Many of us have been there. Struggling to lose weight. Unsure where things went wrong and why we're not seeing results. Here are the 9 most common weight loss mistakes that will help you progress and reach your goals.
Not Eating Enough Veggies
2 1/2 cups a day is the recommended dose of veggies & most of us fall short of this. Veggies are not only good for you, they have tons of fiber which will keep you feeling full throughout the day.
2 1/2 cups of vegetables is a lot of food. If you portion 2 1/2 cups of chips and compare to 2 1/2 cups of vegetables, you'll see you're getting a lot more food for a lot less calories. That's an amazing discount!
The trick to eating more vegetables is stashing them in every meal you eat. Toss leftovers from the fridge into your morning eggs or oatmeal (squash in oatmeal is amazing).
Sneak added veggies like cucumbers, zucchini, cauliflower, tomatoes, lettuce into salads or sandwiches. For dinner, aim to cover 1/2 your plate with vegetables.
Veggies also make great grab 'n' go snacks. Many can be bought fresh, already prepped and cut. Some like carrots and celery even come individually wrapped so you don't have to think about portions which is great.
Steam vegetables are another great option. Keep 2 or 3 varieties on hand so you can pull them out whenever you need them.
Not Eating Breakfast
It's said time and time again. Eating breakfast is key to weight loss and maintaining health. Eating first thing in the morning jump starts metabolism. Remember it's been idle all night.
The key is to get your metabolism burning fuel first thing in the morning so it can hum along all day. By not eating breakfast, you are slowing your metabolism and you will probably over eat later in the day to make up for it. Don't be afraid to have a big breakfast too.
Consuming High Calorie Drinks
A common mistake among weight lossers is the stuff their drinking. Energy drinks, sodas, coffees and even juices are packed with sugars and calories. Cut out all of it.
Stick to black coffee with a dash of cinnamon with a little milk. Apple cider vinegar is a great way to trick yourself into thinking you're drinking juice. Add ACV to a 3/4 full water bottle and you have yourself a 0 calorie juice. As always, drink at least 8 or more glasses of water a day.
Eating Too Much Protein
Protein is important, but too much of it in your diet can cause the body to store it as fat.
Think high protein shakes and bars which tend to have added sugars and lots of calories. The average person does not need this extra protein unless they're training for a marathon.
Not Eating the Right Foods
This is obvious. Eat healthy foods. Not the diet, low-fat, low-calorie, low-crap. Eat real, whole food.
Keep in mind carbohydrates, fats and protein are still needed during weight loss. The trick is figuring out what works best for your body as fuel and weight loss. Some healthy foods can hinder weight loss in certain people.
Under Estimating Portions & Servings
Be aware of food sizes and portions. We often eat with our eyes, not our heads. Its very easy to overindulge even on something healthy and not see the results on the scale you may be looking for.
Most meals are 3-4 times the one serving size especially at restaurants. If portions are a trouble area for you, then pre-portion foods in advance of eating.
Not Sleeping Enough
Appetite and hunger are influenced by home much sleep you get. It's one thing to go one night here or there on a few zzz's, but skimping on sleep over a period of time will cause hunger hormones.
You need energy and if you're lacking in sleep, then your body will make up for it with food fuel.
Stressing Too Much
Stress raises cortisol levels. If these levels remain too high for too long, the body goes into survival mode. It thinks it needs to eat more and save fuel for a rainy day; hence overeating.
Long term stress not only has implications on weight, but also on overall health. If life and work are too stressful, take a step back and evaluate the things within your control that can help you reduce stress.
Thinking You're on a Diet
Diets are temporary and do not result in long-term, sustained weight loss. Weight loss is a lifestyle change.
Eating better and exercising are the two changes you must embrace long-term. Once you accept the notion of this being your new way of life forever, weight loss is so much easier to be successful at.
More Weight Loss Tips!
8 Portion Control Tips to Stop Eating Out of Control
Weight Loss Tips: What Worked for Me
How to Break Through a Weight Loss Plateau
Eating more veggies...that was a real tough one for me. Mostly because they just don't taste good! Well, a time in our lives when we gotta put on our big boy pants on and man up and eat our veggies. Seems to me like women tend to be a little more open minded when it comes to eating veggies. Us guys think we're too macho for that stuff. We are lame!
Great tips! I definitely struggle with underestimating portion sizes...especially when it comes to things like chips and cereal!!!
Another thing I would say is not drinking enough water. Often, we feel "hungry" when we are really just dehydrated!
Completely agree with you on drinking enough water. There needs to be an automated fitness tracker for that!
Love this! All of these are so important. The one I always have trouble remembering is just because it's healthy doesn't mean you have to eat three times the serving size. I also can't miss breakfast cause then I over eat throughout the rest of the day.
The "healthy" food is a trap that catches a lot of people. Food is food regardless of whether or not it is healthy. I ask myself would you eat 3 or 4 apples in one sitting? Answer-> no. Then you don't need another healthy cracker.
I think the "thinking you're on a diet" trap is a bigger thing than many people realize. We're so programmed by the media to think of "diet" and we are also suckers for instant gratification. It is often not easy to see the long term or to truly commit to long term change. The emotional barriers can be huge!
Weight loss is a lifestyle change not a diet. Once you accept that, the process of losing weight is much easier.
Great advice! I think sleep is really often overlooked as a culprit for losing weight. Beyond the food you eat the lifestyle choices you make really have a big impact. Finding ways to reduce stress are very important too.
Great point on reducing stress. Definitely raises cortisol levels which can cause weight gain.
YES. Everything you posted. This is a great list and it is so easy to fall into any of these "traps" and sabotage yourself. I think as far as the protein, something people don't always understand is that more protein does NOT equal weight loss. There is a reason for everything you consume and put into your body- and protein is important, but it's also necessary for a reason- and that's NOT to just lose weight.
The body still does need carbs & healthy fats. Many people believe those things are bad, but in reality the body does need a balance of all 3.
Sound advice! The one I find most interesting is the 'too much protein' - I've heard arguments for and against all the macronutrients, but the protein one is still one that interests me most. Generally I like to get a good 20-30g x 3 in a day, depending on workouts, but I've also heard a protein fast (well, a significant reduction) one day a week can improve longevity in a big way. But yeah, it's a bit crazy when people think shovelling some extra protein in powder/bar form will help weight loss, especially when it can be achieved from real food!
I agree, get your calories from real food. I think people get confused easily by the wealth of information out there for fitness fanatics training for races. The protein bars & shakes are really only meant for those doing intense training not for those losing weight.
Very excellent tips! Its so much better to make small lifestyle changes over time that you can stick to! I also love the point about black coffee, I used to buy cheap coffee and add tons of creamer. I started "splurging" on coffee beans from my local coffee shop and it tastes so much better I can drink it black.
We often forget that the things we drink also contribute to weight & health.