Things That Can Sabotage Your Weight Loss Pt.1

Despite your valiant efforts to lose weight, these factors may be keeping you from shedding the pounds. So you've got your plot to drop the extra pounds. It certainly seems sensible: You're going to eat right, eat less, and exercise. After weeks of declining dessert and diligently hitting the weights, you step on the scale and... only 2 pounds gone? You conclude that something or someone must be sabotaging you.
You might be right. While experts say weight loss can always be reduced to the simple "calories in, calories out" mantra. Meaning if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you'll lose weight but there may be other factors meddling with the balance. Here's a few of them:



1. Treating healthy foods as low-calorie foods.
"A lot of times they're not consistent," says Scott Kahan, co-director of the George Washington University Weight Management Program in Washington, D.C. So while whole grains, avocados, and nuts might be kind to your heart or cholesterol levels, dieters who binge on such foods can, before they know it, add hundreds of calories (each gram of fat equals NINE calories) to the day's total. Enjoy calorie-rich healthy foods, dietitians urge, but ration them out: a quarter of an avocado on a salad or a small handful of almonds for a snack.


2. Shunning shuteye.
Research has linked shorter sleep duration to a higher body mass index (a measure of body fat) and increased hunger and appetite. Additionally, if you're tired, you might be prone to grab a sugar-laden treat for a midday boost, skip exercise, and choose takeout for dinner to avoid cooking. It's a vicious cycle. Aim for seven or eight hours a night.



3. Underestimating calories eaten.
Quick, how many calories have you had today? No idea? Calorie ignorance is common and fueled by quite a few factors, dietitians say. First is a warped understanding of portion sizes. "People will tell me, 'Oh, I eat a half teaspoon of butter and I spread that on a piece of toast,' " says Ellen Liskov, a registered dietitian and nutrition specialist at Yale-New Haven Hospital. "I don't think you can do that mechanically." (People typically use a tablespoon or more.) You're going to have to recalibrate: Measure everything for a few days and work from recipes that calculate calories per serving or do it yourself. And be diligent about checking serving sizes. ONE sleeve of PopTarts, for example, is TWO servings. Also, be wary of seemingly innocent things like fruit, juice, trail mix, and dips. It's particularly easy to go overboard here.
This is just one more reason I REQUIRE you to keep a food diary (calorie counting phone app). Forgetfulness magnifies calorie ignorance. With all the to-do's jammed into your brain, you probably don't want to add a food diary. But, too bad! Your selective food memory is going to continue to sabotage you "until you start to pay attention every time you put something in your mouth," says Madelyn Fernstrom, founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Weight Management Center and author of The Real You Diet. Also, while a couple of healthy snacks strategically spread throughout the day is a good hunger-control tactic, Liskov warns of "random" snacking. You'll almost certainly lose track of all those calories.