The basics: Want to lose weight or get healthier? Stop eating junk food.

And he wonders why he's not seeing results.

At the risk of saying something very, very basic this week...I'm going to say it anyway.

If you're trying to lose weight, or just trying to be healthier, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to cut out the crap.

I tend to write a lot about what TO eat, instead of what not to eat, because,  that wI find that way of thinking about making changes is the most effective.  But you can eat produce, healthy fats and good protein till the cows come home.  If you're still eating junk food, your health and your weight will suffer.

Junk food--even the salty kind--spikes your blood sugar and creates an irregular metabolism, causing your body to create insulin and eventually fat.  The sugar-free stuff is full of chemicals that your liver processes as toxins, impeding its ability to metabolize the food efficiently.  (These foods still cause your body to create fat, as well as cause all kinds of other health problems.)  We know for sure that eating junk food taxes your heart and your gut, and there is increasing evidence to show that eating it also taxes your brain.

We all occasionally have treats, but unfortunately the cycle that most Americans are on is a stress-eating cycle.  We are anxious, stressed, overworked, or underslept, and as a result we feel tired.  We "reward" ourselves for surviving the tough time or the exhaustion by eating garbage and calling it a treat.  The problem is that we do this every day or even multiple times a day.   Junk food is addicting, so when your taste buds and your stomach have some of it, they both crave more.  

A great goal is to wean yourself off sweets and junk snacks so that treats are just that--something special that you eat upon occasion (not even for once a day.)

Here is a basic list of things you should work to take out of your diet.

potato chips
corn chips
chip-like products such as cheetos
fried vegetable snacks (they are actually chips)
soda
diet soda
bottled drinks like sweet tea, energy drinks, etc
bottled juices and juice drinks
packaged cookies
most packaged crackers
microwaved popcorn
candy
candy bars
fruit snacks
packaged cakes like little debbies or twinkies
packaged pastries like poptarts or toaster strudels
packaged donuts and cakes from the deli like entenmenn's
most ice creams
packaged popsicles (even the juice ones are full of HFCS)
ice cream products (in the novelty aisle at the grocery store or from a ice cream truck)
cupcakes
muffins
donuts
fast food


Remember: the bulk of your grocery shopping should be done in the perimeter of the store.  You want to be buying the fresh foods, not the packaged ones.


Have you had success reducing the amount of junk food that you eat?  If so, I would love to hear how you did it!  Post here if you're comfortable, or email me.