4 Unexpected Foods That Cause Weight Gain

Watching your diet and still gaining weight? Your “healthy” food choices may be to blame. Here’s a list of four surprising foods that cause weight gain:
1. Enhanced Water
Some of these bottles of “water” are 130 calories each, and every single one of those calories comes from sugar. There are 31 grams of sugar in a bottle of Vitamin Water. That’s 7 and ¾ teaspoons! You might as well be drinking a Coca-Cola (which has only 10 more calories).

Buying a water enhancer you add yourself can give you more control over ingredients and the amount you're taking in, making them a better option than the pre-mixed bottled drinks.

2. Beef
Cattle are fed antibiotics, not only to keep them from getting diseases in cramped feedlots, but also to help them gain more weight faster (about 3 percent more!). Now, farmers are supposed to stop administering antibiotics long before the animals are slaughtered to prevent lingering weight-gain antibiotic residue, but about 16 percent of samples violate the FDA threshold for “allowable” residues (which, depending on the antibiotic, is around .01 to .5 parts per million).

If you've already upgraded to grass-fed beef, you can breathe easy! High-quality, grass-fed, organic beef can actually help keep you  Skinny. When it comes to beef, just remember: You get what you pay for.

3. Diet Soda
Artificial sweeteners have been linked to excessive long-term weight gain. Researchers believe that drinking these no-calorie sweeteners confuses our bodies by making us expect calories that aren’t there. The result is what they call “metabolic derangements” like poor insulin response and elevated glucose levels, which can lead to fat storage and a host of illnesses like metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

If you're stuck on this sweet sip, there's never been a better time to give it up.

4. Potato Chips
Okay, so you probably already know that potato chips are fattening and can often hide dangerous trans fats, but what’s surprising is that out of all the foods that can cause you to gain weight—soda, junk food, ice cream—the potato chip is the worst offender. According to a Harvard study, potato chips are the food most strongly associated with weight gain over four years.

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This Is What Happens In Your Body When You Drink a Coke

Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? Because it gets you high. They removed the cocaine almost 100 years ago. Why? It was redundant.
In the first 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor, allowing you to keep it down.

20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (And there’s plenty of that at this particular moment.)
40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate; your blood pressure rises; as a response, your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked, preventing drowsiness.
45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production, stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
> 60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium, and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
> 60 minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium, and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolytes, and water.
> 60 minutes: As the rave inside you dies down, you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like hydrating your system, or building strong bones and teeth.
If you can’t completely remove soft drinks from your diet then make sure you drink it in moderation. At least try to limit the sources of high fructose corn syrups from everyone's diet.

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5 Daily Habits That Blast Belly Fat

America’s toddlers are currently our biggest losers. New federal data shows a dramatic 43 percent drop in obesity rates among 2 to 5-year-old children during the past decade. But don’t break out the celebratory cupcakes just yet. America still has a major weight problem, and now, it turns out, there are different types of belly fat to worry about—one of which you can’t even see.

Subcutaneous fat refers to the visible, pinch-able fat beneath (sub) the skin (cutaneous). But visceral fat is even more dangerous. This deadly fat wraps around the organs deep in your abdomen, spiking your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and metabolic syndrome. You can’t see or pinch visceral fat, and it’s often associated with a large waist.

The good news is you can start blasting dangerous belly fat with these 5 healthy habits.

1. Swap Your Cup(s) O Joe for Green Tea
Sipping on green tea throughout the morning has proven to whittle your waist, but too much coffee has the opposite effect. What makes green tea so waist friendly are compounds called catechins, belly-fat crusaders that blast adipose tissue by revving the metabolism, increasing the release of fat from fat cells (particularly in the belly), and then speeding up the liver’s fat burning capacity. In a recent study, participants who combined a daily habit of 4-5 cups of green tea each day with a 25-minute sweat session (you’re already doing that part, right!?), lost 2 more pounds than the non tea-drinking exercisers. Meanwhile, a research team in Washington found that the same amount of coffee (5+ cups/day) doubled visceral belly fat. If you think you might be dangerous without your morning cup of coffee.

2. Snack on Popcorn
I’m not suggesting a movie theater binge, but without the butter and excess salt, popcorn can be an apple-shaped snacker’s best friend. At only 30 calories, a cup of popped kernels provides over 9 grams of whole grains—a dietary staple of people with the littlest middles. A Tufts University study found that participants who ate three or more servings of whole grains (oats, quinoa, brown rice, wheat) had 10% less belly fat than people who ate the same amount of calories from refined carbs (white stuff: bread, rice, pasta). Further research is required to figure out exactly why this is the case, but the hypothesis is it has to do with the high fiber and slow-burn properties of whole grains. When it comes to diet, being unrefined is a good thing!

