When we want to lose weight post-pregnancy, there are many different foods we should be eating. There are, of course, also many foods we should not be consuming. Today, we will talk about some foods to avoid to lose weight. Let’s get right to it:

Frozen Meals

The allure of a frozen meal is that it’s quick and easy to make. This is especially attractive to a busy new mom, right?

Unfortunately, frozen meals are typically loaded with sodium. This is obviously not a good ingredient to have when you want to lose weight. As well, these meals can contain a fair amount of calories and/or fat, which are not things we want a lot of in order for the weight to come off.

What You Can Do Instead: Pick a day where you have some time to do some meal preparation. Cook some healthy foods ahead of time and freeze them. You can also do this with any leftovers from meals.

Flavored Yogurt

Foods with added sugar are one of the main foods to avoid to lose weight post-pregnancy. Flavored yogurt is one of those seemingly healthy foods but tends to have added sugar.

When choosing your yogurt, opt for plain (Greek or regular) and add fresh fruit to it. We like to add chia seeds too just for a bit of added protein.

Baked Goods

Baked goods, such as cakes, cookies, pastries, doughnuts and muffins, are all high in sugar. They typically also contain refined flour which is unhealthy as well.

These high calorie foods will not keep you feeling full very long either, due to their lack of healthy nutrients, such as protein and fiber.

Potato Chips

Potato chips make our list of foods to avoid to lose weight due to high amounts of sodium, as well as unhealthy fats. These fats, called saturated fats, come mainly from the oils the chips are fried in. These oils are also high in calories, which contributes to the calories in the potato chips.

One Harvard study states “The foods associated with the greatest weight gain over the 20-year study period included potato chips (for each one increased daily serving, +1.69 lb more weight gain every 4 years)”.

Chocolate Bars

Chocolate bars are not only high in sugar, but also in calories and saturated fat. On average, the regular sized chocolate bars have around 230-300 calories per bar.

If you have a craving for chocolate, dark chocolate is the better option. Opt for 70% cacao or more in your dark chocolate in order to get the best health benefits. Anything lower than 70% cacao tends to have more added sugar and fat.

Remember, everything in moderation. Even dark chocolate has a fair amount of calories and fat. Just eating small amounts in one sitting is best, and can satisfy your craving.

Refined Grains

Due to their link to obesity, refined grains make our list of foods to avoid to lose weight.

As per the MayoClinic.org, “Refined grains are milled to have had the germ and bran removed, which gives them a finer texture and extends their shelf life. The refining process also removes many nutrients, including fiber”.

Although it isn’t exactly clear what causes weight gain in the consumption of refined grains, it might be due to the lack of fiber (which creates satiety).

Some examples of foods with refined grains are white bread, white rice, pasta and tortillas.

Granola

Although it’s often believed to be a healthy choice, granola is typically high in calories, fat and sugar. If you choose to eat it, eating in moderation and portion control is highly recommended.

It is also best to pay attention to ingredients if buying granola. Making your own is even better, so that you know, and can control, exactly what is going into it.

Check out this healthy homemade granola recipe to make your own!

Protein Bars

Protein bars are one of those foods to avoid to lose weight because they can be high in sugar and calories. Because of that, you’ll want to pay close attention to nutrition labels on them. Below are three of our faves!

Quest Protein Bars:

• Large variety of flavors (such as white chocolate raspberry, caramel chocolate chunk and chocolate chip cookie dough)
• Most under 2g sugar
• 180-200 calories
• 20-21g protein
• Low carb
• Gluten free
• Keto friendly

Pure Protein Bars:

• Delicious flavors (such as chocolate peanut butter, chewy chocolate chip)
• Low sugar (2-3g)
• 20-21g protein
• 180-200 calories
• Gluten free

ONE Protein Bars:

• Several flavors (such as blueberry cobbler, peanut butter pie, lemon cake)
• Most are 220 calories
• 20g protein
• 1g sugar
• Gluten free
• Some have flavors high fibre

Processed Meats

Processed meats, such as hot dog wieners, deli meats, bacon, and sausages, tend to be high in sodium, saturated fat and preservatives. Because of this, they can lead to weight gain.

One 20-year Harvard study showed processed meats as one of the types of foods associated with the greatest weight gain among the study participants.

In several other studies, it has been shown that processed meats have been linked to cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

As you can see, it is best to limit these types of foods in your diet, as they have been shown to be fairly unhealthy.

Pizza

Many of us love a good pizza, not only because it’s dee-lish, but also because it can be a cheap and easy dinner. However, it is one of those foods to avoid to lose weight due to being high in fat, sodium, carbs and calories.

It also can depend on what ingredients you put on your pizza. If you enjoy processed meats, such as pepperoni, salami or ham, that will add to your salt and fat intake. Loading your pizza with cheese is, of course, not going to be the healthiest either. Even the sauce can be high in sodium. Last, but not least, the dough is likely going to be high in carbohydrates.

How to Make Pizza Healthier: Begin with a whole grain crust and add a low sodium pizza sauce to it. Add some veggies, such as onions, green peppers, mushrooms, or whatever tickles your fancy. If you want to add a healthy protein, opt for chicken. Lastly, top with minimal cheese and voila, there’s your healthier pizza!

One option we like is to use a whole grain pita for an individual-sized pizza. Just add your toppings, pop it in the oven for approximately five minutes and you’re done! Easy peasy.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter can be one of those foods to avoid to lose weight…if you choose the wrong kind. What do we mean by that exactly? Peanut butter can have unhealthy additives, such as sugar, salt and fat. We obviously want to avoid these types.

When choosing peanut butter, check the ingredients list and choose the one with just peanuts in it. These are the natural peanut butters, meaning nothing more added. These types are healthy for you, in moderation of course. They have healthy fats and protein, which can aid in weight loss.

The next thing you want to make sure of is to eat peanut butter in small portions. It is easy to overeat this delicious spread, but those calories and fats add up quickly! You want to stick to 1-2 tablespoons per serving.

Note: Don’t be fooled by the “reduced-fat” peanut butters. When they reduce the fat, many times, they replace it with unhealthy ingredients, such as added sugars, which will increase calories.

Ice-cream

Ice-cream is generally high in sugar, fat and calories. When you add all of that up, ice-cream isn’t great for weight loss. In fact, due to the high amount of sugar and fat, regularly eating ice-cream will pack on those unwanted pounds and inches we don’t want on our bodies.

A healthier option to go with is a no or low sugar ice-cream if buying store-bought brands. If you would like to make your own, there are plenty of healthier ice-cream alternative recipes all over the internet, like this Strawberry-Mango “Nice” Cream.

Cereal

Many cereals, yes, even the healthy-looking ones, can be high in sugar and calories. This makes our list of foods to avoid to lose weight, but only if these types of cereals are chosen.

When choosing a cereal, be sure to check the nutrition label before buying. You will want to choose one that is lower in sugar and calories. Look for whole grain cereals, preferably high in fiber and even protein. These types are not only healthier, but they will help to keep you feeling full for a longer period of time.

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To summarize, the foods we mentioned above are either high in sugar, calories, sodium or fat…or a combination of these.

Try to avoid, or eat in moderation, these types of foods if you are attempting to lose weight. Eating these foods on a regular basis will likely lead to weight gain over time.