Foods to Avoid for Weight Loss
Unhealthy Food List
We commonly get asked what foods should to avoid to lose weight, so we have put together a list of unhealthy foods it’s best to avoid if you’re trying to lose weight. Another trick is, every time you eat or drink something ask yourself “does this have nutritional and will it add to or hinder my training, my goals and my overall health?”. Highly- processed foods are very dense in energy with little nutritional value. This means the body stores the extra energy as fat whilst still craving the basic nutrients. We recommend that you avoid highly processed foods if you are trying to lose weight.
“…ask yourself what nutritional value does this add to my training, my goals and my overall health”
Unhealthy Food List
- White flour based carbohydrates e.g. white bread and white rice
- Pastries, pies, cakes, biscuits, banana or fruit bread,
- Soft drink, fruit juices, energy drinks, alcoholic drinks (yes all types!)
- All foods high in sugar e.g. chocolate, lollies, breakfast cereals,
Healthy Food List
- Any green leafy vegetables
- Eggs are a great source of protein – boiled eggs make a great snack
- Fish e.g. Salmon or Tuna have plenty of good fats such as Omega-3
- Apple cider vinegar- 15-30ml per day can help with weight loss and reduce your appetite
Commonly asked nutrition questions:
WHAT SHOULD I HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?
Try and avoid just toast and cereal for breakfast as this has very little nutrition to start your day and is high in calories – particularly those sugar-coated breakfast cereals.
Boiled eggs with baby spinach and avocado is one of my favourites, otherwise natural Greek yoghurt with some nuts, seeds and chia seeds is a great way to start the day.
Another great breakfast option – particularly if trying to incorporate more veggies into your day – is a veggie omelette which has peppers, tomato, onion, mushrooms and spinach.
IS IT BEST TO EAT BEFORE OR AFTER A WORKOUT?
It is best to eat at least 45-60 minutes before your workout to avoid using the infamous Active Movement Studio Blue Vomit bucket!
If you feel like you need something for energy, coffee is a great stimulant to give you extra energy before training.
If you feel like you need a little more sustenance, a small banana is a great energy source to fuel your workout.
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED?
How much protein you need per day will depend on your lifestyle and body weight.
People with a sedentary lifestyle only require around 0.8g of protein per kg of body mass per day; a 75kg person will only require around 60g of protein per day.
For those looking to build more muscle, they should increase their protein to 1.2-1.7g of protein per kg of body mass. This means the same 75kg person will require 90-127.5g of protein per day.
Can’t remember all this? A food diary App on your phone will come in really handy! Two that I recommend are Myfitnesspal or EasyDietDiary to help you calculate your daily protein intake.
SHOULD I HAVE A PROTEIN SHAKE?
Once you have calculated your protein level from your food diary, you can then determine if you require additional protein supplements.
Protein shakes are a convenient source of protein especially if you are under your daily protein requirement.
If you need help finding the right protein for you, our friends at Adrenaline HQ on Victoria Road Parramatta can help you decide. They are very friendly and can help work out which is the best protein type for your body.
Make sure to like us on Facebook to keep up to date on all the Active Movement Studio news, tips and blogs.