One of the primary aspects associated with safely and effectively losing excess body fat through a reduction in overall dietary caloric intake is to ensure that the foods that you consume are derived, in large part, from whole foods that are highly nutritious, healthy, and well balanced.

By ensuring that your dietary weight loss approach centers around sound nutritional principles, the probability of creating a nutritional deficiency will be greatly reduced. One approach is to focus on consuming a wide array of all natural whole foods that include several types of lean meat, chicken, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains. In addition, there are certain common food additives can actually cause weight gain or inhibit the rate at which excess body weight is lost. Below is a list of three additives that may slow down or inhibit weight loss.

Common Food Additives to Avoid When Wanting to Lose Weight

1. Dairy Antibiotics

   Dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and milk may contain harmful antibiotics. These types of antibiotics are not found in dairy products that are certified organic. Antibiotics and hormones of this type can kill the “good” bacteria that is present in both the stomach and the digestive tract and lead to a weakened immune system.

   In addition, dairy based antibiotics and hormones can also disrupt the balance of the various bacteria types within the digestive track, leading to additional belly fat and bloating.

2. Salad Dressing Sodium

   Salad, including mixed greens and healthy vegetables, are a crucial component of any individual that is looking to consume healthy foods and/or lose weight. While most individuals are aware that salad dressings that are high in fat are counterproductive to promoting effective weight loss, most individuals do not realize that the sodium found in salad dressings can inhibit weight loss as well.

   Several of the “light dressings”, including vinaigrette’s, contain up to 400 mg of salt in a single small serving. Consuming excessive amounts of sodium can promote water retention and slow down the rate of your weight loss efforts. For a tasty and healthier alternative, try making your own dressing with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and citrus juice.

3. MSG in Chips

   Every once and a while, even the most disciplined of individuals find room in their dietary routine to consume a few chips, especially when several of the baked varieties contain a relatively low amount of fat. However, the presence of MSG, or monosodium glutamate, should make you think twice before diving into a bag of chips.

   In addition to several health risks posed by MSG, this savory flavoring can lead to serious weight gain. According to recent studies, individuals who regularly consumed MSG were three times fatter than those that did not; even when compared among the two groups where the diets, except for the MSG, were identical.

Losing weight and keeping it off can be a lifelong challenge and a source of frustration for many individuals. With today’s sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, and highly processed foods, it is no wonder that so many individuals are either overweight or obese. This being said, safely and effectively losing weight will generally require a few modifications in lifestyle.

The modifications that are required within an individuals lifestyle typically revolve around increasing their level of physical activity, improving their food choices, and decreasing the total number of calories that they consume on a daily basis. While this may sound like a daunting task at first, subtle changes can make a large difference.

For instance, simply taking a walk 3 to 4 times per week can assist in promoting safe and effective weight loss results. In another example, eliminating most highly processed foods from a diet will also promote solid weight loss results. Combining the two will produce even greater weight loss results within a shorter period of time.

The three common food additives discussed in this article only serve to increase the difficulty associated with successfully losing weight. By themselves, each additive will not cause a rapid rate in weight gain. However, when combined, and coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and poor overall eating habits, the three food additives only serve to increase the rate at which weight is gained or lessen the rate at which weight is lost. Hence, eliminating, or greatly reducing, the intake of dairy antibiotics, salad dressing sodium and sodium in general, and MSG is a great start to any weight loss plan.