No Junk Food & Weight Loss

Choosing a diet plan to lose weight can seem complicated, but cutting out junk food can be a simple and effective approach for cutting your calories. Choose low-calorie, nutritious foods instead of high-calorie junk foods to lose weight and develop healthy eating habits to maintain your weight loss. Eat a balanced diet to get the nutrients you need as you lose weight.

Basic Principles

If you normally eat junk food, you may lose weight when you stop eating it because it is high in calories. You will lose weight when you consume fewer calories than the calories you expend, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Junk food may be high in calories from unhealthy sources such as added sugars or starches, which each provide 4 calories per gram, or from saturated fats, which provide 9 calories per gram.

Foods

A diet without junk food excludes foods which are high in these ingredients, such as baked desserts; fried foods; salty, processed snacks; and fatty meats such as ribs. Many kinds of fast food, such as burgers, French fries and pizza, are junk food. Other possible sources of junk food are vending machines or convenience stores, with candy bars and high-fat, salty snacks; and grocery stores, which may sell frozen meals, packaged snacks, bakery goods and fatty deli meats and cheeses. Cutting out the calories from these foods can help you lose weight.

Other Potential Benefits

If you are overweight, your cholesterol levels may drop when you lose weight, according to MayoClinic.com. Your cholesterol levels may drop even more when your weight loss diet excludes junk food because of a lower intake of cholesterol-raising saturated fat, such as from fatty meats and desserts, and trans fats from fried foods. Your intake of healthy nutrients, such as dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, may increase when you choose healthy alternatives such as beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.

Considerations

You will not lose weight if you eat too many calories from any source, even if your calories come from nutrient-dense foods and not from junk food. If you have eliminated junk food and you are still not meeting your weight loss goals, take a look at your diet. Possible sources of extra calories may be larger portions than you need of high-calorie foods such as oils, nuts or grains. A nutritionist can analyze your diet and suggest healthy modifications to reduce your calorie intake.