea. Strong antioxidant and natural diuretic. Green tea also speeds up fat loss, prevents cancer and improves blood sugar & circulation. Drink green tea in the morning instead of coffee. Real green tea, not the teabags.


Putting it All Together. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & fats every 3 hours. 2 cups water with each meal. Carbs post workout only. Junk food 10% of the time. Get stronger in the meanwhile and you’ll build muscle & lose fat.

gailygail99

i agree about portion control. get a food scale, I did, and it's the best thing that ever happened to me! i got mine on Amazon for like $25. you must read your nutrition labels. that is key!!!

mamagooskie

NONE....its all about portion control...and staying under or at your calorie limit!

Exactly this 100%

_Jessica_

Stay away from foods high in sodium like processed foods, tv dinners, and added table salt. Stay clear of soda. Otherwise it is eat anything IN MODERATION!!!! I eat hamburgers and grenchfirs, but not every day and not every week, and i make sure I log my food to know exactly if it is feasable with waht I have already eaten. But the only main thing to stay away from is sodium. it is just not good in so many ways.

taso42_DELETED

My take on it is this. There are no foods that are 100% off limits. You can eat anything. Just make let your "anything" meals only be 1 or 2 meals out of the week, and the rest of the time eat healthy.

Some categories to avoid avoid during the week: refined sugars, white breads, white rice, fatty meats, highly processed foods

Categories to eat from: lean proteins, complex carbs (such as whole grain breads, sweet potatoes, brown rice), veggies, healthy fats (olive oil, peanut butter, salmon)

maremare312

Fried foods and processed foods are probably on top of the list to avoid, but when you're counting calories and making good choices it's still important to have occasional treats. I really think the only foods you should never have are "trigger" foods, if there is something you know will trigger some kind of binge it's best to avoid it. But if you're craving some french fries sometime, go ahead and eat them, enjoy them, log them in and keep going.

Besides fruits and veggies, I would say to make sure to eat some good protein. I think a lot of women (and men too) don't realize how filling protein is. Eggs, lean chicken and turkey, and string cheese are all staples for me. Yogurt is also good! It's also important to get some fat into your diet, try to follow the guidelines in your food tracker and you should be good! Fat also provides satiety. One of my fave snacks/breakfasts is a banana with peanut butter. A medium sized banana with 1 tablespoon peanut butter is about 200 calories.

The best tip I think I ever received came from a dietician. She said that if you count 5 food groups (because there alre all different methods of counting food groups), but if you count~fruit, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and protein, that for every meal or snack try to eat from at least 3 food groups, and at least one of them should always be a fruit or vegetable. Remembering that reminds me to grab a piece of fruit lots of times rather than just eating an egg on a piece of toast, helps you get your fruits and veggies in, which keeps you full on less calories.

Hope that helps and is somewhat of what you were looking for!

dragonbug300

If you google any of those phrases, you'll come up with a billion answers with more information than what anyone here can give you.
Foods to steer clear of? Depends on what foods you're currently eating.
General rule: avoid processed foods. Candy, white bread, things with ingredients that you can't pronounce, things with corn syrup and HFCS, etc...
Besides fruits and veggies, there isn't a specific food that'll help you. It's everything in moderation.
Aim for complete carbs: whole wheat products, quinoa, wild rice, etc.
Complete protein: chicken, fish, lean beef, beans, nuts, etc.

Try to get in foods that are high in fiber and protein but low in sugar. Beans, nuts, and broccoli are some good examples.
Don't fall for gimmicks. They're often a waste of money and bad for your body.

amarie35

Stay away from processed & canned foods, when possible. They are full of sodium. Ramen noodles are REALLY bad for you. They have like 1000 mg or more of sodium per serving. Which happens to be only 1/2 the pack. Other than that, as long as you eat a serving size & stay under your calorie goal, you should be able to eat pretty much anything you want.

Good luck!

EricInArlington

MY favorite pizza place, because if I buy a pie from them I know I cant have just one slice which is around 550 calories. I could easily sit and eat 6 slices too, I just don't buy it. I goto Cici's and get their pizza it don't taste that great but, it does the job and its only around 130-140 a slice

missmeagan89

Thanks everyone for your answers! they really helped and I will use all of this useful information!

