33 healthy real foods I avoided to lose 45 pounds (2024)

Last Updated on June 13, 2022 by Latrice

I’ve learned a lot about what’s healthy eating since I’ve started working on my weight.

I mean… A. LOT.

For instance, I learned soy was a very unhealthy food for humans, a bowl of fruit can cause cravings like a bowl of frosted flakes, and some humans just don’t do well digesting raw vegetables.

I learned there are healthy, real, wholesome foods that can also cause stalled weight loss or make weight loss way more challenging (or slower) than it has to be.

Releasing weight, for some, will require more than avoiding heavily processed foods and restricting calories on a real foods diet.

Below I discuss a few things I’ve learned about clean eating and real foods while on a weight loss routine and share which foods I’ve avoided to lose 45 pounds.

What I learned about real foods while on a weight loss journey

There are certain real foods, although real, cause little if any inflammatory response, and are from the earth, that can raise blood sugar higher than other real foods.

Higher blood sugar means insulin has to hang around in the body for a longer period of time. When insulin is around, fat isn’t being burned. Matter of fact, fat is being stored by insulin when too much blood sugar is in the body.

Evolutionarily, this is a natural human response to sweet and abundant foods. Our bodies store and increase our cravings when foods are sweet so we can prepare for famine. Problem is, we live in times when there is no famine but always a feast and cue to store body fat.

Avoiding these real foods, that are sweet and starchy, lets the body know we are not in a time of feast so there’s no reason to store and increase cravings.

These real foods can also be problematic for people that experience higher blood sugar levels than others. As someone that used to be borderline diabetic, I used to struggle with cravings if I ate too much fruit.

From my personal experience, those that are diabetic or prediabetic, or know they struggle with cravings and appetite control, should avoid super sweet fruits and starchy vegetables while on a weight loss routine.

What healthy, real foods I stopped eating to lose 45 pounds

Fruits

• Bananas
• Apples
• Pineapples
• Oranges
• Mangos
• Tangerines
• Papaya
• Grapes
• Fruit juices – even the raw fruit juice I used to juice myself
• Fruit smoothies
• Dried fruit

Vegetables

• Sweet potatoes
• Yams
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Yams
• Peas
• Yucca
• Corn
• Cherry tomatoes

Beans

• Black-eyed peas
• Black beans
• Pinto
• Lima
• Green peas
• Lentils
• Fava beans
• Cannellini
• Pinto
• Chickpeas
• White beans

Grains

• White, brown, wild rice… all rice
• Barley
• Corn
• Rye
• Sprouted wheat grain
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• All grains… essentially

Nuts

I’ve included these nuts because I know of people, myself included, that struggle with cravings and binge eating that do much better without them.

All roasted nuts are good to avoid because they’re toxic after roasting, can cause inflammatory responses, and are higher in carbs after roasting.

If you’re going to eat nuts as part of your weight loss routine, make sure to eat raw nuts and to measure/monitor your intake as to not go overboard.

• Cashews
• All roasted nuts
• Peanuts
• Anything roasted or coated

Want more tips?

If you’re looking for more information on weight loss and healthy living, I’ve put together resources full of action steps, tips, and tools:

• Start Hereguide for weight loss and healthy living with GeekyTricee.com
• How to Lose Weightresource guide
• Stop Counting Caloriesresource guide
• Design a Healthy Lifestyleresource guide
• Browse My Bookshelffor health and wellness book suggestions

Other posts sharing tips from my 45-pound weight loss journey

How I lost 45 pounds in 4 months on effortless intermittent fasting

How to choose the best intermittent fasting method FOR YOU

How to create your own keto diet meal plan in 3 simple steps

8 keto diet meal ideas for weight loss that helped me lose 45 pounds