Ten Foods You Should Never Eat and 10 More to Add to the Almost-Never List

If you know when to say yes and when to say no, you don’t have to starve to lose weight.

By Kim Eagle

People often ask me, “What do you eat? I want to eat what you eat.” I generally respond, “It’s not what I do eat; it’s what I do not eat.” It’s almost like riding a bike: You need to learn how to stop (brake) before you learn how to go. So check out my list of top 10 foods I never eat.

Kim Eagle’s Top 10 Foods to Never Eat

Soda. This includes diet and regular soda. The chemicals in it are terrible for you! And diet soda is worse than regular soda. Diet soda can actually mess with your hormones, making weight loss more difficult.

Soup. I will never order soup in a restaurant. Why? Because the sodium is off the charts. High sodium leads to water retention. You can be up 1 to 2 pounds in weight the next morning from eating soup in a restaurant. It’s just not worth it.

Ranch, Thousand Island or blue cheese salad dressing. Nope, I don’t do it. I always opt for the balsamic vinaigrette and use it in moderation. There’s far too much fat in the other dressings.

Cream sauces. You will never see me eat or order any food item that has a cream sauce. If I see the word “cream” in the description of a menu item, I automatically go to the next option. I always opt for the tomato-based sauces.

Milk. This is a personal choice and I don’t necessarily recommend this for all people. I found when I drank milk, I was bloated and my skin would break out. I also realized that I never ate anything really healthy with milk, so giving it up meant I no longer reached for dry cereal (loaded in carbohydrates, not enough fuel, not enough protein). Or how about milk with cookies or graham crackers? Without the milk, these items are just not as appealing to me. This is great! Now I skip those treats more often. If you do decide to drop milk, you might still eat Greek yogurt. You still need the calcium, and Greek yogurt does not usually negatively affect digestion. So what I am saying is that I am not dairy-free.

Steak. This is also a personal choice and not something I tell my clients to avoid. You can have a steak. I just personally do not like it. If you do enjoy a good steak, have it in moderation (once a week max).

Frappuccino. You know the drinks I’m talking about. I never order one. If you are drinking these items, I encourage you to read the amount of calories and sugar you are ingesting in a few quick sips. It’s just not worth it. I would rather eat real food for that many calories.

Hollandaise sauce. I love eggs benedict, but I will never eat the sauce. It’s loaded with calories. I always ask for no sauce on this item. I prefer to just break the yolk of the egg all over that delicious meal.

Protein powders. I stopped ingesting protein powders a couple years ago when I read how many of the brands have heavy metals in them. I was enjoying a protein shake daily after my workouts and even used an organic, vegan brand. And that very brand (among many other popular brands) was found to have heavy metals. The reality of protein powders and other supplements is that they are not regulated, so you truly do not know what is in them. I prefer to get my protein shake from all-natural food items now. Check out my Eagle Protein Shake recipe at earnthatbody.com/ the-eagle-protein-powder-free-shake.

Fast food. You will never see me go to McDonald’s, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A or even Subway. The only fast food I eat is Chipotle or P. Terry’s. These are also foods I eat very rarely. But you might see me eat them once in a while.

Kim Eagle’s Top 10 Foods to Almost Never Eat

Bagels. They’re all carbs and no nutrition.

Juice. There’s way too much sugar.

Bacon. It’s hard to keep your fat and sodium down for the day when indulging in bacon.

Caesar salad. It’s not the best salad option because of the creamy dressing.

Doughnuts. Once a year, I eat one with m y sister’s family.

Potato chips. This is a very rare indulgence.

More than one cocktail. I am pretty much a one-glass-of-wine gal. Anything more than that makes me feel like crap and leads to bad eating.

Tuna-fish salad or sandwich at a restaurant. This is one of the worst sandwich options you can choose because of the high fat content.

Cream cheese. I’ll have it on that bagel once in a while .

Smoothies. They’re loaded in fruit and therefore, crazy high in sugar. It’s not worth it.

So, there you have it. This is how I eat and I don’ t feel like I live on a diet. Sometimes, making a few hard rules for food can make your calorie intake a lot lower and sticking to nutritious foods a lot easier. If you are not a very healthy eater and looking to lose w eight, I bet you could drop those pounds just by following these never-eat rules. Give it a try, and remember food is fuel. Healthy food is good for you. Don’t starve yourself to lose weight. Just eat real foods and live life fully.

Kim Eagle is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, weight-loss and get-ripped coach. She has a master’s degree in science and Eastern medicine, and is the owner of Earn That Body, through which she offers online personal training. You can also tune in for her nutrition and fitness advice on JB in the Morning on Classic 105.3 every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.