It’s no secret that everybody wants to have a nice physique.  We all want to be leaner, faster, stronger.  And most choose to eat healthy in order to achieve these fitness goals.

In the process of getting fit, however, many fitness-seekers make game-changing dietary mistakes, and you may be one of them.

n other words, what you THINK may be good for you is actually doing the opposite.  Many commonly-accepted “health” foods are actually a sham, and below you’ll find a list of foods that may keeping your fitness dreams from becoming a reality.

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1. Salads:

Salads themselves are great with just the greens, and maybe a lean protein, but they are destroyed with all the dressing, cheese, oils, and croutons that people load on top. Condiments can turn a 200-calorie salad into a 1,000 calorie meal. To keep the salad healthy, avoid all the unnecessary fats and carbs. A healthy alternative to these carbs and fats are peppers, grilled chicken, and a light vinaigrette dressing.

2.  Fruit Drinks/Smoothies:

Saying all smoothies are bad isn’t fair. There are many ways to create a healthy and delicious smoothie. However, many people choose to go about it the wrong way. A smoothie becomes unhealthy with all the sugars that are added to them. If you are making a smoothie with the fruit raw, you are keeping the fiber in it, making it easier for your body to convert the sugar to energy.

Healthy things to add to your smoothie to give it more nutritional benefits and give it a better taste are protein powder, almond butter, almond milk, or spinach.

3. Energy bar            

Energy bars are beneficial for athletes when they need energy in the form of fast-acting carbohydrates. The issue with these energy bars comes when people eat them throughout the day, like a normal snack. The reason it is not a bad idea for athletes to have an energy bar a few minutes before a game is because they will be converting the carbs to energy on the field or the court within minutes.

When your body gets the fast-acting carbs from an energy bar without the exercise, it will store the carbs as fat due to the insulin spike. Healthy alternatives to energy bars are bananas, almonds, granola, and apples

4. Cereal:                      

Cereal on its own or with milk can be doing your body harm. Many people lean toward cereal in the morning because they were told eating breakfast is healthy. It is true: eating breakfast has health benefits, but cereal is not the ideal food to start your morning with.

There is typically a lot of sugar that comes in common cereals, which leads to fat storage in the body. A better choice for a breakfast is eggs or a solid protein source, allowing you to perform at your best. Healthy alternatives are egg whites, egg beaters, or steak.

5. Sports Drinks:                 

A sports drink is something that many people believe to be a healthy alternative to soda.  These juices are advertised by high-level athletes such as J.J. Watt, Dwayne Wade, and many more. Sports drinks are good for athletes in the middle of games to replenish electrolytes and give fast acting carbs.  The issue with these drinks is when they’re consumed by people who are not active.

Gatorade contains almost 35 grams of sugar in the small bottle; over time it can do serious damage for fat storage in the body. Healthy alternatives to sports drinks are water, propel, or flavored water.