Are you planning to hit the gym to lose extra fat in your belly? Or looking to get a six-pack? You might even have other reasons for hitting the gym. Nonetheless, one thing is certain. You need to change your diet plan. Bodybuilding perhaps can be a goal, but consuming certain foods will jeopardize your plan to have your desired body physique.
If you want to achieve your desired physique goals, you need to feed your body with the right healthy foods. Some unhealthy foods such as high-calorie-containing sugary sodas and chocolate bars are totally out of it. This is because sugar, like all other carbohydrates, contains calories that can be stored in the body as fats, consequently leading to weight gain.
Healthy food intake is one of the lifestyle modifications you must bear in mind when hitting the gym. In this article, we will be revealing five foods you should avoid when you hit the gym.
1. Diet Sodas
Often bodybuilders take diet soda to satisfy their sweet cravings and avoid sugar. Diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners used to replace sugars contained in ordinary sodas. Unfortunately, the artificial sweetener used to improve the taste of the diet soda isn't any better than the sugar it replaced. Apart from artificial sweeteners being cancerous, it is almost 100 times sweeter than natural sugars. And because they're too sweet, the fake sugar can cause the body to start overproducing insulin, leading to insulinoma, a cancer condition.
2. White Bread
Bread usually contains fiber because of the germ layer around it. But white bread has been stripped of its germ layer, which equals no fiber. The absence of this fiber increases its glucose level and directly impacts your blood sugar levels. Consequently, it tempts you to eat more carbs and makes it more challenging to maintain a healthy weight. If the first ingredient on the bread label doesn't read "whole grain flour," it's a red flag.
3. Dried Fruits
Fruits generally contain numerous nutrients but are not limited to vitamins and minerals. One piece of dried fruit contains almost the same nutrients as the fresh fruit. However, dried fruits contain added sugar and less or no water to increase their shelf life. Asides from that, you can overeat dried fruits without realizing it. When you eat a fresh apple or peach with some cheese, you might be full after eating one or two. But with dried fruits, you can eat the fruits contained in a whole basket with hundreds of calories and still not feel it because the water has been extracted.
4. Alcohol
Alcohol undoubtedly contains no sugar, and you might seek alcoholic drinks to satisfy your thirst. However, regular consumption of alcohol can impose stress on your body. This imposed stress will automatically require increased levels of antioxidant demands. Antioxidants normally are useful in muscle recovery and fat loss. But due to the increased level of alcohol, the antioxidants will be wholly consumed in metabolizing the alcohol. Eventually, alcohol limits the ability of your body to lose fat and disrupts your bodybuilding plan.
5. Fried Foods
Excessive consumption of fried foods like french fries, potato chips, chicken strips, and the likes contain higher calories. The increased calories are due to the absorbed oil during frying. These foods are also high in trans-fat. These trans-fats contribute largely to weight gain and increased body fat. They do this not just by adding new fat to the body but also by moving fat to the belly from other body areas. Frying foods might help you boost the taste of your food, but the extra calories will help erase your hope of having that leaner body.
Conclusion
Your food intake needs a blend of a nutritious bodybuilding diet with a regular workout routine to obtain the best results. If you really want that beach-ready body or want to be physically fit, you should be ready to give it all it takes! A healthy food workout plan would not be a bad idea.