Worst foods you can eat

Scott Schwab:
If you are anything like I am, I find that I fluctuate in weight pretty rapidly. However, in doing some studying I have found that it is quite common for the masses. More than anything, the relation to fluctuation comes from our diet and our activity. I have compiled a list of foods that if you are going to eat, have some control and only eat a little, but if possible should be avoided.

10 Worst Foods

1) Processed Freezer Foods: This includes everything from chicken pot pies, to burritos, to tecqitos, to frozen pizzas. Though it seems like the price is good so the value is equal, think again, these frozen meals are often times equal to a full day of your caloric intake and multiple days of saturated fat.
2) Restaurant Entrees: Not only are you getting way more than you need, but the way that it is cooked and combined is more of the problem. Take for instance one of my favorites from Olive Garden: The tour of Italy. Lasagna, Chicken Marsala, and Fettuccine Alfredo is equivalent to an entire day of calories and 6000 mg of sodium. Lets not pick on the O.G., because there are many restaurants that have the same problems.
3) High sodium soups: Another sodium overload. One can of soup is not one serving, it is actually two servings. At that amount you are consuming 760 mg of sodium. Foods high in sodium create problems, so make sure you make the choice not just because soup is supposedly healthy, but pay attention to the salt!
4) Deep fried delights: Chimichangas, tortillas, burritos, etc. Often times the good authentic taste comes with a cost. Restaurants do use lard at times to cook their food. Not a good combination for a person watching their lb's. However, even if you find a place that will cook with olive oil, you still need to watch the for flour tortillas, cheese portion, sour cream, and guac. Rather than finding a burrito bigger than your face, look for items made from corn and stick to the veggies.
5) Cheese Cake and other Cake: Now I am all about celebrating and enjoying time out, but realize what comes with it. Deserts come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but if you can keep it small, do it. For example Cheese Cake Factories, chocolate tower truffle cake and PF Chang's great wall of China cake, are equivalent to 1,700 calories and 50 grams or (two days worth of sodium). With a meal and drinks, we now are looking at the calories for an entire week.
6) Pastries in a can or a box: Pastries with rich cream and frosting are great, however know what you are getting into. It is so easy to buy a donut or cinnamon role to start or end the day. Even more appealing at times is the aroma of cinnamon roles baking in our oven and frosting that we just need to spread over our rolls. Think again, plan on about 500 calories per cinnamon role and about 300 for donuts. That may not be bad for a meal, but can you just eat 1? Also consider that many hydrogenated oils are used in these products and trans fat and sugars will get you.
7) Margarine: Just a tablespoon of margarine is equivalent to 2 grams of saturated fat and more than a days worth of trans fats. Next time you are buttering up your bread, look at how much you are spreading. I have found myself making sure that every square inch of my toast is covered and I usually eat two pieces of toast. Without even realizing, I have just ruined anything I did in my exercise.
8) Mocha and Latte: Wow, you want some calories sugars, and yes fat, look no further than Starbucks. Many of these popular drinks include a huge amount of sugar and fat. Often times it is the pick me up or the way to start the day, however, realize that by consuming 1 white chocolate Mocha. Just to give you a comparison, that is 580 calories which is more than a McDonald's Quarter Pounder. Im lovin it!
9) Ice cream: Most of us love the stuff and it is the staple to almost every birthday. However, next time you think about opening up a quart or pint for a late night snack consider what you are consuming. On average a half cup of ice cream is 300 calories, 1/3 of the recommended cholesterol, and half of the daily recommended saturated fat. Now, if we can all be honest, who just eats a half cup?
10) Soda: Diet or not, you need to watch what you are drinking. Consider the average American who has 3 sodas per day. Rapidly the oz consumed is sky rocketing. It used to be that the average amount of soda consumed would be 8-16oz at a time. Currently the average amount consumed during a sitting is 32oz.
Now think of how many times the cup, mug, or pitcher is refilled? Next time you are out at a restaurant, keep track of how many refills people get at one sitting. Each oz of soda is equivalent to 96 calories and 3.4 grams of sugar. Diet, is slightly less, but it is manufactured differently. Please don't think that because it says diet you are better off because you are not. Also statements or labels on food are monitored by the FDA, but there are clever ways of changing the vocabulary so the bad stuff can be categorized in many different ways.

It comes down to a couple of things. Portion control is most important. The more we eat, the more our stomachs expand. Overtime, the expanding fist size stomach, becomes much larger. Over eating is a pattern and has some difficult consequences. The other thing it comes down to is making better choices. Do I love sweats and sugar, yes... just like the next guy, but I ask myself the question of whether it is worth it. Sometimes that is yes, but when it is yes, I also know what my next day is going to look like at the gym. Remember that intake of calories and output or calories burned should stay equal for us to maintain our weight. If we burn more than we consume; well, most of the time that equates to weight loss. Also look at your days and weeks and see how many calories you consume in liquid form. It is often surprising to people how many calories they consume through soda, shakes, energy drinks, etc.

Here is a great website that you may want to take a look at, when you have additional time. Copy and paste the link. You can get free materials and helpful information.


http://www.eatthisnotthatbook.com/uof/eatthisnotthatbook/2012ps/?keycode=184762