One of the most popular weight-loss diets out there is the low carb diet, which basically means reducing the amount of carbs in your diet. Simple enough, right? Well, not quite. Carbohydrates can be quite elusive, in the sense that not all of them are bad, and even the most innocuous foods can be rich in carbs, like certain types of fresh fruit. So, what do we do?

Normally, anyone giving you advice about nutrition would tell you to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. However, if you want to lose weight and choose to follow a low carb diet, fruits aren’t always your friends. But they are essential to any healthy diet, regardless of your weight loss goals, so… How do we find balance?

Portion control

Portion control is the single most important strategy in weight loss, even for healthy stuff, like fruit and exercise. It’s certainly better to eat a bowl of fresh fruit instead of munching on a candy bar at snack time, but if your bowl of fruit is the size of a salad bowl, you might as well go ahead and eat the candy bar, because the number of calories you’re eating will be roughly the same.

But this depends on the fruit, too, especially on how “sugary” it is. Of course, fruits are a cornucopia of vitamins and antioxidants, so you should try to eat as many as you can, but don’t go overboard thinking “the more the better” – you could make yourself sick, upset your stomach and end up eating more “sugary” calories than you accounted for.

Watch out for sugar content

Speaking of sugar – don’t deceive yourself into thinking fruit is sugar-free. Fruits contain fructose, a simple carbohydrate similar to glucose, which is immediately absorbed into the bloodstream, providing instant energy, and boosting insulin levels. This can be both good and bad. Eating fruit when you’re very hungry and tired immediately satisfies your hunger and makes you feel more energetic.

But simple sugars are those that cause weight gain, and after the momentary satisfaction has passed, you will feel hungry again, possibly more so than before, because of how quickly it is absorbed. Moreover, fruit calories are still calories – a simple banana carries around 100 calories. So, if you’re on a low carb diet, choose your fruits wisely – a good indicator is the glycemic index, which shows how much your insulin levels will rise from eating that particular item.

A more reliable indicator is the food’s glycemic load, which also accounts for the typical serving size of that particular food – for instance, raisins and bananas have similar glycemic indexes, but the serving sizes differ, so their overall glycemic load will be different, too.

Tip: look for fruits recommended for diabetes – these fruits, particularly berries and citrus, are low in sugar and highly nutritious.

Don’t eat fruit as a dessert

Fruits are great as snacks, even for breakfast, because they are satiating and they boost your energy instantly. But because they are rich in fiber, fruit spends quite a bit of time in your system before being digested, and the fructose they contain can cause fermentation in the presence of yeast or bacteria, in your intestines. This can lead to stomach problems, such as acid reflux, bloating, and flatulence.

That is why many nutritionists advise eating fruit on an empty stomach, and not as dessert after a hefty meal, so you can digest them in peace. Also, if you eat them after the meal, you will end up eating significantly less fruit than you would as a stand-alone snack.

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Anyone who has been on a healthy diet for more than a couple of hours knows the basic rules: no junk food and no sweets. Seems pretty straight-forward. But is it? Ok, so most anything is healthier than French fries, that much we know, but not all healthy foods are good for you when you’re trying to lose weight. Read below to find out which are the top 5 foods that make you fat!

The line between healthy food and diet-friendly food may be a fine and fickle one, but it’s there, and if you’re really looking to shake off those extra pounds, you have to start paying attention to details. We have put together a list of 5 foods that make you fat, i.e. healthy foods that could really sabotage your diet in the long run. But don’t panic, we also offered suggestions on how to adjust your diet so that you can enjoy all your favorite foods, without having to make drastic cuts.

Salads

Now, I know what you’re thinking – this is ridiculous, all the skinny girls in the movies order salads when they eat out, how can they not be good for weight loss? Well, it’s not that simple. Sure, salads are a healthy choice, especially if they contain lots of leafy greens, such as spinach, or arugula, which are packed with vitamins and minerals. Broccoli and tomatoes are great, too, they’re excellent vitamin C and A sources. So far, so good. But what’s a salad without a little grated cheese and a tasty dressing?

Herein lies the problem. Because it’s a “salad” and therefore healthy and light, we tend to overdo it with the extra toppings and portion sizes. Also, the dressing can double the number of calories in your salad – after all, a mere tablespoon of olive oil, as good for you as it is, carries over 100 calories.

What you can do: Keep your salads simple. Don’t overload them with ingredients, because the calories will add up and it will be hard to control your portions. Also, steer clear of packaged dressings, especially mayonnaise-based ones (yes, we know they’re delicious!) and be careful at how much oil you add to your vinaigrettes. Try using low-fat yogurt as a base to which you can add herbs, spices and lemon juice – that way your salad won’t be dry, but the calorie toll will still remain low.

Nuts

Almonds, cashews, walnuts, and a wide variety of seeds, such as pumpkin or sunflower, are indeed very good for you. They contain so-called “good fats”, aka essential fatty acids, like omega-3 and 9, calcium, iron, vitamins from the B spectrum, and the list goes on. But believe it or not, they are actually caloric bombs in disguise!

The problem with nuts and seeds is that they’re tiny and delicious, and they usually go in a bowl on your desk which you snack on mindlessly and endlessly, because, yes, they can be quite addictive. Almonds, for instance, pack a whopping 576 calories per 100 grams, which definitely qualifies them as one of the 5 foods that make you fat.

