10 Snacks You *Think* are Healthy… But Aren’t

Health foods have come a long way over the last few years. When it first became “trendy” to buy healthy foods, the pre-packaged products available on the shelves seemed revolutionary.

But times have changed and we’ve since learned that many of those snacks deemed healthy are actually secret sugar bombs.

Here are 10 snacks you think are healthy but actually aren’t.

1. Muesli Bars

Despite the name sounding pretty healthy, most muesli bars are loaded with added sugar and too low in fiber to keep you full for any decent length of time.

If you’re looking for a muesli bar to snack on, be sure to check the ingredients to make sure it’s not a glorified sugar bomb!

2. Energy Bites

The energy you get from these usually comes from the enormous amounts of sugars! Energy bites are another hidden sugar bomb.

When choosing energy bites make sure they’re mostly made of nuts and seeds and sweetened with dates.

3. Trail Mix

Nuts and seeds are a great snack but trail mix tends to be full of dried fruit and chocolate — making it more like a candy than a healthy snack!

Try and stick to plain nuts and seeds to avoid the extra sugar.

4. Salted or Flavored Nuts

While nuts are a great snack, try and stick to plain, unsalted and unflavored nuts. Salted nuts can be high in sodium while flavors like honey-roasted are another unnecessary source of sugar.

5. Protein Bars

Like energy bites, protein bars are often loaded with sugars or artificial sweeteners. They pass as “healthy” because they claim to help you build muscle but don’t be fooled by the label!

Ideally, source your protein from natural sources or make sure your protein supplements are sugar and artificial sweetener free.

6. Granola

Granola has a whopping amount of sugars, making it no better for you than Froot Loops. If you notice a pattern developing here it’s because an enormous amount of pre-packaged “healthy food” is just a minefield of hidden sugars.

7. Popcorn

Microwave popcorn often contains a high level of harmful trans-fats. If you see the words “hydrogenated” or “partially-hydrogenated” in the ingredients list, stay well away!!

8. Dried Fruit

Dried fruit is easy to overeat and lacks the fiber, hydration, and general goodness of fresh. All you’re left with is the fructose. Opt for fresh fruit where you can.

9. Juices

When you juice fruit you are removing all the good stuff—all the fiber that your body loves so much. The juice you’re left with is all fructose aka sugar! The lack of fiber means it’s easy to drink copious amounts that you wouldn’t be able to eat in its whole form. Choose smoothies instead to get the goodness of fiber.

10. Smoothie Bowls

Sure, they might be totally insta-worthy, but those trending smoothie bowls you see all over the internet will cost you around 500 calories and 100+ grams of carbs, most of which come straight from sugar. Doesn’t leave you much to play with in your meals for the rest of the day!

The key takeaway here is to watch out for hidden sugars! Most foods that claim to be healthy are actually loaded with sugar. Make sure you read the label and aim for foods with no more than 6 grams of sugar per 100g serving.

To make life super-simple, our meal plans come with a variety of snack options. Get your personalized IIFYM Meal Plan today!

 

8 Habits That Are Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

It can be frustrating and distressing to feel you’re doing everything right but still not making progress. The weight loss journey is always going to be a challenge, but there are some easy to fix habits that may be affecting your progress more than you think. These bad habits sneak into your routine without you even realizing it!

Let’s take a look at what these habits might be and how to fix them.

Thirsty not hungry

You might mistake being thirsty for being hungry and end up eating food you didn’t need. Make sure you’ve ticked the thirst box with water before ravenously munching everything in sight.

Including a glass of water before or with each meal will help you feel fuller and also aid digestion. Make sure you drink at least a few liters a day to avoid the thirsty, not hungry feeling.

Sugar intake

Eating too much sugar not only hinders progress but will leave you craving more. Sugar is high in calories and will have your energy levels crashing a few hours after consumption.

Sugar can be hiding in foods you didn’t even realize! Make sure you’re checking the labels on everything to see where any bad sugars could be hiding. Just because a food is labeled “healthy” or you’ve always believed it’s healthy, doesn’t mean it won’t have added sugar.

Fruit juices, granola, and sauces are often the main culprits hiding behind a “healthy” image.

Eating too many calories (including healthy food!)

Getting the right amount of calories can be tricky. It’s a fine line between eating enough that you won’t binge later but not eating too many you’re putting on weight.

You might be under the impression that consuming more ‘good’ calories won’t sabotage weight loss. However, this is where many go wrong. While it’s better than consuming lots of ‘bad’ calories, it can still have you gaining weight.

Not eating the right macros

Getting too much or too little protein, carbs and fiber can affect your weight loss progress. Too much will have you gaining weight rather than losing it and too little will have you going hungry.

People often make the mistake of dropping carbs completely, this will not leave you feeling satisfied and decrease your metabolism.

If you are working out, not eating enough protein is another common mistake. Protein allows your muscles to recover and also increases your metabolism when eaten in the correct amount.

Work out your unique macro requirements with our world-class macro calculator.

Skipping meals

A big no, in the dieting world! Purposefully skipping a meal that you would usually eat will leave you feeling the need to eat more later.

It doesn’t matter how many meals you eat each day as long as they fit your macros and leave you feeling energized. Make sure your meals are consistent each day, this will help you feel balanced and full for longer.

Restricting

Restricting can seem like the best method to get results fast, but it usually leaves you adding all the weight back on. That’s the whole point of IIFYM!

