Are you dieting and not losing weight? Very often, when we make the decision to lose weight, we start off with the best intentions and a focused, unflappable mindset that, this is it — this time will be different. However, many of us frequently find that only after a few days into the plan we begin to slip back to old habits and then eventually back to square one.
The truth is that even when you’re “on a diet,” you may be eating a lot more calories than you think. There’s often a disconnection between what we know we should do to lose weight, and what we actually do while trying to diet.
For starters, stop thinking about dieting. Instead, Think positively and take a look at those everyday habits that could be causing weight gain. Going on a diet can create an obsession with food, heighten cravings, and lead to a “throw-in-the-towel-because-diets-don’t-work” mentality.
You might not realize just how quickly calories can add up. An extra tablespoon of butter adds 102 calories, and that of sugar adds 60kcal. Eating while cooking, starting each day with a high-calorie coffee drink, finishing off the kids’ plates at dinner — these are just a few of the sneaky habits that sabotage weight loss efforts.
Yet as quickly as calories can add up, they can be subtracted. Becoming mindful of your diet mistakes — the subtle ways that calories sneak into your diet throughout the day – can add up to real weight loss.
Check out our list of common diet mistakes people make, and see if any sound familiar to you.
- Missing meals — a major problem for many people who commonly believe that by missing a meal they are actually reducing their calorific intake. This is often counterproductive; as you may become so hungry that at your next meal you overindulge.
- The belief that you have to eat less when you want to lose weight — a full plate is not possible when you’re on a diet — right? Wrong! Many of us believe that we should be cutting back on food to lose weight whereas we really should be eating more. The most important foods that we should be filling up on are vegetables — so fill your plate with them!
- Not increasing your exercise levels — upping your exercise levels will maximize your loss of fat and minimize your loss of lean muscle. It will also help you maintain your weight long-term and prevent weight re-gain. Try to do around 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity at least four times a week.
- Make realistic changes to your diet that you can stick to — Dieting severely is not advisable in the long term; it may seem boring, but making a few small changes that you can stick to is far more likely to result in a weight loss that can be maintained over the long term.
- Being influenced by others; are there saboteurs in your house? Are you being held back by your friends or family? It may be uncomfortable to address these issues as family members or friends may not want you to change — think about talking through your plans with them.