Popcorn is one of our Essential Snacks for Weight Loss, so put on a movie and curl up with a bowl guilt-free.

3. Sprinkle Pepper on Your Meals
Meet Piperine, the fat blasting ninja! A powerful compound found in black pepper, piperine has been used for centuries in Eastern medicine to treat multiple health conditions including inflammation and tummy troubles. But recent animal studies have found that piperine may also have the profound ability to interfere with the formation of new fat cells—a reaction known as adipogenesis, resulting in a decrease in waist size, body fat, and cholesterol levels. More pepper, please!

4. Swap Cooking Grease for Coconut Oil
If you haven’t yet tried coconut oil, stop what you’re doing right now, grab a pen, and add it to the top of your grocery list: Virgin Coconut Oil. Studies suggest that just two tablespoons of the stuff each day can shrink your waist faster than your favorite Zumba class. What makes coconut oil superior to other fats is its medium chain triglycerides. Unlike the long-chain fatty acids found in animal sources of saturated fat, coconut oil doesn’t seem to raise your cholesterol and is more likely to be burned as energy than stored as blubber. Its high smoke point makes it great for just about every dish, from eggs to stir-frys; and a perfect substitute for butter when baking (you could even try some on your popcorn for a double dose of belly blasting goodness).

5. Indulge in Dark Chocolate
It’s every chocoholic’s dream: Research now shows that eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate can reduce overall body fat and shrink the waist. A study among women with normal weight obesity who ate a Mediterranean diet that included two servings of dark chocolate each day showed a significant reduction in waist size than when on a cocoa-free meal plan. Researchers say it has to do with the flavonoids, heart-healthy compounds in chocolate that have important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Just be sure you’re reaching for a bar with at least 70% cacao, and stay away from the “alkalized” stuff, which has a significantly reduced flavonoid content.

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Alcohol and Weight Gain! How drinking can hurt your waistline

If you've been trying to lose weight for any length of time, you're probably pretty good at monitoring your calories. Even if you don't keep a detailed food journal, you probably have an idea of the calories you're eating.

But there's one area we often fall short and that's in the calories we drink. Energy drinks, juice and smoothies can add extra calories, but alcohol is often our biggest enemy, going down so smoothly, we may have no idea just how many extra calories we're taking in. If cocktails are a regular part of your diet and you're trying to lose weight, being more aware of what and how much you drink can make a difference.

Drinking, Weight Loss and Your Health

If you're a moderate drinker, which is defined as two drinks a day for men or one drink a day for women, some studies have found possible health benefits such as:

• Reduced risk of developing heart disease
• Reduced risk of ischemic stroke
• Lower risk of dying of a heart attack
• Lower risk of developing diabetes

Of course, there are other ways to achieve all of these things without tipping a glass - exercise, for one, and lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and eating a healthy diet. While there may be some health benefits to moderate drinking and, of course, many of us just like it, there are some drawbacks as well, starting with your waistline.

How Alcohol Can Pack on the Pounds

1. Added Calories

One of the obvious side effects of alcohol is that it adds calories to your diet. While many of us have a handle on the calories we eat, we often don't know how many calories are in our drinks.

While alcohol doesn't contain fat, it does contain 7 calories per gram. That's more than protein and carbs, both of which contain 4 calories per gram. To get an idea of what you're drinking, check out this brief list of common cocktails. Does your favorite drink have more calories than you thought?

• 1 can (12 oz) Beer - 135-145 calories
• 1 can (12 oz) Light Beer - 101 calories
• 1 glass (3.5 oz) Red or White Wine - 70-75 calories
• 1 shot (1.5 oz) Gin, rum, vodka or whiskey - 97 calories
• 1 glass (6 oz) Cosmopolitan - 143 calories
• 1 glass (4.5 oz) Pina colada - 262 calories
• 1 glass (2.2 oz) Martini - 135 calories

A couple of beers can easily add more than 300 calories to your diet, the equivalent of 30 minutes of jogging for a 150-lb person. Having a few drinks after a workout may end up undoing all that hard work. Find more information about your favorite drinks at Calorie Counter.

2. Increased Appetite

Some studies suggest that alcohol can actually stimulate the appetite, at least in the short term. This is especially true when you're at a party or some other social event where tempting foods are everywhere you turn. It's hard enough to avoid fatty or sugary foods when you're sober, but add alcohol and an increased appetite and it may become impossible.

