These 7 foods are not cheat meals

Most dieticians agree that incorporating a cheat meal in your meal plan can beneficial. However, not all cheat meals are created equal. When considering your options, it's important to make choices that will compliment not compromise journey. Here is a list of foods that, for the most part, you should stay away from.

1. Donuts

Donuts are not only deep-fried, they are also covered in liquid sugar. A single donut can have 200 to 250 calories and close to 15g of sugar. This alone can spike your blood sugar, leading to a sugar crash later in the day.

2. Pasta

Despite the use of raw ingredients, pasta does not offer high quality nutrients. Most store bought and some restaurant pasta are packed with refined carbs and high in sodium. This is likely to increase your blood pressure, putting your body at risk for developing conditions like heart disease.

3. Store bought or Restaurant chain Pizza

It's not delivery, it's no bueno. Similar to pasta, most of what you will get from delivery pizza is salt, water, flour and oily toppings. If you go for store bought, you will be getting all the same, including some preservatives. The risk of conditions like heart disease can be just as high with this option due to the high levels of carbs and sodium.

4. Sugary Coffee drinks

The problem with daily coffee drinks is that they are loaded in "empty calories". They can lead you to easily surpass your daily calorie limit earlier in the day. One cup from a major coffee chain can have up to 700 calories and 15 grams of saturated fat. That could be a third of your daily caloric intake, before you have had a single meal.

5. Alcohol

Experts say it's best to keep the sweet alcoholic drinks out of our cheat meals. Not only do they prevent the body from burning fat, they can also make you feel hungrier. Similar to coffee, alcohol also is loaded with empty calories that can quickly fill up or put you over your daily caloric intake.

6. Onion Rings

While onion rings maybe a source of prebiotic fiber, they are also deep-fried and covered in sugar. They are also loaded in saturated fat and sodium, which will make your body retain water, making it hard for you to lose weight.

7. Chips

Potato chips are high in sodium and refined carbs, which can be very detrimental to your health and set you back in progress. Our brain also associate the "crunch" with freshness, which could have an addictive effect. This effect is so powerful that a 1983 Lay's commercial ended with the line, "No one can eat just one". That line was revised from its earlier slogan of "Betcha can't eat just one" in 1963.

Conclusion

The weight loss journey is different for everyone. But no matter where you are, you want to make sure you are putting your best foot forward.