3 "Diet" Foods That Are Actually Making You Gain Weight

With the vast gamut of information (and misinformation) available on the internet, it is often hard not to get confused between what is and is not accurate. This general rule applies even when it comes to all the information one reads about diets and "healthy" diet foods. While we can all come to a consensus on certain food items like cakes, pastries, fried foods, packaged crisps, etc being unhealthy, there are a few things that leave people in a kind of a grey zone. To eat or not to eat, is often a question that rings in one's mind when it comes to these food items. We're here to clear up your doubt once and for all about certain foods that are considered healthy, but actually are laden with secret sugars and salt that can have an adverse effect on your weight loss diet.

Here are some "healthy" foods you should probably avoid if you're trying to lose weight.

Also Read: 3 Low-Calorie Cheat Meals You Can Make At Home

1. Granola

Yes, this food item that you so merrily eat while on your diet could be the reason you're unable to shed the last few kilos. While granola can be a healthy food item to consume with its mix of nuts, seeds and oats - the sugar and oil that are added to it to make it sweet and crisp don't allow for it to remain healthy. Many granolas do have some nutritional properties, but they are still very calorie dense. So while it might seem healthy, this faux diet food is definitely one you should avoid.

2. Salad

Shocked? Well, we don't blame you. But before you jump the gun, let us clarify. It's not the green leaves or vegetables in a salad that make it bad for your diet - it's that generous proportion of salad dressing that you pour over it that is completely full of empty calories. So while that Caesar salad might seem like a great option to order when you're out for a meal, a full sized portion of the salad with dressing can have up to 400-600 calories. Just to put it in perspective, a slice of chocolate cake has around 370-400 calories.

Instead, make a salad with fresh lettuce and veggies and add some olive oil, balsamic or red wine vinegar to it as the dressing. It'll taste just as good, and the caloric content will go way lower.

3. Diet Soda

You may have switched from regular Coke to Diet Coke in order to aid your weight loss, but unfortunately, it might not be helping. Diet sodas could actually be adding to your waistline. According to a study, people who drink diet soda are likely to gain almost triple the abdominal fat in comparison to those who don't drink diet soda.

According to a Time report, artificial sweeteners like the ones present in diet sodas trigger sweetness receptors in the brain. These receptors then cause the body to prepare itself for an influx of calories, which don't actually arrive. That leaves the body craving for those calories that it was expecting and this actually causes some people to consume more calories overall than they intend or want to.