Fitness coach shares 4 foods to avoid if you are in a calorie deficit and want to reduce belly fat

What's on your plate determines your weight loss, especially if you are in a calorie deficit. Belly fat, in particular, is commonly a central focus in weight loss as it is notorious for being stubborn and difficult to lose.

For the uninitiated, a calorie deficit is when one consumes fewer calories than the body burns, creating a gap to drop kilos. This is why ensuring what you are eating helps support your calorie goals, making a big difference in targeting fat loss, especially belly fat, repoets Hindustan Times.

James White, fitness coach, who frequently shares fitness tips on his Instagram, on June 10, shared what foods to avoid that may derail weight loss goal.

Eating habits can change how the results show up. You may not realise, but even the little things add up when you are on a weight loss journey. Here are the foods to avoid, as shared by the coach:

1. Heavy carbs for breakfast

Breads, often the go-to for breakfast in the form of sandwiches or carb-heavy cereals, may not be setting you up for the day correctly, as they can spike cravings.

Sharing the reasoning behind this, he said, "Stop piling carbohydrates into your body every single morning or breakfast. It spikes your insulin, and then blood sugar level will drop soon after that you will get very hungry very quickly, and you will start snacking before lunchtime or by the time you reach lunchtime, you will be so hungry that you will choose the wrong foods."

2. Oats bars, cereal bars, protein bars

Protein bars are often hailed as healthy, and many frequently consume them for breakfast or as a quick energy-boosting snack, but there are many better alternatives.

James clarified and shared an alternative, "They are easy to overconsume, not the healthiest thing you can find. Why not just have a simple piece of fruit or some vegetables dipped in hummus?"

3. Mayonnaise

A good dollop of mayonnaise is present in every other juicy, succulent sandwich, but this is a major fitness misstep, regardless of how healthy the mayonnaise claims to be.

James explained, "A very modest serving of these on a salad or sandwich could easily be three, four or 500 calories, which is almost as much as you would find in a whole sandwich or salad alone. Use them, but sparingly."

4. Dried fruit and nuts

Dried fruit and nuts often top the list of weight loss snacks as they contain healthy fats. But too much of anything isn't good, and since they are small, it's easy to overeat them.

Elaborating on the demerits, James added,"Easy to overconsume, very high in sugar and carbs. There's nothing wrong with a piece of dried fruit, but just be very careful not to over-consume it. Nuts are healthy, they are fine, but they are very calorific if you over-consume them. If you are in a calorie deficit and struggling to maintain it, how about thinking about taking out the foods, and you might start to find it easier to get the calorie deficit in place and maintain it and create long-term weight loss."