While a lot of people understand the concept of eating in moderation in order to keep the pounds off of them, the truth is that you definitely need to avoid a few foods out there that can do way more harm than any sort of good.
There is no excuse for certain items, and if you choose alternatives you will wind up feeling just as good while you avoid some major fat and calories as well. Here are a few of the biggest culprits on the list.
1. Alcohol
I know that many readers are already upset and possibly fuming at me for even writing this. However, you need to think about what is really being put into your system before you cry foul on this one! Aside from your body treating alcohol like it is poison, you can become extremely dehydrated, hurt your liver (as well as other vital systems), can make extremely bad decisions, and what's worse, you might even gain a bunch of weight.
One beer can per day of approximately 12 ounces (or 150 calories on average) will increase your weight on average by 1.2 pounds in a month if you don't burn it off. So, if you think that a simple beer per day is going to be fine, that's the perfect way to gain about 10 to 15 pounds per year. Or, if you stay the same in weight while drinking a beer per day, then you could have lost 10 to 15 pounds that year as well.
2. Fast Food
This is a relatively easy thing to remember, but aside from the total fat and overall lack of nutrition, a single big mac from McDonalds has just under 600 calories at best in it. Do you really want to put that into your body? Think about it first, and then think how much exercise it would take to burn it back off.
3. Highly fatty or saturated fat full beef and meat
Some meats are actually pretty great for you and your diet (as well as the ability to grow muscle), however, other meats are downright terrible for you and your waistline.
It has been reported that some meats get as much as 80% to 90% of their calories simple from saturated fat. Another study has shown that the average "fatty" beef or meat will have as much as 300 calories (and over 75 mg of cholesterol) in only 3 oz. of beef. Do you really want to get that extra hot dog or plate of meat lover's "insert food here?"
Once again, the point is not to deny ourselves anything and everything that we have come to like in society. However, if we are trying to eat healthy, watch our waistline, and just simply take care of ourselves, it definitely makes sense to eat foods that are better. And, if we have to cheat and have something that isn't so good for us once in a while, then we definitely need to remember which foods can cause the most damage and then stay away from those foods.