5 healthy diet mistakes that hamper weight loss

Aiming to lose weight? According to a study, choosing the wrong meal (no matter the quantity) can leave you craving for more. When it comes to crushing hunger, it’s not about when you eat; it’s about what you eat. If you want to lose weight, curb your appetite by avoiding the foods that make you more hungry.

Kathleen Alleaume, a nutritionist and an exercise scientist, has listed a number of eatables that are to be avoided while on a diet:

Salty snacks: Snacks preserved with sodium are generally highly refined, without filling you up. A study shows that added salt makes people eat more. Besides, all that sodium leaves you thirsty.

Salads: Salads are the epitome of diet-friendly lunches but if your salad is all kale, cucumber, and spinach, chances are that you’re not getting enough satisfying sustenance to keep you going until dinner. Adding a topping of protein (boiled eggs, chicken, salmon, or legumes), with slow-burning carbs (like roasted sweet potato, corn or brown rice) and a little fat (feta, nuts, seeds, tahini or avocado) can help settle those hunger pangs.

Rice crackers: Rice crackers contain small traces of fibre and are made from highly refined rice that make our insulin levels spike, causing blood sugar to crash, making us feel hungry again, even if we have just eaten.

Juices: Juice cleansing has become a popular way to lose weight fast, and while you will be sipping on antioxidant-rich and hydrating elixir, the lack of fibre means your body absorbs the calories quicker. Stay full while chewing your calories instead, so the brain receives hunger-combating cues that help you get from meal to meal.

Alcohol: Research has shown that alcohol flicks the brain into starvation mode. This increases appetite and explains why we reach for snacks after a night on the town. What’s more, alcohol calories can’t be stored in the body, so the only way you can dispose of alcohol is to metabolise it for energy. So avoid binge drinking if you want to avoid binge eating.

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First Published: Sep 12, 2018 16:50 IST