When you stick to your macros but still allow yourself to eat a range of foods you won’t find the need to binge or have cheat days later down the track. This is a key point in the IIFYM Meal Plan which will have you on track in no time.

Consistency

If you stick to the plan and keep it consistent you won’t have any trouble losing weight. Only sticking to the plan a few days a week won’t have you achieving the results you’re after.

You have to commit in order to see results! Also, make sure you aren’t hoping for results too soon. If it’s only been a few days since you started you likely won’t be able to see change, give it a few weeks

Alcohol intake

Generally speaking, alcohol has a high-calorie count. Those who include a glass of wine daily or drink a lot on the weekend may not realize how much it’s affecting your diet.

There’s no problem drinking alcohol if you drop the calories from elsewhere, you just have to make sure you’re counting.

Check out our guide on how to drink alcohol without sabotaging your progress.

How to combat these habits

Once you’re aware of the mistakes you’re making they become easier to fix. An IIFYM Meal Plan will help to keep you on track and hold you accountable. It will provide you with the correct macros and support so you can hit your weight loss goals.

IIFYM Meal Plans allow you to eat whatever you please as long as it fits the macros. This helps you avoid restricting and not eating the correct amount of macros. The plan offers support and regular weigh-ins to keep you on track and consistent. These bad habits that are affecting your weight loss can easily be kicked to the curb with the IIFYM Meal Plan.

Top 5 Post-Lockdown Fitness Trends

COVID-19 has changed the way we workout. Google searches for terms like “home workouts”, “home gym equipment”, and “HIIT workouts” surged throughout lockdown across the world.

This pandemic has forced trainers and dietitians to change the way they interact with their clients, meaning virtual health and fitness has never been better. Companies offering digital, “business-in-a-box” solutions have been inundated with trainers looking to expand the way they work.

As the world begins to relax lockdown restrictions from country to country, many people have weighed in with their predictions on what this means for fitness post-lockdown.

1. Virtual training

Exercising virtually helps to break down the barriers and fears that some people have about exercising in front of others. The abundance of digital resources that have been available during global lockdown means many people who wouldn’t otherwise exercise, have started to. This is a positive shift for the way we workout moving forward.

“The majority of people have adapted smoothly to virtual training. Armed with no more than a couple of dumbbells, perhaps a kettlebell and some resistance bands, people have been enjoying new ways of training outside of the big lifts,” says George Pearse, Personal Trainer at Fresh Fit London.

Affordability and flexibility are the two biggest advantages of virtual training. Since the sessions aren’t done in-person, you can choose the best time to work out, whether you workout at home or in the gym. You’ll save money too as online training programs cost less per month than most hour-long in-person training sessions.

Our IIFYM Meal Plan and Training Program are entirely app-based, providing you the freedom to take your shopping list with you to the supermarket and your plan to the gym without having to shuffle through endless pieces of paper!

To get your personalized meal plan and customized training program, start with our world-class Macro Calculator to determine your unique macro profile.

2. Exercising for mental health

Learning to manage stress and anxiety has become an essential part of wellness during lockdown. Moving your body, whether inside the house or out, is critical to wellness. Looking after your physical health will not only help your immune system stay healthy, but it will help relieve stress and anxiety. It also allows you to maintain a sense of structure and routine during this ever-changing situation.

Breath-focused exercises such as yoga, meditation, tai chi have become increasingly popular. Yoga and meditation are great ways to practice long, slow, deep breaths. Meditation will also help calm you when you’re feeling overwhelmed by anxiety.

“Bodyweight training and running have been people’s favored ways of training these past 7 weeks. Yoga will continue to grow in popularity as people explore new, exciting methods of moving their bodies and calming their minds. Whilst gyms remain closed and social distancing measures stay in place, I can see a rise in the outdoor bootcamp market, as people begin to interact with one another once more.” says George Pearse, Personal Trainer at Fresh Fit London.

3. Group training

We are social beings! Lockdown has highlighted the importance of community and human connection.

Just as virtual training has removed many barriers holding some back from training, lockdown has also given new meaning and value to training with others.

“The lockdown has brought people together into fitness communities like never before and I think there will be a surge in people continuing with group training whether it be online or offline,” says Joe Mitton Personal Trainer at MittFit.

4. Coping without gyms

The closure of gyms has forced us to learn to train from home, using the equipment we already have. This isn’t a bad thing! Knowing how to get a decent workout without relying on the gym is a game-changer for the fitness industry moving forward.

“People will miss the gym, but the fact that they are adjusting so well to having intense, effective workouts at home and outside will change the mindset for many – plus, it will be a while before they feel safe in gyms again,” says Keith McNiven, personal trainer and founder of Right Path Fitness.

5. IG/FB LIVE fitness sessions

Combining the benefits of virtual fitness with group training and a strong sense of community, IG and Facebook LIVE workout sessions have been an excellent tool. Not only to allow trainers to actively engage with their clients but also to foster that feeling of connection with others when we’re feeling socially isolated.

“The rise of Instagram live sessions has seen the public exposed to a huge range of different options,” says Personal Trainer George Pearse, at Fresh Fit London

People have been really keen to keep training, despite the gym being out of bounds. The need to keep moving, even if it’s not exactly like they were doing before. This raises interesting questions on the other side of lockdown – will people want to rush back to the gym floor? The customer is going to be a bit more discerning on the other side.”

Get your own personalized IIFYM Meal Plan and training program and start your virtual wellbeing journey today!