What you can do: Always weigh your nuts and seeds, don’t just fill up the bowl and comfort yourself at the thought that they’re healthy, so you can eat as many as you want. Instead of snacking on them and possibly overdoing it, sprinkle a few on our morning oatmeal or on your salad.

Bananas

Bananas are fruits, and you should eat as many fruits as possible, right? Well, sort of. You should eat fruits and vegetables every day, because they’re loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and natural fiber, and they get digested slowly, so they keep you full longer. But some fruits, such as bananas, also contain a lot of sugars, in the form of fructose, which can add up to a lot of extra calories. One banana has a little over 100 calories, so be mindful of your portions.

What you can do: Eat small portions of fruit throughout the day, as a healthy snack.

Fruit juice

Fresh juice is practically a glass-load of vitamins and it can be a more convenient way to get your daily fruit-dose, especially if you’re not particularly inclined to actually eat them, or if you’re not a fan of the sourness of certain fruits, like kiwi, lemons or oranges. Eating an apple is no big deal, but what about 4? What about 4 or 5 oranges? The calories add up even in juice form, no matter how healthy the ingredients. For instance, a 200 ml glass of apple juice comes pretty close to 100 calories, and if you usually don’t stick to one glass, you might have to reconsider your portions on this one, too.

Also, this applies to homemade, freshly squeezed juice. Supermarket juices often have lower fruit content, and often involve lots of added sugar, which obviously packs even more calories.

What you can do: Reduce your fruit juice intake to 1-2 glasses a day, and make sure you balance your meals accordingly.

Breakfast cereal

Milk and cereal breakfast is an all-time classic, and it’s a healthy and balanced way to start your day. But not all breakfast cereal are the same. The tastiest ones are usually the culprits, because they contain lots of added sugar, fruits, nuts and chocolate-covered goodness. Even oatmeal, which is our go-to diet breakfast, can add up to nearly 400 calories per 100 grams.

What you can do: Like with most things, moderation is key. Cereal, be them wholegrain or otherwise, are basically pure carbs, so you need to control your portions carefully. Pick a smaller bowl and don’t overflow it – it adds up. Also, use skimmed milk or low-fat yoghurt if you want to cut back on calories.

Remember to keep your diet balanced and give your body all the protein, carbs and healthy fats it needs, because that’s the sure-fire way to looking and feeling healthy.

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How to lose weight without losing your head

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Top 5 unexpected fat-burners

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But any good fitness program also needs a diet and nutritional program as well. In fact, this may be the most important of your health and fitness plan, and it’s crucial that you learn what to do, how to do it and how to match up a diet nutritional fitness program with the goals you have so that you can achieve them to the best of your ability.

The sad thing is that most of us don’t know the first thing about developing a successfully tailored and focused nutritional plan. People just eat the food they want to eat, whenever and however they want to.

That’s why so many people end up overweight, and conversely, why people who want to pack on muscle mass often can’t see progress and gains despite the fact that they are working hard and going to the gym.

Old Habits and Advice

Not only that, but maybe even worse is the fact that the people who are trying to eat right and focus on diet and nutrition often are going about things the wrong way.

The vast majority of people are making the same mistakes, and they are doing it over and over again. They don’t even know that they are sabotaging their own success, and ruining their efforts at every step of the process.

Luckily, there are real diet nutrition fitness programs and strategies which can produce results for you. Even better, the latest science, research and medical studies have provided amazing breakthroughs and fantastic new insights into what really works, and why.

By applying these breakthrough fundamentals to your diet nutrition fitness program, you’ll be able to lose weight, gain muscle or accomplish anything you’d like.

Examples

One of the classic nutritional mistakes is made by people who are trying to lose weight.

They end up starving themselves and cutting back drastically on their intake. They forego eating everything that they enjoy, they eat only once or twice a day and only take in tiny portions.

Well, all of these factors will actually shut down your metabolism and cause your body to keep its body fat in a survival mechanism response.

The right adaptations to your diet nutrition fitness program however will allow you to see better results. You can eat more and eat better and see improved gains, and that’s something that you’re going to wish you had realized years and years ago.

Seeing Results

Meanwhile, individuals who are trying to gain muscle mass and strength often don’t understand why they go to the gym so often and try so hard but yet fail to see any gains.

That’s because when you want to build muscle mass, you have to provide your bodies with the raw ingredients and building blocks it needs to get the job done, and then to repair and maintain that new muscle that your body has.

Issues such as getting the right amount of protein, eating the foods with the highest quality protein sources and more are all important, as is discovering when in the day you need to eat and take in your protein too.

Once again, it’s the small adjustments and adaptations that can make a huge difference in the success or failures you’ve been experiencing. Applying scientifically sound principles and strategies will allow your body to function at its best, and that will allow you to reach your goals.

Your Central Information Center

Right here on our site you’ll find everything you need all in one place. You’ll gain the invaluable insight into nutrition, eating and dieting that will help transform your body and take your fitness program to the next level.

With sample meals and eating plans, strategies for success, tips for producing specific results whether it’s gaining muscle or burning fat and much more, it’s all right here.

Don’t forget to sign up for our free newsletter so you can get all of the latest and best diet and nutrition tips sent right to your inbox. If you want to get into shape, exercise is always important, but never overlook the nutritional component.

The right tips and information for an effective diet nutrition fitness program will make a huge difference as you work hard to get into the best shape of your life, whether it’s to generally improve your health, look great, sexy and slim, or bulk up with added muscle mass.

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