According to experts, it is recommended that you eat a little of everything to be able to get your recommended daily nutrients. When it comes to weight loss, healthy eating is highly recommended. For weight loss to be effective, you need to reduce the number of calories you take in.  Here are some of the things to avoid to lose weight.

Things to Cut Out of Your Diet to Lose Weight

1.    Snacks High In Carbs

Whenever you consume crackers, bread, dry cereals and rice cakes or any other carb-rich snacks, the body converts the carbs into simple sugars. These are then absorbed into your bloodstream. Because of this sugar rush, the body produces insulin to help in absorbing these sugars. When this happens, you are left with low blood sugar which causes hunger pangs that make you overeat. You will probably end up eating high sugar snacks that offer very little or no nutritional value. The binge eating leads to weight gain and is counterproductive to your weight loss agenda. 

What to eat:  instead of eating snacks that are low in nutrients and high in carbs, you can look for snacks that offer you a blend of carbs, protein, and healthy fats. These take a longer time to digest and will, therefore, make you fuller for longer. Some examples of healthy snacks include a slice of bread with peanut butter spread as well as whole grain crackers combined with low-fat cheese.

2.    Meals That Have Been Frozen

When food is being manufactured, they are induced with high amounts of sodium which is a natural preservative. This is what makes food stay longer in your freezer before going bad. When you eat these frozen foods, your body retains water since sodium causes water retention. This makes you feel bloated. While some frozen foods are termed as healthy, it is worth noting that these foods may contain a lot of calories. Therefore, your mind will trick you into thinking you are eating very little, but in essence you're taking in too many calories from a small tub of frozen food.

What to eat: try and warm your foods before eating them. Also, avoid buying ready to eat foods. When you make your own meals, you can ensure that it is balanced and nutritious.

3.    Snack Bars Rich in Fiber

It may come as a surprise that snack bars fall amongst the things to cut out of your diet to lose weight. Every time you read guides on weight loss, most of them insist on the need for high fiber foods. While fibers are important, you need to avoid getting them from fiber snack bars. This is because when you indulge in snack bars, you may end up taking two or three a day. One fiber bar is enough to give you your day’s dose of fiber. Eating too many snack bars can again be counterproductive to your weight loss goals.

What to eat: replace your snack bars with natural produce rich in fiber. Fruits and vegetables come highly recommended. You can pick different fruits and vegetable salads to be your daily snacks. These will give you your daily dose of fiber.

4. ‘Low Fat’ Foods

This may also come as a surprise, but according to research, people tend to eat more than 30% more of any product that claims to be low in fat. Apart from overeating, these low-fat foods often contain a lot of added sugar. This is added during manufacturing to compensate for the flavors that are lost when the fat is removed. Artificial sugars lead to weight gain.

What to eat: you can eat healthy fats but in moderation. Try a blend of vegetables with sources of monounsaturated fats like guacamole. Olive oil is also a good source of healthy fats. Omega 3 fats are also recommended and can be sourced from flaxseed or salmon. You can get polyunsaturated oils from walnuts and canola oil.

5.   Juices

You need a few oranges to be able to make a glass of orange juice. When you take orange juice, you consume calories and a few nutrients without the fiber which is found in the orange flesh. This means that you do not feel full and this can lead to overeating. The sugar spike your body experiences can also cause you to develop diabetes and insulin resistance.

What to drink: when you are eating healthy, balanced meals, you do not need to take fruit juice for nutrition. Therefore, focus more on drinking water. Unsweetened coffee and tea also a good idea but always take plenty of water. It is good for digestion and for your body too. If you must take fruits, ensure you eat whole fruits as opposed to the juices.  Juices are definitely some of the things to cut out of your diet to lose weight.

6.    Carbonated and Sweetened Drinks

Sweetened and carbonated sodas are made with chemicals and artificial sugars. They offer the body no nutrition whatsoever. Carbonated sodas cause an increase in blood sugar level and this causes the production of insulin. This later causes you to feel hungry and thus east excessively.

What to drink: if you must take carbonated water, consider taking sparkling water instead. It is calorie-free and the fact that it is carbonated makes you feel fuller for longer.

7.    Alcohol

There is no weight loss expert who will recommend alcohol when you're trying to lose weight. As much as there are cocktails that have fewer calories than others, alcoholic beverages cannot support weight loss. When you get drunk, you are likely to overeat as you will feel hungry most of the time. Also, alcohol is a toxin when in the body. For this reason, your liver works hard to get rid of alcohol from your system and this prevents it from excreting other toxins that have built up, which slows down your weight loss.

What to drink: if you must partake in alcohol consumption when trying to lose weight, you will need to consider taking alcoholic drinks that offer the lowest number of calories. Champagne, gin, and vodka have the fewest calories.

These are some of the most dangerous products when it comes to things to cut out of your diet to lose weight. Be sure to stay away from or limit consumption.