Fattening Foods that May Take You by Surprise

So many of the foods we eat may seem like they're healthier, but they could be loaded with calories or fat. Here are 9 such types of foods:

1) Fruit juice: these are high in calories and sugar. You can shave 100-200 calories for an 8 ounce serving by skipping this and drinking water instead.

2) Breaded chicken/fish: you may think of this as a better alternative to beef or pork, but they too have lots of fat. Go for the broiled or grilled versions more often.

3) Rice cakes: these seem so harmless, but they have a lot of high glycemic index carbohydrates which can cause a rapid blood sugar level rise. They can also cause unwanted fat storage and slow down your metabolism.

4) Frozen yogurt: say what? This might be one of the most popular "health" food choices, but many of the frozen yogurts are low in protein and calcium. And they still have calories and carbohydrates that can be converted to fat and stored in the body.

5) Muffins: these can have many calories, and even low-fat muffins have more sugar to make up for the lack of fat.

6) Deli meats: these tend to be high in sodium and fat, and some may even contain sugar. Try to stick with lean turkey and chicken.

7) Flavored oatmeal: if you look on the back of the ingredients list, you'll probably see sugar right near the top. Cut down on the packets or get unflavored oatmeal that you can add your own spices to.

8) Salad dressing: salads themselves are fine, but when you add fatty dressings to them you defeat the purpose. Usually a serving of salad dressing has 6-10 grams of fat and 75 calories, but most people put 4 servings on top of their salad. Either put a serving or two of dressing off to the side to dip the salad in, or go for low-fat dressing.

9) Alcohol: the good news is this doesn't contain fat. The bad news is it's loaded with empty calories.

When it comes to weight loss and health, you need to be educated about your food choices. Instead of declaring all of the above foods and drinks out of your diet forever, or going in the opposite direction and continuing to consume them without moderation, just be more aware of what you're putting into your mouth. That way, you'll have a better chance of being a step ahead instead of 20 pounds behind.