The world is full of people looking for a faster way to fat loss and I don’t blame them. The weight loss process can be daunting, but it does not have to be.
Years ago I heard a person following a weight loss program refer to foods as green light, yellow light and red light foods.
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I found that way of looking at food quite interesting, but when you think about it, the concept works.
Anyone over the age of 8 pretty much understands what to do at a red light and green light. A yellow light means to proceed with caution and food can be looked at in a similar way.
Are there certain foods that you may not be able to stop after eating the recommended serving size? This maybe a food that needs to go on your yellow light list.
There may be other foods where the wheels just fall off. You know before you even take one bite, that eating that food is not a good choice.
This is a food that probably should go on the red light list and not be eaten at all.
If I make the choice to eat a food that is on this list, I make sure there is only one serving available. If I do that, it is impossible to eat more than one serving.
Maybe you have another method for avoiding foods that could potentially lead to a binge. In order to lose weight, you will most likely have to avoid certain foods. Here is a list of foods I gave up in order to lose weight
1. Soda
Okay, so I will break down and have the occasional diet coke, but we don’t buy it and keep in the fridge and I don’t order it out very often.
It has been years since I have had a carbonated beverage that has sugar in it. You will not find an expert that finds any redeeming qualities in soda and full sugar calorie sodas can add many pounds over the years.
If you find you cannot give up soda completely, try going down to one can a day. A can of Coca Coal has about 150 calories and a can of Mountain Dew weighs it at 170 calories.
If you drink multiple cans a day you can be adding hundreds of calories and several teaspoons of sugar per day.
2. Pasta and Rice
Fortunately, I don’t have a huge taste for pasta or rice. But I did give it up just due to the amount of carbs in it.
I don’t avoid carbs like the plague, but dishes that are high carbs tend to make me feel like wanting to take a nap and that is not usually convenient.
If you like pasta, there are low carb alternatives as well as keto-friendly pastas, such as; zucchini noodles. Limiting pasta is a good move if you are trying to lose weight. It helped me.
Rice is another food I can take or leave making it easy just to leave it. Again, this is a food filled with carbs. It is highly processed.
Brown rice is a healthier option. With eating sometimes being a trade-off, I would rather eat bread if given a choice. I gave up rice and pasta and never looked back.
3. Candy
Okay, let’s exclude chocolate from this list, because I do enjoy a nice piece of chocolate once in a while.
But I used to binge on candy that was all sugar and other chemicals that create the flavors of sourness and spiciness.
Nerds, Sweet Tarts and Spree used to be my favorite. Not only are they hard on your teeth, they are just nothing but sugar and artificial flavoring.
Sugar opens the door for a whole lot of cravings. The more you can avoid it or at least limit it, the farther ahead you are going to be when it comes to controlling your weight.
4. Doughnuts
Doughnuts used to be one of my favorite things to eat (especially the kind with the creme inside) and actually they still are one of my favorite foods.
But about 5 years ago I finally accepted the fact that I cannot eat just one.
I guess if I would go into a specialty shop and buy one and leave with it, I could control how much I ate. The problem was they were showing up at work by the boxful.
This made it very easy to eat more than one. After all, the box sat on the table all day and they were there for the taking.
Doughnuts and any food similar to doughnuts falls in the category of “one is too many and a thousand is never enough”.
5. Pretzels and Chips
Pretzels, chips, Doritos and anything similar. Here is another food group that does not really have any nutritional value. The are all high in salt and other chemicals that may be added for flavor.
This is another food that I would not purchase and keep a bag in my home. The serving size may become the whole bag. For me, I could possibly eat a whole bag in one or two sittings.
Bags of chips, pretzels and other crunchy carbs can increase the bottom line on grocery bill pretty quickly.
6. Pancakes
For a number if years, pancakes did not even appeal to me at all. But one day a had one and then next week I had another and before I knew it, I was having a large pancake a few times a week.
My guess is it has something to do with the butter and maple syrup that makes the perfect topping for a pancake.
I might have one very 3 or 4 months, but this is another food I do not keep in my home. When we go out to breakfast, my husband and I might split one between the two of us.
I don’t know if I would call it a red light food, but it is a “very bright shade of pink”.
7. Fried Foods
Fortunately, I am not much of a fan of fried foods. So, I don’t feel like I am sacrificing a whole lot when it comes to this category. Fried foods are high in calories and they are generally also high in trans fat.
If my husband orders a platter of fried seafood when we are out, I can be tempted to try a food that is “new and interesting” even if it is fried. But fried food is something I avoid 99% of the time and don’t miss it.
8. Alcohol
This is an easy one for me. I gave up alcohol quite awhile ago. But if you look at the number of calories that are in a drink, it will not take you ling to see what can be gained by abstaining from alcohol…at least for a while.
Even the lowest calorie adult beverages start at about 100 calories and go up from there. Drinks with juice and syrup mixes can be significantly higher in calories.
Another issue with alcoholic beverages is that many times a person will have more than on serving. And there is a difference between 100 calories of alcohol and 100 calories of vegetables.
Alcohol is something that should be enjoyed in moderation. The calories can add up very quickly.
Final Thoughts – Faster Way to Fat Loss
If you are looking for a faster way to fat loss, start by looking at what you are eating and apply the 80/20 rule.
It is necessary to eliminate anything if you can enjoy it once in a while. It is when these foods become routine or a habit that they can be a problem.
The people that maintain a weight loss live by this principle. They stay aware of their weight, but they do not deprive themselves of anything.
They make sure that any foods that could lead to a binge are eaten in a controlled environment.
I like ice cream. I go out and get it at an ice cream shop once a week and then I am good for a week.
Even though I have chosen to give up a lot of foods, it is still about picking and choosing and choosing in moderation.