3. License to Indulge

Not only does alcohol add calories, it makes it harder to stick to a healthy diet. It takes a high dose willpower to turn down high calorie foods and that requires energy. One study has shown that acts of self-control, like bypassing a piece of chocolate cake for a carrot stick, can actually deplete glucose levels, leaving us vulnerable in situations where we don't have control over our choices. Adding alcohol to the mix drains that energy even more, leaving you less concerned about blowing your diet than satisfying your cravings. After a few drinks, that healthy diet you've been following so diligently suddenly doesn't seem all that important anymore.

4. The Day After

A night of drinking, even if it's just one too many, not only leaves you vulnerable to temptation, it may leave you too tired or hungover to exercise the next day. When you're hungover, you're dehydrated, clumsy and nauseous - all things that preclude a workout.

Avoiding Weight Gain with Alcohol

• Be aware of what and how much you're drinking: Find the calorie content of your favorite drinks. That alone may motivate you to find substitutions for higher calorie drinks. For example, a shot of coffee liqueur could have up to 150 calories, while a glass of wine has only 70 calories.
• Drink water between drinks: Having a full glass of water between alcoholic drinks can both help you avoid drinking too much and keep you hydrated. That may help avoid a hangover the next day.
• Know your weak spots: If you know you tend to drink too much and overeat at parties, prepare yourself. Eat a healthy meal or snack before you go to ensure you're not drinking on an empty stomach, which speeds up intoxication.
• Think about your goals: Turning down that refill may be hard in the moment, but you'll be glad you did when you wake up the next day, refreshed and ready for your workout.
• Avoid high calorie drinks: The worst offenders include eggnog (340 calories), Long Island Iced Tea (up to 800 calories) and margaritas (up to 700 calories). In general, drinks that include mixers like sweet and sour mix, juice or club soda will have more calories.

Like everything else, moderation is the key when it comes to enjoying cocktails while watching your weight. Treat alcohol the same way you treat other things in your diet - as something you can enjoy from time to time without going overboard. Learn more about safe drinking to ensure that you're keeping your body healthy and safe.

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5 Habits People Who Successfully Lose Weight Have in Common

Ever look at someone who's managed to slim down and wonder: What's her secret? We tapped the experts at MyFitnessPal, an app that lets users track their weight, activity, eating habits, and more, and asked them to dive into the data from their more than 65 million users to find out what separates the people who manage to drop pounds from the rest. Adopt these habits to see your own weight-loss success.
They Seek Social Support
MyFitnessPal members with friends who also use the app drop twice as much weight, on average, as users who don't have a community on the app—and that number only goes up if you have more friends within the app: Users who have 10 or more friends lose, on average, four times as much weight as users who have none. "It's generally shown that people who have community and support groups tend to do better," says Elle Penner, R.D. for MyFitnessPal and author of the healthy-lifestyle blog According to Elle. Research published in the American Journal of Medicine confirms this: People in the study who joined a weight-loss intervention group lost a bigger percentage of their original body weight than those who tried to go it alone.
They Track Their Food Consistently
…And you don't even have to do it for very long to see results: According to MyFitnessPal data, 88 percent of users who log their meals for seven days lose weight. "A lot of times we eat even without even realizing it," says Penner. "[Logging] just kind of brings attention to what we're putting in our body—and it also helps people understand the energy that some foods have." Even if you don't have an app like MyFitnessPal, keeping a food journal can help you drop more pounds than you would otherwise.
They Hold Themselves Accountable
If you want to see the best results from of the two the tips above, combine them: MyFitnessPal users who share their food diaries with just one other user tend to drop two times the weight of users who don’t open up about what they eat. Yes, it may feel a little weird to put your munching habits on display, but it's the best way to keep yourself honest, says Penner. "Knowing someone is going to check on you or that they might look at your diary as a source of inspiration can help keep you on track."
They Stay Motivated to Work Out
Per MyFitnessPal, users who connect their accounts with at least one other fitness or health app—something like Strava or MapMyRun, for example—are nearly twice as likely to lose weight as members who don't. This is probably because the apps help keep them motivated to stay active, says Penner. But you don't have to use an app to get encouragement—you can also try these tips to find your fitness motivation.
They Cook for Themselves
MyFitnessPal doesn't track cooking directly—but it does have an option for users to enter a recipe so they can calculate nutrition info on that recipe and add it to their logs. And on average, users who logged a recipe this year lost nearly 40 percent more weight than users who didn't (and presumably didn't cook as much). They also log almost twice as much exercise as their kitchen-averse counterparts. You know that home-cooked meals are likely to be more nutritious and less calorie-dense than packaged foods or restaurant dishes—but you may not realize what an impact this has on your goals: On days when MyFitnessPal users didn't log a recipe, they were more than six times more likely to exceed their calorie, carb, fat, and sugar goals for the day. And they were more than seven times more likely to go over their daily sodium goals. "I definitely think it's eye-opening," says Penner. "Cooking at home just provides more nutrition overall than eating out, and you can eat a lot more if you cook at home and feel fuller because there's more protein and fiber in those meals."
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How to Exercise When You Don't Have Time

