5 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

You think you have everything under control: you’re working out regularly, cutting back on your soda habit, and only indulging in dessert once a week. Yet you aren’t seeing results. Sound familiar? 

While there are many reasons why you aren’t losing weight, here are five common mistakes you might be making that are sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. 

1. Snacking without tracking

It may seem like only “a couple” of almonds or “one or two” chips, but grazing throughout the day can add up quickly. And then doing that day after day can result in actual weight gain. 

By tracking every time you snack, you get a better grasp on how often you’re eating. Additionally, just knowing that you have to take the time to record it may make you more mindful of why you’re snacking in the first place. 

2. Overestimating calories burned from exercise 

Exercise is an essential component of weight loss. In addition to burning calories during the activity, over time, increases in muscle mass can result in a speedier metabolism (a.k.a you’ll burn more calories even when you aren’t working out). 

However, it’s very common to overestimate just how many calories you burn during a workout and end up consuming more calories in your post-workout protein shake or meal than you actually burned. 

This was shown in a 2010 study of 16 healthy adult men and women. The participants on average estimated that they had burned 3-4 times more calories than they had actually burned. Furthermore, after exercising, the participants consumed 2-3 times more calories than they actually burned during the workout. 

Over time, this pattern of eating more than you work off at the gym could be a significant reason why you don’t see the scale going down. 

3. Not counting the weekends 

Just as snacks can add up quickly, so can our eating habits during the weekend. While it’s understandable to want a break from logging, not tracking your intake can be a slippery slope if you aren’t being mindful of your eating and drinking decisions. 

Now, there’s nothing wrong with letting yourself enjoy a cocktail when out with friends or baking cookies as a family. However, it’s still important to be intentional about your food decisions. This means having a glass of water in between drinks to help remind yourself to go slow or checking in with yourself before automatically going back for a second cookie. 

If weekends tend to be an ongoing food and/or booze-fest, then it may be worth tracking a weekend or two to help make yourself aware of how those decisions could be affecting your weight loss goals. 

4. Getting too hungry 

Whether you’re trying to “save up” calories for dinner or simply trying to eat less throughout the day, it’s important not to let yourself get too hungry. 

Besides getting moody and possibly light-headed, you’re also less likely to make healthier decisions when presented with food. Plus, you may end up eating so quickly out of being hungry, that you eat far more calories than if you had eaten a few light meals throughout the day. 

Getting too hungry could also have to do with our final tip. 

5. Focusing only on calories 

One of the biggest mistakes I see clients make when trying to lose weight is focusing only on calories. 

Let’s use an example. Say two people are told that they can eat whatever they want at lunch as long as it doesn’t exceed 500 calories. Person A grabs a slice of cheese pizza and two 100-calorie packs of cookies. Person B grabs a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mustard, and an apple on the side. 

Even though both lunches are approximately 500 calories, Person A’s lunch is mostly just refined carbohydrates, fat, a little protein, and very little fiber. As a result, Person A will likely be hungry and looking for a snack within an hour or two.

In contrast, Person B, whose lunch had a balance of protein, complex carbohydrates, fat, and fiber will likely stay full for much longer and snack less throughout the day. 

Yes, calories are important but they aren’t the whole picture. The type of calories we eat is incredibly important as it affects our hunger levels throughout the day and can prevent unnecessary snacking. 

If you’re finding yourself hungry frequently after meals, it’s worth taking a look at exactly what you’re eating and not just how much. Chances are you could use a little extra fiber, lean protein, and/or healthy fat. 

Bottom Line

If you’re feeling frustrated by your slow or lack of progress, it may be worth taking a look at some of your eating habits that are flying under the radar. Tracking your food and exercise in your Lose It! App can help identify trends and areas that need improvement.