In this guide to losing weight, we will discuss:
If healthy weight loss is one of your goals for 2023, you’re not alone! I know it can be so confusing, however, to figure out what you should and shouldn’t be eating for a healthy metabolism and to help your body burn fat.
These 5 seemingly healthy foods might be on your radar, but they actually could be slowing down your weight loss – or even making you gain weight!
1) Energy Bites
Whilst they might be delicious and seem like an easy snack to bring on the go, they are often loaded with sugar, carbs and not much real nourishment. These are typically made with predominantly dates, honey and oats that are high in sugar and carbs, which can lead to blood sugar spikes and switch our body from fat burning to fat storage!
2) Plant Based Meat
Brands like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and Dang market their plant based products as healthier alternatives to real meat, however their products are often filled with inflammatory ingredients such as canola oil, gums and fillers. When the body is inflamed it can stop fuel getting into our muscles cells, which in turn can lead to weight gain and insulin resistance. They are also made with low quality protein that is not easily absorbed by the body which will only leave you feeling hungrier and like snacking a couple hours later.
3) 100 Calorie Snack Packs
These are seemingly benign as they are only 100 calories, however the majority of these products are simply tiny bags of cookies or pretzels (and I’ve never known anyone to stop at just one). They are typically full of refined carbohydrates and sugars that will spike blood sugar and trigger an insulin response leading to fat storage rather than fat burn. Also they leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied, which means you will continue to have cravings and feel hungry afterwards.
4) “Protein” Bars
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but protein bars tend to have hardly any actual protein in them! They should be renamed ‘Carbohydrate Bars’! Many of the popular brands such as Kind Bars, Luna Bars and GoMacro Bars have 10g or less of of protein (I recommend 25-30g per meal) and contain even more sugar and carbs than they do protein.
5) Store Bought Smoothies
If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I love my daily Lean & Clean Breakfast Smoothie. It is loaded with protein, healthy fats and fibre and even veggies, which keeps me feeling full and satisfied until lunch. Store bought smoothies, however, are usually made with just fruit, sometimes added fruit juice or even sweetened yogurt. They also often contain coconut sugar or honey, which has just the same effect on weight gain as white sugar! If they do contain protein powder it is usually plant based which can be hard to digest, pro-inflammatory and is high in heavy metals.
Using the Lean & Clean Fat Burning Foods Formula you can replace the above with options that actually boost your metabolism and help your body burn fat! Choose healthy snacks such as apple slices and almond butter, hard boiled eggs, veggie sticks and hummus, berries and yoghurt or a to-go smoothie – your metabolism will thank you for it!