Weight Loss: Are you sabotaging your results?

Published June 6, 2012 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

If losing weight was easy, we wouldn’t be facing this obesity epidemic in the U.S. There are so many factors working against us that successful weight loss is a struggle. It doesn’t help if you are self-sabotaging your own efforts to lose weight.

Here are 5 ways you may be hindering your weight loss success:

Liquid calories
All calories add up and you may not realize how quickly liquid calories add up. Think about what you add to your coffee in the morning (or throughout the day!), any juice you drink with breakfast, sports drink or soda you may grab as a “pick me up”. . . all those calories add up and can add up substantially.
Ordering a salad because it’s a salad

Yes, salads can be a good choice when dining out, BUT some salads can end up having more calories than a regular entrée. Think about the salad dressing, croutons, bacon bits, cheese, avocado, nuts, etc. Some of these choices are nutritious (avocados, nuts, cheese), but too much adds a powerful calorie punch. You must watch the amount and definitely DO NOT order a salad that comes with the dressing already added. . .think casers salads!
Doing aerobic activity, while skipping the anaerobic
Building muscle is just as important to long term weight loss success as is burning the calories through aerobic activity, such as running or biking. You must build muscle through weight lifting to boost metabolism which supports successful weight loss. Keep your workout routine balanced.
Constant snacking

You may think you’re just having little handfuls here and there throughout the day; however, this constant grazing can add up to more calories than you anticipate. Are you really hungry or grazing out of habit? Is it boredom? Instead of reaching for a snack, reach for water. Many times hunger is really thirst in disguise. Plan your meals and snacks to avoid the constant grazing.
“I can’t have that” thinking
Diets don’t work. The minute you put restrictions on what you can and cannot have you, what you can’t have is all you think about. Plus “dieting” is a short term way of thinking. Do you plan to diet all your life? No. You will eventually fall off the diet for a period of time and then start again down the road. What’s the point of this? It’s much more productive to make diet and lifestyle changes that you can live with long term. No just a diet.