4 Diet Mistakes That Lead to Weight Gain
Aging throws some hurdles into your heart health and weight loss plans. For one your metabolism drops every decade as you age. Here are some mistakes to avoid if you want to see success:
1. Eating the same way you did 10-20 years ago.
Your metabolism (the rate you burn calories) decreases about 2% every 10 years beginning at age 30. If you continue to eat the same amount year after year you will gain weight.
2. Skipping meals.
May temporarily “save calories”, but you’ll quickly replace the calories as hunger leads you to overindulge at the next meal. Skipping meals can also cause your metabolism to slow down.
3. Jumping from fad diet to fad diet.
Fad diet should be synonymous with “bad diet”. There’s no research to back up the claims that eliminating this food or adding that one will cause you to lose weight. Nor will eating at only certain times of the day give you the long term results you seek.
4. Keeping unhealthy snacks within reach.
If you only have potato chips and sweets in your cupboards you are not setting yourself up for success. You must keep fruits and vegetables and healthy high fiber snacks on hand if you are to be expected to include more in your diet.
What are some of your habits that are sabotaging your success? I’d love to hear them. Share as a comment below.
Here’s a link to 1-A-Week Weight Loss Tips – http://www.weightlosswithlisa.com.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Best Weight Loss Plan
http://www.bestweightlossplan.org
Heart Healthy Eating – 7 Salad Bar Mistakes to Avoid
When trying to be heart healthy and lose weight a salad can be a great choice to include as a regular part of your meal plan – either as a vegetable side or the main entrée.
However, a salad can quickly become a weight loss disaster if you make the 7 mistakes below!
Mistake #1 – Selecting iceberg lettuce.
Iceberg lettuce is one of the most common forms of lettuce you’ll find in grocery stores and salad bars. Unfortunately iceberg lettuce provides minimal nutrients (mostly crunchy water). Select dark green, leafy lettuce varieties, such as romaine and endive. Also, greens like spinach and arugula provide added nutrients to your salad mix.
Mistake #2 – Skimping on fresh vegetables.
You can afford to splurge on fresh vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Fresh vegetables are low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals.
Mistake #3 – Skipping the protein.
If your salad is your entrée it’s important to add some protein, such as chopped eggs, nuts and seeds, beans, or shredded meat (turkey/ham/chicken/seafood). Refer to How Much Protein Do You Need to Lose Weight? for a review of your protein needs.
Mistake #4 – Choosing a cream based soup.
Soup is often included on salad bars. Cream based soups tend to be high in calories and fat. Opt for broth based soups instead.
Mistake #5 – Loading up on salad toppings
Croutons, sesame noodles, and bacon bits are a few common salad toppings. These topping should be used sparingly. They provide minimal nutrients and are high in calories.
Mistake #6 – Selecting a high fat, high calorie salad dressing.
Now, if you’ve avoided the first five mistakes, you don’t want to ruin your nutritious salad with a poor dressing choice. Opt for vinegar based salad dressings or low fat/calorie salad dressing if available and use sparingly. Tip: Dip your fork in a small cup of salad dressing before every bite instead of pouring the dressing on your salad. You get great flavor with every bite and use significantly less dressing.
Mistake #7 – Making too many trips to the salad bar.
Even if your salad bar includes unlimited trips it’s not necessary to go back multiple times – which can be very tempting. Decide in advance how many trips you’ll make and stick with your plan. Even though a well-balanced salad is a healthy choice, too much of a good thing can quickly turn bad!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
