AOL News & Trends: Weight-Loss Fads, Facts and Findings: What Would You Give Up? Not a thing.
We've all heard the story about a friend who dropped 15-20 pounds by giving up one food or drink. In truth, it's easy to recognize your guilty pleasures, but most of us overlook the obvious sources of fat and calories in our diets. Are you looking the other way? Nope, I'm winning this stare-down.
If giving up one of the following foods guaranteed a weight loss of 15 pounds by the end of the month, could you abstain? Not bloody likely.
1. Cola: It's no secret that regular cola is laden with sugar, but diet soda has a dark side, too. Every can consumed daily nearly doubles your risk of being overweight. Double my pleasure, double my fun.
2. Bread: This dietary staple lost favor in the heyday of low-carb plans like the Atkins Diet, but many experts say it's an important source of fiber. So many breads, so little time.
3. Coffee: How do you take it? It has its perks, but loaded with cream and sugar, your morning pick-me-up could have more calories than a McDonald's cheeseburger. Hold the coffee and give me hot cocoa with marshmallows and whipped cream, please.
4. Cheese: In your eggs. On your sandwich. In your salad. I'm sorry, Gromit. I love cheese, I always have.
5. Butter: Ah, there's nothing like the sound of that sizzle. There's nothing like the taste of butter, sour cream, bacon and chives with a double-baked potato under it either.
6. Chocolate: Who can resist that rich cocoa flavor? Sure, recent studies have shown the darker the chocolate, the healthier your heart -- but it doesn't do anything for your posterior package. Oh, it does wonders for my posterior package.
7. Alcohol: Everbody's got a vice, but some are worse than others. An average margarita has more than 300 calories, or three times the calories in a small glass of wine. I need to drink more margaritas after work, and more cocoa at work.
