Empty Calories

What are empty calories? Well, when you eat junk food that contains lots of fat and sugar, but no real nutritional value, that would be considered eating empty calories. Foods such as cakes, doughnuts, pastries, cookies, chips, candy, and the like are all high in calories, sugar, and fat, but really don't have much in the way of vitamins or minerals.

When you load up on such foods, you wind up gaining weight. When the bulk of your caloric intake comes from foods containing empty calories and little or no nutritional value, you can begin to suffer in more ways than one. The first problem that will creep up on you is weight gain, which is bound to happen if you omit healthy food choices from your diet and live on "junk" food.

Restrict Empty Calories in Your Diet

Aside from gaining weight, you may develop a host of other problems if you eat too many empty calories. Your risk for diabetes will increase if you eat lots of sugary junk foods, as will your risk for developing certain cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Being overweight is just one problem in a whole lineup of problems that obese people face. Being grossly overweight is dangerous, and it hurts more than just your self-image.

If are overweight, and don't know which weight loss programs are right for you, speak to your doctor immediately. Don't try to guess and go it alone, as certain diets may not be right for you. Your physician will be able to point out which healthy foods you need to eat a lot of, and which foods you should limit or avoid in order to lose weight safely. More than likely, you will be encouraged to start some type of exercise program that will help you burn calories and lose weight faster than through just dieting alone.

-
1. Next:Low Carb Dieting