Jess21684

well, its not really about NOT being able to ever eat a certain food.. I think thats a bad thing to say to yourself, itll just make those "banned" foods harder to resist and lets be practical, we arent 100% perfect and sometimes we just will wanna have that "bad" food here and there, right?! its more about portion control so every now and then (not all the time) we can have those "treats" as long as we watch our portions and factor it into our calories, it should be a problem. of course we should know that processed, high in sugar, high in fat, and fried foods are considered the foods to most def try to stay away from. high in calories and real little to no real nutritional value to them most def want to eat lean protein ( chicken, fish, turkey) those kind of meats, whole wheat, vegatables, fruits etc... but its "okay" to have those more unhealthy things sparingly and every now and then. learning balance and portion control is most important so you DONT hafta "ban" your favorite foods

Rubie81

What great information.
I have heard that sugar is a huge no-no. But I just can't quit putting sugar in my coffee. Moderation is key.

maremare312

MY favorite pizza place, because if I buy a pie from them I know I cant have just one slice which is around 550 calories. I could easily sit and eat 6 slices too, I just don't buy it. I goto Cici's and get their pizza it don't taste that great but, it does the job and its only around 130-140 a slice

haha, this cracked me up! I just ate a gluten free bagel, and it wasn't great but it helped that bagel craving

gerria

Along with portion control, it's really important that you maintain a health Ph, as well as stable blood sugar levels.

Fat is where all your toxins are stored so, if your body's environment is toxic and too acidic, it will be very challenging to loose weight and keep it off.

Maintaining blood sugar levels are also very critical to weight management. If you are spiking your sugar levels to the point where your insulin production cannot keep up, then all that sugar in your blood stream will turn into FAT!

So, as far as foods, your best bet is to stick with whole foods... that means nothing out of a box or package... unless of course it's salad in a "box".

These two areas of your body's biochemistry are the keys to REAL weight loss and weight management... You will continue to play the diet and weight loss game if you don't bring some awareness into these areas.

Good luck!

wolf23

An easy way to remember is to shop 80% the perimeter of the grocery store bypassing the bakery and 20% the inside aisles.

Barelmy

None, you just need to eat less of them.

I do tend to avoid soft drinks and processed food, though.

aippolito1

I think being healthy is less about NOT eating certain things and more about eating more of other certain things. Such as... you can still have ice cream, just don't eat as MUCH and as OFTEN as you used to, and try substituting it for frozen yogurt (which is higher in protein, lower in sugar - as long as you go for the natural ones, and better for you).

Also, love the list a previous poster posted. Eat healthy fats, whole grains, more veggies, lean protein, etc. I haven't given up things I love, I've just incorporated healthier things into my diet. I had a few double cheeseburgers a few weeks ago. They were delicious but I don't crave them everyday like I used to. God, I can't even remember the last time I stepped INTO a McDonald's (been awhile but I chose something that fit into my day calorie-wise, either way).

The bottom line is, I eat healthier, I eat less of what I used to, and more of the things I know my body can really USE to allow me to function properly.

jessicamarie81

I agree with everyone...stay away from fried foods and processed foods at all costs. I was shocked to find out how much sodium is in Lean Cuisine meals and lunchmeat! And we all know what sodium does! I found it best to cook up my own chicken breasts and add those to pita bread and slash the sodium in half! Also I quit sodas, too much sugar and empty calories...water only now!
Good luck on your journey
I also believe in everything in moderation too!

mrsshazbat

NONE....its all about portion control...and staying under or at your calorie limit!

And this is the part I'm struggling with at the moment ...

Imthatg1rl

Eat what you like.... but don't drink your calories. You want to avoid empty calories... sugary drinks, sodas, etc...

mrsshazbat

Ah! That's interesting. I drink diet lemonade and the odd Diet Coke - although I have cut down a lot, but hadn't thought about that aspect of it although I do include them on my food diary. I drink a lot of water at work, just not at home.

LuckyLeprechaun

Once you start logging ALL of your food, you'll quickly see which foods blow your calorie budget and which ones fill you up for low calories. It takes about 2 weeks of adjustment, and then you have an encyclopedia of calorie and sodium values that will help guide your food choices for the rest of your life...

You can do this!

Some good rules of thumb I've used:
protein is your friend, yogurt, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, lean meats, eggs, etc.
sodium is lurking everywhere, it makes you retain water so avoid going over on it.
carbs are good, especially whole grains, but they don't keep you feeling as full as protein does. So I eat less of them.
Drink a lot of water, until your pee is light yellow. Good for your skin, digestion, you name it. calorie free too!

LemonCitron

Thanks so much for that list. I really need to buy some quinoa. I've never tried it before. Do you just eat it by itself? Or do you need to add anything for flavour?

IndigoFlowers

I've lost 26 pounds in 2 months.. I haven't stayed away from anything except for canned soup! I still drink diet pop (a MAXIMUM of 1 a day), I still eat pizza, french fries, pasta, cheese, bread... all that stuff, but I slowly keep introducing healthier replacements. I also use portion control. I know what fills me up and what doesn't, I've had a couple "cheat days" where I have gone out with my friends, but really, you have to find out what works for your body!
I recently tried Quinoa 2 weeks ago! And I love it! I normally mix it with some helluva good dip, throw it in a pan in the oven and sprinkle some cheese on it with some spices.