St. Pete Personal Trainer Reveals Healthy Foods That Are Making You Fat

As the go to Weight Loss Expert for men and women over 50 in St Petersburg & Tierra Verde, one of the things I hear most often is “I’m doing everything I used to do and the scale just won’t move”. Being the person folks come to when they’ve “tried everything and nothing worked”, I rely a lot on science and easy changes to get the results others can’t. St Pete Fitness and weight loss

In most cases, when people start to “eat healthy”, they lose weight but it’s just not a guarantee. At least 1/2 the people who come into our programs, “eat healthy” and yet still “can’t” lose weight.

For anyone who has been around me a while, none of this will come as any great surprise! You’ve all heard me repeatedly say things like “healthy doesn’t mean calorie free” and “portion distortion is the root of America’s obesity epidemic”. You also know that you can lose more weight without counting calories because not all calories are created equal and have often heard me preach that success comes from proper portions of the proper macro nutrient groups for your goal.

With all the buzz about the benefits of the MUFAS in foods like avocados, nuts and the latest green smoothie, folks are adding them into their diets in droves. This is good if you are aware of serving sizes and portions and how they fit into your food plan and if you are using them to REPLACE less healthy alternatives instead of in addition TO.

In most cases, foods most people consider “healthy” contain protein and fiber, are nutrient dense and don’t contain a lot of calories. Most of the time, the foods people consider “healthy” keep you full and are almost impossible to overeat. Think about it, how many times have you had 3 chicken breasts at one sitting or a huge bowl full of broccoli or spinach?

But, it’s the foods that are caloricly dense or have additional ingredients that you don’t even realize are keeping you from your weight loss goals

St. Pete Personal Trainer Top Offenders that are typically considered healthy but can keep you from your weight loss goals if you aren’t careful:

Pasta –Yes, even whole wheat and gluten free versions .

Each half cup (about the size of 1/2 a tennis ball) serving is around 100 calories. The “average” pasta serving is roughly 2 cups (4 carb servings or 400 calories).

“Whole Wheat” Breads, bagels and crackers – Yes, even the 100% whole wheat variety are still calorically dense and basically empty calories. A large “whole wheat” bagel can run 450-500 calories (4-5 Bread servings) and a slice of “healthy” “gluten free” bread can run 120.

If you read the ingredients list, you will often see added sugars in these as well.

I am not saying you should not eat these things (in appropriate amounts). I am just cautioning you NOT to consider them “healthy”. They are HEALTHIER than some of their counterparts but, they aren’t the best choice.

Granola (Cereals, bars and trail mix types) especially the varieties mixed with nuts can pack as many as 500 calories per cup. This doesn’t include the ones mixed with dried fruit covered in sugar or chocolate. (even the organic stuff found in the health foods stores).

Home made trail mix is best and a great, nutrition packed, energizing snack but can keep you from your weight loss goals if you don’t pay attention to portions because the ingredients in a granola mix are very calorically dense. Fruit Juice and Smoothies – All fruit juices are loaded with sugar. Now, we all know that and not all sugar is bad. One HALF CUP of fruit juice (no sugar added) is a fruit serving (around 60 calories). Most people are require 3-4 fruit servings a day for fat loss.

The effect of all of those straight, simple sugars have on insulin and blood sugars or their effect on your body’s fat stores is a topic for another day but it is significant in a way that surpasses too many calories a day.

Most “Smoothie shop” smoothies can run 400-500 calories (some more if they have peanut butter or coconut)

A home made fruit smoothie (preferably with a few scoops of good, clean protein powder) is a nutrition packed, energizing addition to any food plan. I have one every night. However, you must be mindful of the serving sizes and portions of what you put in them.

Avocados are one of my favorite sources of good, healthy, cholesterol lowering, fat blasting MUFAS. They are totally awesome but ONE QUARTER of an avocado is a single fat serving with a whole medium avocado packs 250 calories. (we have our clients count each 1/4 avocado as 1 fat).

Nuts and Nut Butters are insanely healthy, full of fiber, B vitamins and more MUFAS but EIGHT almonds (for example) is a fat serving (50 calories) and one of the most calorically dense foods around. A single handful could be 400+ calories easily.

While some of the foods like “whole wheat” pasta, breads and crackers, juices and (some) smoothies are thought to be healthy, foods like (home made) granola, nuts, nut butters, and avocado are what I call “power foods” that I’d recommend in just about everyone’s diet in appropriate amounts AND instead of not in addition TO more unhealthy foods. In the end, portions matter. Want more tips like this plus extra Accountability And Support? Come Join Us In Our FREE, Private Facebook Community St Pete & Tierra Verde’s Fit Over 50 Where You Will Be Surrounded By Some Of Our Most Successful Clients And We Get Real And Talk About What REALLY Works When It Comes To Losing Weight, Reshaping Your Body And Having A Body You LOVE !

This Is Community For St Pete And Tierra Verde Residents Who Want To Get Tips, Recipes And Strategies For Living A Healthy Lifestyle And Learning How To Eat More, Train Less And Feel Decades Younger.

Committed To Your Success and Awesomeness,

Dianne Villano – THE Fitness Expert For YOUR Over 50 Body

Fitness St. Pete I Tierra Verde Fitness
727-742-0816

P.S. Check out Diane’s amazing weight loss program transformation story to see how she used this strategy to drop 40 pounds while travelling for work and enjoying an active social life!