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If You Cut Out Bad Carbs & Junk Food, How Fast Will You Lose Weight?

Jul 6, 2011 | By Maura Shenker
If You Cut Out Bad Carbs & Junk Food, How Fast Will You Lose Weight?
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Changing your diet to exclude empty calories and reducing calories will help you lose weight. Many people underestimate the number of calories they consume daily. Fast food bacon cheeseburgers can contain up to 800 calories; add fries and a soda and you've just consumed almost an entire day's worth of calories, fat and sodium in one meal. You can easily lose between 1 and 2 lbs. a week by replacing one fast food meal daily with a healthier alternative.

Calories and Weight Loss

It takes a 3,500-calorie deficit to lose 1 lb. of body fat. In other words, cutting 500 calories from your current daily diet will result in weight loss of about 1 lb. per week. One 20 oz. bottle of regular cola has about 240 calories -- just cutting out two sodas per day will help you lose almost 1 lb. a week. Drinks are often a hidden source of empty calories. Some flavored frozen coffee beverages can contain up to 500 calories each, with chocolate and caramel and whipped cream on top. If you can trim 1,000 calories from your daily diet, through a combination of diet and exercise, expect to lose up to 2 lbs. weekly. The fewer calories you eat, the more weight you will lose -- but only up to a certain point. Cut calories too much and you risk slowing your metabolism and stalling weight loss. Eat at least 1,200 calories daily.

Portion Control

Eating a small treat once in a while can be part of a healthy diet, but eating junk food every day can stall weight loss. Pay attention to portion control -- many small bags of chips and processed snacks seem as if they are single-serving size, but when you read the nutritional information on the label, are actually two or three servings. Glancing at the label, you may think you are getting only 150 calories of potato chips, but if there are three servings in that small bag, you've just eaten 450 calories -- and that little bag of chips was is the difference between losing weight -- or not. Every calorie counts.

Bad Carbs, Junk Food and Blood Sugar

The number of calories you eat is important, but so are the types of foods you choose. Carbs should account for between 45 and 65 percent of your diet. Sugar and starches are types of "bad" carbs that add calories with little nutritional value. Bad carbs don't make you feel full; they often leave you craving more sugar because they of the rapid spike and fall of blood sugar. When blood sugar is low, you're hungry and often crave sugar -- starting a negative cycle of eating empty calories for quick energy. Choose high-fiber, nutrient-dense carbs instead, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes, and you'll feel satisfied -- and less tempted to cheat and eat junk food.

Reaching Your Goal Weight

Losing weight takes time; set realistic weight loss goals of between 1 and 2 lbs. weekly. Cut out sugar and foods that quickly turn to sugar in your body, such as junk food, candy, sweets, soda and alcohol and it will be easier for you to reach a healthy weight. How fast you will lose weight depends on how much you currently weigh and how many calories you can cut from your daily diet. Avoiding the sodium, trans fat and saturated fat content in junk food will help you lose weight and may lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

References

Article reviewed by Elizabeth Ahders Last updated on: Jul 6, 2011

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