Burning fat requires regular physical activity paired with a nutritional diet. A well-balanced diet consists of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Eating foods that fall into those groups will nourish your body with the essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids it needs to be healthy and function normally. Eating foods that do not fall into any of those groups, however, can sabotage your fat-loss goals. You can achieve your goals more quickly by knowing which foods you should never eat when trying to burn fat.
White Flour
White flour is a common ingredient in the average American's diet. It can be found in white bread, tortillas, pizza dough, pasta and most baked goods. White flour has been stripped of all its nutrients through a bleaching process. It is high in sugar and low in fiber. Due to its lack of fiber, white flour causes your blood sugar to spike rapidly when you eat it, causing your body to quickly convert that sugar into fat.
Sugar
Sugar is nothing but empty calories. It has no nutritional value and the only things your body can do with it are use it for a quick burst of energy or store it as fat. Sugar also contains significant calories, which means that a small amount can add up quickly. According to the American Heart Association, the average American adult eats roughly 22 teaspoonfuls of sugar a day, as opposed to the suggest limit of six teaspoonfuls for women and nine for men. Foods to avoid are soda, artificial juices, candy, cookies, pastries, cakes and sugary cereals.
Hydrogenated Oils
Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils are a common ingredient in processed peanut butter, pastries, margarine and mayonnaise. Many prepackaged foods contain hydrogenated and/or partially hydrogenated ingredients, so it's important to always check. Hydrogenated oils are vegetable oils that are turned into a solid through a process known as hydrogenation. Partially hydrogenated oils go through this same process but do not become completely solid. Hydrogenation changes the fat in the oils into trans fat, which according to the American Heart Association, raises your cholesterol and increases your risk for heart disease.
Fried Foods
Fried foods such as french fries, doughnuts, chicken wings and corn dogs are high in saturated fats. The American Heart Association suggests limiting your intake of saturated fats to 7 percent of the total amount of calories you eat each day. Your body can naturally produce all the saturated fat it needs. In addition to being high in saturated fats, fried foods are typically battered, which means more calories per serving. Burning fat and eating fried foods are not compatible.
References
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- American Heart Association: Frequently Asked Questions About Sugar
- Elmhurst College: Hydrogenation of Unsaturated Fats Trans Fat
- American Heart Association: Saturated Fats
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out With the Bad, in With the Good
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