Now that summer is right around the corner, many people are trying to work on their “summer bodies,” which means they’re doing everything they can to eat healthily and lose a bit of excess winter weight. However, it can be challenging to achieve the results you want when you’re struggling with bloating and eating foods that hinder weight loss.
Bloating is a natural process that occurs after eating a meal, but it can sometimes be extreme and cause discomfort when triggered by certain foods. Additionally, sometimes the same foods that cause bloating or irritation are also what’s preventing you from losing weight.
We spoke with experts, including certified nutritionist Lisa Schultz, Dr. Christina Rahm, PhD, Dr. Daryl Gioffre, DC, and internal medicine physician Dr. Ehsan Ali about four common foods that can not only cause uncomfortable bloating but also prevent successful weight loss. After reading what they had to say, you may want to consider eliminating or limiting these foods from your diet to improve your health and overall well-being.
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1. Sweetened Yogurt
It's understandable if you like having some extra flavor or sweetness in your serving of yogurt, as when it's plain, it tends to be quite tangy. However, many flavored dairy yogurt products found in grocery stores today are often filled with refined sugar, which can overpower the health benefits of natural, plain yogurt and harm your gut health.
"Most of us think of yogurt as a health food because it contains probiotics, but it is one of those foods we need to avoid because most are loaded with high amounts of added sugars," explained Dr. Daryl Gioffre, a certified nutritionist and gut health specialist.
"Sugar disrupts the gut microbiome by promoting the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and yeast, leading to increased inflammation, weakened gut lining, and impaired nutrient absorption."
Dr. Gioffre recommends swapping sweetened yogurt for plain or Greek yogurt that has no added sugar.
"You can sweeten it yourself with fresh fruits or a small amount of stevia or monk fruit," he added.
2. Refined Grains
Many of us love our carbs, from pasta dishes to servings of rice with different meals. However, you might have noticed that after "carb loading" or eating a meal with white bread or pasta, you feel bloated and heavier. This could be because eating a large amount of refined carbs can make you feel a lot more low-enegry and lousy than you may think.
"They break down quickly into sugar, causing blood sugar crashes and feeding bad gut bacteria, which creates gas and inflammation," explained certified nutritionist and Verdura Method founder, Lisa Schultz.
Refined carbs, found in food items white bread, pastries, and crackers, are also notorious for slowing down weight loss progression. While they are certainly not the enemy and can be enjoyed in moderation, frequently eating them can easily throw you off track.
"They spike your blood sugar quickly, leading to insulin surges and insulin is a fat-storing hormone," continued Schultz.
"Frequent spikes and crashes lead to more hunger, less energy, and a rollercoaster of cravings. Refined carbs also feed bad gut bacteria, which increases inflammation and can make weight loss feel impossible, no matter how 'healthy' you eat elsewhere."
If you want to keep carbs in your diet, Schultz suggests opting for more nutritious options, such as sprouted grain bread, sweet potatoes, and quinoa.
3. Sugar-Free Candy
When you take a walk down the candy aisle at your local grocery store and see the sign for "sugar-free" candies, it can be tempting to buy some, especially if you're on a weight loss journey. While many believe that candies made from artificial sugar can be beneficial, they can do more harm than good.
Most sugar-free candies are filled with high amounts of artificial sweeteners, like sorbitol or sucralose. Dr. Christina Raham, a health expert and founder of Deep Rooted Causes Ventures, stated that these sweeteners "can feed harmful gut microbes and lead to fermentation in the digestive tract, which often shows up as bloating, gas, and sluggish digestion."
4. Processed Potato Chips
When people think of processed foods, one of the first items that comes to mind is potato chips. While they're crunchy, tasty, and come in a wide variety of flavors, incorporating potato chips as a regular part of your diet can easily slow down your weight loss progress and cause bloating.
Chips are another example of processed carbohydrates, which, according to board-certified internal medicine physician Dr. Ehsan Ali, typically have a "mile long" ingredients list and can impact your daily well-being. He said potato chip and other processed snacks are "usually packed with refined carbs, sodium, and additives that can trigger water retention and gut inflammation."
Like most processed foods, if you really love indulging in potato chips, having a serving of them every once in a while is fine. However, if you tend to eat large amounts of them whenever you're in your house, you may want to stop putting them in your grocery cart.