When it comes to excuses for getting out of unpleasant tasks, "I don't have time" is one of my favorites. Dinner with the mother-in-law? No time! A trip to the dry cleaners? Are you kidding me with this schedule? What's great about it is that no one can politely question how busy you are and, when it comes to getting out of exercising, is there a better excuse out there?

Not according to folks who cite lack of time is one reason they don't exercise. But do we really lack the time or is that just an excuse?
How Much is Enough?
Starting an exercise program means rearranging your schedule to allow time for it, but it doesn't require that much time. Researchers know that short bouts of exercise can be just as effective for weight loss and health as longer workouts and that many people find it easier to stick with shorter workouts. In one study, researchers compared two groups of exercisers, those who did short bouts of exercise (multiple 10-minute workouts) and those who did long-bout workouts (20-40 minutes of continuous exercise). Here's what they found out about the short-bout exercisers:

• They were able to stick to their workouts more consistently
• They exercised more days a week than the long-bout group
• They accumulated more exercise time each week than the long-bout group
• They lost more weight, an average of 19 lbs versus 14 lbs for the long-bout group

Other studies have found that short bouts of exercise can also help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, the same way longer exercise sessions can. Knowing that you could break up your workouts into a few 10-minute sessions, does the lack-of-time excuse start to lose its allure? Only if you delve a little deeper to find out why it's so hard to stick to your exercise program.

Getting to the Bottom of Things
Turns out, if you want to change your schedule to accommodate exercise, you must be motivated to do it.  People who exercise don't necessarily have more time than you, they've just determined that what they're getting out of exercise is worth more than whatever else they could be doing during that time (sleeping, having lunch with friends, chores, etc.).
Think about it. If someone called and offered a free massage, but only in the next hour, how hard would you work to clear that hour of time? If you like free massages, you'd work pretty hard to change your schedule, just like you find time for other things like doctor's appointments, working late, watching TV, playing computer games or running errands.
Exercise is just like anything else but, unless it's a priority for you, you're never going to make time for it. I could give you a hundred reasons why exercise should be important to you, but you're the one who has to decide if it really is important to you. And if it's not, why not?
Getting insight into why you do what you do (or don't do) is the only way to change things for the better.

1. Admit the truth - Do you really lack the time to exercise is there some other reason you're not fitting in workouts? Start by exploring your perspective on exercise and the reasons you don't do it.  Do you have a fear of failure?  Or maybe you just don't know where to start.
2. Ask yourself: If I commit to exercise, how would I accommodate it? - Sit down with your schedule and see what you come up with, reminding yourself that you're not committing to anything just yet. Maybe you could get up 15 minutes early for a strength workout or use part of your lunch hour to take a brisk walk or do a workout. Make a list of all the times you could exercise, no matter how short.
3. What routines would I need to change in order to exercise? - With your previous list in mind, what would have to change if you used that extra time for exercise? For example, for morning exercise, you would have to gather your exercise clothes the night before and get up earlier than usual. Go through each step in your mind or, better yet, practice one day to see what would have to change if you did this on a regular basis.
4. What kind of exercise would be appealing to me? -  If you were to wake up in the morning and exercise first thing, what would sound good to you? Walking outside? Yoga exercises? A circuit workout? Make a list of activities you enjoy and imagine yourself doing those activities on a regular basis.
5. What kind of exercise schedule could I live with right now? - If you had to schedule exercise this week, what would fit in with your life right now? A 15 minute walk before breakfast and a half-hour at lunch? A quick jog with the dog after work or a workout video before dinner? How many days of exercise would you be willing to commit to? Forget about how many days you should exercise and concentrate on how many days you will exercise.
6. Practice, Practice, Practice - Using all the information you've gathered, set up a workout schedule and commit to practicing it for, say, two weeks. Then, reassess and see how you're doing. Do your workouts fit well with your current routines? Is it working or do you need to make changes? Practice is how you determine what will work and what won't.

