3 food habits ruining your diet

Beginning a diet is a good way to shed those extra pounds if you're over your ideal weight. Here are three foods that might be ruining your diet.

Beginning a diet is a good way to make healthier choices in your life and shed those extra pounds if you're over your ideal weight. Introducing new nutritious foods and cutting out junk food can have a positive effect on your weight; however, many people have trouble sticking to a diet if they don't notice results immediately. Eating some foods that seem to be healthy choices can actually prevent you from losing weight. Here are three foods that might be ruining your diet.

Smoothies seem like a great breakfast or snack choice for dieters; after all, they're full of fresh fruit, vegetables and nutrients. But depending on the ingredients you choose, smoothies can contain up to a day's worth of calories. Many store-bought smoothies also contain extra sugar and other harmful ingredients to enhance flavour. If you want to add smoothies to your diet, make them primarily with vegetables and add in a little fruit for extra flavour.

Dieters assume that soup is low in calories because it's mostly liquid and never feels very filling, but many types of soups are packed with fat and calories. Most soups are also very high in sodium, which, when consumed in excess, increases blood pressure. Stay away from cream-based soups or those dense in simple carbohydrates like noodles. Stick to vegetable soups and those that are clear broth-based.

Some fat-free foods are good for you, like milk and yogurt, but many fat-free food products cut the fat and then add in plenty of sugar to compensate for the flavour loss. Read the nutrition labels on the products you purchase to make sure the foods are not only fat-free, but low in sugar. Don't avoid fats completely, as some fats are actually good for you and help absorb nutrients. Choose monounsaturated fats, such as the kind you find in fish and raw nuts, and stay away from products that contain saturated fats.

Starting a new diet is a great step toward a healthier life. Losing weight helps ease the stress on your heart, boosts your metabolism and makes you feel better about yourself. You'll have a better chance of meeting your weight-loss goals if you avoid these three foods that can sabotage your efforts.