Why Am I Not Losing Weight: Weigh In Wednesday

Are you tired of dieting your butt off and not seeing any results? Do you wonder where you have been going wrong? I have been there. Weight loss plateaus are the most frustrating thing about dieting, especially when you don't know what you are doing wrong. Today we are going to discuss something that I like to call "The Perils of Hidden Sugar." In this post I am going to blow the cover of five supposedly "healthy" foods that may be the cause of your weight plateau. I like to think of hidden sugar as an evil entity that has somehow possessed my seemingly healthy food. If you want to find out how to cast out the sugar demons, keep reading.


1.) Fruit Juice

So you've been dieting, counting calories, even working out a bit, yet the scale has not budged. I have one question for you. What the eff have you been drinking?! Now think about it. A glass of orange juice with breakfast in the morning sounds fine and dandy until you read the nutrition label on it. One 8oz glass of OJ has 26 carbs in it. That is more than I eat in an entire day when I am on the attack phase of Dukan. Cut out any kind of beverage that is not zero calories/carbs. I am a big fan of Snapple's Diet Peach Tea. Only 10 cals a bottle and it tastes like the nectar of the gods.

This means no more margaritas during ladies night at the bar. Tell the creepy bartender to stop trying to roofie you and let you diet in peace.Vodka is made from potatoes, for Pete's sake. Don't even get me started on the mixers that are used in drinks. Talk about diabetes in a cup. Yuck. Also, remember to cut out milk while you're trying to lose weight, too. If you have to have milk for something, be sure and use skim milk. I usually try and substitute water in recipes for milk if I can.


2.) Condiments

"But Bridget, this bottle of ranch dressing says low fat on it!" Dude, put the bottle down. Not only does that bottle of fat free dressing taste like the finest fermented vomit in all of the land, it is loaded with sugar. Companies add extra sugar to anything labeled "Fat Free" as a way to mask the terrible taste from the lack of fat. They do not do a good job at this. Not only is the taste nausea inducing, but the addition of more sugar only means one thing-- MORE CARBS. Carbs are the enemy. I shall smite thee. If you have to have some ranch dressing in your diet, check out my recipe for some homemade Dukan approved ranch dressing here.

What have you been dipping your food in? Barbeque sauce? Ketchup? The blood of your enemies?
Heinz ketchup boasts 8 carbs in a 2tbsp serving. Check the nutrition label some time on a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's. Now, I love me some Sweet Baby Ray's as much as the next girl, but one 2tbsp serving packs a whopping 17 carbs. Who in the world can eat just 2tbsp of BBQ sauce? I know I can't.If you season your meats up with lots of things like lemon pepper, garlic, or onion powder, you won't be as tempted to reach for a sauce. Mrs. Dash is also pretty good and it has no salt in it. Just try a few different seasonings and see which fits your palate best.

3.) Dried Fruit

Just because this plant ovary was alive at one point does not mean that it is healthy. Think of it this way, most dried fruits are loaded with preservatives and artificial substances to keep their color. The dehydration and addition of all of these preservatives takes away most of the nutritional value of the fruit anyway and leaves behind the one thing we don't want... CARBS! This also applies to trail mix, which usually has dried fruit, nuts, and some chocolate something or another added to it. I'm about to blow your mind with the following information, chicks and dudes.

A cup of grapes has about 60 calories, while a cup of raisins has about 130 calories. In comparison, 1 cup of fresh apricots has about 74 calories, while 1/4 cup of dried apricots has 313 calories! That is not a typo. 1/4 of a cup of fresh apricots has 4.23 times more calories than an entire cup of fresh apricots. How is that even possible? Moral of the story: Stay away from dried fruit unless you want Wilford Brimley to be selling you diabetes testing supplies.


4.) Granola Bars

A granola bar has to be healthy, right? Aren't they in the health food section at Kroge's? Child, please. Granola bars are usually packed with dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips, all stuck together with some high fructose corn syrup. Let me repeat that for you. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. What words stick out to you there? Here, let me break it down for you.

High: The way the scale is going to stay if you eat this.
Fructose: This is sugar. Anything ending is -ose is sugar. Sugar=carbs=fat rolls
Corn: CARBS
Syrup: More sugar.

Everything about HFCS is bad news. If you see it is an ingredient, run the other way if you can help it.  Also, with granola based cereals, like Kashi, the same rules apply. If there is dried fruits or chocolate chips, leave them at the store. You will do better if you don't buy anything that will tempt you to cheat on your diet.

5.) Fast Food Salads

Yesterday for Tip Tuesday, I discussed how to eat healthy when you have to dine out. I'm sure some of you were thinking "Why does she not just buy one of the pre-made salads instead of making her own?" Well, let me enlighten you. Let's start at my favorite guilty pleasure restaurant (I can't help my love for Dorito Locos tacos), Taco Bell.

Taco Bell offers what they like to call "taco salads." A better description would be a heart attack in a tortilla bowl. Let's look at the beef Fiesta Taco Salad. At 780 calories, 74 carbs, and 1590mg of sodium, you would be better off to eat the container the salad comes in rather than that atrocity.

Perhaps you and your new boo want to go to Applebee's for the finest date 20 bucks can buy. Don't be fooled by their salads either. Their Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad has 1340 cals, 79g of fat, and 113 carbs, all served with a side of arterial plaque. Keep in mind that their maple butter blondie has 200 less calories and 24 less grams of fat than this "salad." Hells bells, I would rather have the blondie after seeing the nutritional info on that salad. Sadly, almost all restaurant salads are this way and if you're anything like me, you'll probably still be hungry after you eat the entire thing. I call that place Crapplebee's for a reason.

And there you have it, 5 reasons you can't lose weight when you think you are doing everything by the book. Remember, if it says crusted, breaded, crispy, fried, smothered, covered, breaded, or wrapped in bacon and fried again, you probably shouldn't eat it. Try to take all of your meats "naked" meaning without breading or sauces, or you will run into the beast known as the Carb Monster. Don't let him take over your diet or over that hot body you're working on. You're working too hard to run afoul hidden sugars. Even if you don't know the sugar is there, your body does and it will let you know. Often times you'll hear people say "I've gained  15 pounds since I started dieting." That is when you tell them that potato salad doesn't count as a green and refer them to this blog.

I hope this post helps those of you that are struggling to get over your weight loss plateau and opens your eyes to the world of hidden sugars. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. How is your weight loss going? Send me a message! I would love to hear from you. Follow me on twitter @Butterybiscuit7 and on instagram @bridgetb2011. Don't laugh at my username, it is vintage.

Check out last week's Weigh In Wednesday by clicking here.

Still chunky yet funky,
--B




PS, WTF is the matter with this girl? Excuse me while I throw up in my mouth.