Too often, we worry so much about getting the perfect amount of exercise in that we end up getting no exercise at all. It's tough to let go of the idea that long, sweaty workouts are the only ones that 'count,' but in the new world we live in, we have to make some changes in how we live. Making time for exercise, even if it's just 5 to 10 minutes at a time, is your first step to making it a permanent part of your life.
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5 Sneaky Reasons You Can't Lose Weight

These five things could be distracting you from your hunger cues. Here's how to stop 'em

Your Thermostat
If you're not careful, the layers you put on this winter could be permanent. Research has found that people tend to eat more during prolonged cold temperatures than during hot periods because it takes more energy (i.e., calories) to maintain our standard 98.6°F. (That may be why some sly restaurants dial down the heat.) Plus, says Nanette Stroebele, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado at Denver's Center for Human Nutrition, people make different menu selections depending on the state of the mercury: gooey high-fat, high-carb comfort foods when it's cold versus cool foods like salads when it's sweltering.
The Fix: Feeling chilly? Start with a bowl of broth-based soup, which will warm you up (and help cut overall calorie consumption at that meal, according to studies). Also consider bumping up the heat before you dive into a plate of mac 'n' cheese. If you just increase the temperature a bit, it can help you make better choices.
Another good idea: Before taking a bite, ask yourself if you'd still be eating right now if you were eating food that was the opposite temperature (say, a bowl of sorbet instead of chili nachos). Lots of people think they're hungry when all they really need is a sweater. (So bring one when you eat out!)
Your Job
Too bad weight gain doesn't qualify you for workers' comp: A national CareerBuilder survey recently found that 41 percent of people have put on pounds at their current jobs. "One study suggests that people who eat at their desks and mindlessly play at their computers eat more and are more likely to underestimate how much they actually consumed," says Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at California State University at Los Angeles.
The Fix: If you can't take your lunch to the cafeteria or a nearby park, at least eat it away from your screen, says Durvasula. When you focus on mindful eating and enjoying your food, you're more likely to notice when you start feeling full and to stop eating, she says. And stash the candy jar: Researchers at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab found that people ate twice as much chocolate from a clear dish as from an opaque one, and ate the least when the dish was at least six feet away from their desks.
Your Shut-Eye
Researchers know the link between skimping on z's and wearing a size XXL is nothing new: Lack of sleep wreaks havoc on the hormones that regulate your appetite and leaves you reaching for sugary foods as a quick pick-me-up. But nearly 30 percent of adults reported an average of less than six hours of slumber a night in a National Health Interview Survey.
The Fix: If getting more mattress time is out of the question, even out how you eat. "The research on willpower shows that when our energy is depleted, we make bad choices and tend to eat more bad foods," Durvasula says. Since you're already running on an energy deficit, space out your meals so that your blood glucose levels remain as steady as possible. Get a mix of protein and fiber each time you eat—both take longer to digest and slow the sudden dump of sugar into your bloodstream that happens with simple carbs.
Your Period
Estrogen may play a role in regulating what and how much we eat, so yeah, cravings can be real. But biology isn't always to blame. "Our menstrual cycles can feel like the ultimate excuse to munch," says Durvasula. "We may think, OK, I'm having my period; let me find something that makes me feel good."
The Fix: A week before your cycle, add extra dairy to your diet. In a study, women who had four servings a day of low-fat dairy or fortified OJ were 40 percent less likely to be diagnosed with PMS (and its glorious cravings) than those who ate only one serving a day of those foods.
And while you shouldn't treat your period like a get-out-of-jail-free card for calories, don't completely ban goodies. "Deprivation usually results in failure," says Durvasula. Allow yourself a small treat, like a one-ounce square of chocolate.
Your Favorite TV Show
Television time is already prime snacking hour, but if you really get sucked in, be careful what you suck down. Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch found that the more engrossed you are in a TV program or movie, the more you snack. "Humans have only so much head space at a given time," says study author Elizabeth Lyons, Ph.D., M.P.H. "So when you're paying attention to what is happening to Don Draper, that pushes out the space you might otherwise use to determine how much you're eating or drinking."
The Fix: If you can't commit to not nibbling while in front of the tube, your best bet is to portion out what you want to eat before getting deep into an episode. "If we've learned anything from this study, it is that people will find a way to eat," Lyons says. Even tasks that kept their hands busy didn't stop them from pausing to grab food—hence, advance prep is key.
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