Five Healthy Foods That Can Lead To Weight Gain

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

Losing weight can be a difficult task for anyone. You watch what you eat, count calories, and exercise every day and, for some reason, the scale does not move, or if it does, it goes up! This can be a very frustrating experience for anyone, especially when you need to lose weight by eating right.

There is nothing wrong with you, you have a healthy thyroid, and you find yourself hungry all the time due to calorie restriction and eating small meals throughout the day. This is the way we are taught to lose weight, cut calories, and eat healthy foods.

Eating healthy food or, what we perceive as healthy food, is one of the most important components of losing weight and developing a healthier lifestyle. Here are five healthy foods that can pack on the weight by adding extra calories.

1. Olive Oil&lt

Why it is good: Olive oil is loaded with mono and polyunsaturated fats that have been proven to help with heart health.

Why it is bad: Bad might not be the best word to use here. The healthy fats found in the oil are an important component in the diet in most Mediterranean countries. The component that needs to be considered is the amount of calories that are found in olive oil, or oil in general.

One tablespoon of olive oil packs in 119 calories and is loaded with heart healthy fats. Most people, when they cook with olive oil, are still consuming a tremendous amount of calories, which might not be accounted for in their logs.

Tips: Never avoid Olive Oil just because of the calories because it is very beneficial to the body, but try to limit the amount you are using to help avoid extra calories.

2. Non-stick cooking sprays

Why they are good: They are great substitutes to oil or butter for cooking. They are low in fat and calories, so perfect for low-fat cooking.

Why they are bad: Non-stick cooking sprays are still oil based. If you look at the label on a can of cooking spray, you will see that the serving size is 1/3 of a second of spray. Who does that? Normal people coat the pan with spray, which can add a lot of calories without even knowing it.

Non-stick cooking spray is an oil-based product. So when coating with cooking spray, you are adding the equivalent of 1 tablespoon of oil. Depending on which product you are looking at, you are adding a possible 100 calories to your meal.

Tips: Make sure to add in the added calories from the cooking spray, to get the actual amount of calories that you are taking in.

3. Diet Soda

Why they are good: zero calories and no sugar are found in these “diet” products.

Why they are bad: You eliminate the calories by replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners which are man-made synthetic products. Some of the sweeteners have been linked to migraines and higher cancer risks.

Tips: Yes, diet soda might be fat and calorie free, but there is a risk of developing cancer or other sensitivities to artificial products. Choose products that are made with more natural ingredients, like products made from the Stevia plant.

4. Frozen Dinners

Why they are good: Low in calories and fat, and have an adequate mix of lean proteins, veggies, and some complex carbohydrates.

Why they are bad: These products are low in calories and fat, but they are extremely high in sodium, with some products providing half to two-thirds of your sodium content for the day. The American Heart Association has determined that people with pre-existing heart risks, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), should consume 1800 mg sodium, or less, in a day. Extra sodium can also cause the body to retain water, which adds extra weight and causes dehydration.

Tips: Prepare your own foods that are lower in sodium, provide the right portion size, and have plenty of vegetables that will keep you healthy, fit, and trim, and eliminate extra sodium in the diet. If you do eat these diet meals, be sure to consume adequate amounts of water to rehydrate you and flush your system of that extra sodium.

5. Pizza

Why it is good: Tomato sauce is full of the heart healthy antioxidant Lycopene. There are many new types of pizza on the market geared for the people who are looking to lose weight. Wheat crusts, lower sodium sauces, and low fat or cheese-less are becoming the norm for people looking to lose weight.

Why it is bad: Even with the high antioxidant levels, pizza can be full of sodium and fat, depending on how much and the type of cheese added to the pizza. The crust, if you are not requesting wheat, of course, is made with unbleached flour, which means they stripped the flour of the essential nutrients.

Tips: Look for lower-fat cheese options and definitely request the wheat crust for added fiber and heart healthy lycopene from the tomato sauce.

Losing weight is all about calories in versus calories out. If counting calories is helpful to you in losing weight, then make sure to include all the calories that you might be consuming, even the ones that are sometimes “hidden” in products.

The key takeaway message today is that all these foods do provide heart healthy, fat fighting antioxidants, and fats. They may be high in calories, but remember that moderation is the secret to weight loss. Having more whole foods, fruit and vegetables, and some foods that are made with more natural sweeteners from Stevia might be better options for losing weight and keeping it off.