How many times have you tried a diet, only to find that you can’t stick to it or the weight you lost comes back? Or maybe none of them were successful. Many people will try many different weight loss techniques other than dieting, only to find again that they continue to struggle to achieve that ‘elusive’ goal.

In a recent study, thousands of people said they were following their doctor’s directions for healthy eating and vigorous exercise. However, their weight kept creeping up and they usually gave up, deciding the ‘diet gurus’ must have the right answer. When the researchers assessed the calorie intake of these people, they found that most people ate an average of 400 more calories per day than they thought. In a week, that’s 2,800 calories, which can result in nearly a pound a week of weight gain.

This article will discuss some diets and eating methods that are ineffective, or just plain wrong, and then give suggestions on how to make changes that produce weight loss results.

too much of a good thing

If you’ve improved your food choices, good for you! However, if you’re not losing weight yet, watch your portion sizes. Too much of even a good thing can pack on the pounds if the result is more calories being consumed than burned. If you eat well but still can’t lose weight, try keeping a food diary for 3-5 days to find out how well you’re eating. Don’t just list the foods you eat, weigh and measure your food to be very clear on how many calories each serving provides. After weighing and measuring your food for a week, you’ll have a much better idea of ​​what a serving does and how many calories you’re realistically eating each day.

The “Lite” rate can add

Another mistake people make is thinking that foods that are labeled ‘fat-free’, ‘low-fat’ or ‘reduced-fat’ mean they can eat more without feeling guilty. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the flavor has to come from something. So if a food has less fat, it may have more sugar, which means the calorie level remains the same, if not higher. As a consequence, you eat more and find yourself slowly gaining weight on your weight loss journey.

These low-fat options can be good, but continue to make these foods an occasional treat and eat the same amount as you would if they were the full-fat versions. Depending on the flavor, you may want to stick with your higher-fat version and just eat it less often, or eat a smaller amount.

We can drink our calories

A regular soft drink, sweetened tea, milkshake, etc., all provide calories. It is estimated that approximately 20% of the calories we consume each day come from the fluids we drink. Research has shown that calories from these sources also do not satisfy hunger. Experts say that just one regular soda a day, every day, can add 15 pounds to your body in a year.

What do you drink on a regular basis? I love Starbuck’s Frappuccino®, but I know if I drink one every day, I’d be adding about 300 calories a day to my food intake! In a week, that would work out to 2,100 calories. It takes 3,500 calories to equal one pound.

skipping meals

This is a very common mistake that dieters make. They believe that if they skip a meal, they will eat fewer calories throughout the day. However, your body gets used to a certain number of calories each day, so if you don’t get them in the first half of the day, you’ll likely crave food later in the day, making up the shortfall. Unfortunately, evening meals are generally higher in fat and lower in healthy nutrients.
One suggestion is to never skip breakfast or lunch, and if you’re not too hungry at dinner, eat little or half of what you’re served. Increase your water intake, especially 30 minutes before a meal. If you’re not used to eating breakfast, at least start the new habit with some protein and fruit. Once you get into the habit of eating lighter at night, you’ll eventually start to wake up hungry.

If you travel a lot or feel like you’re too busy to stop and eat, keep some ‘portable’ foods with you. Even a meal replacement bar is better than skipping it entirely. Many foods, such as refrigerated cooked vegetables or cut-up fruit, along with some crackers and a protein such as string cheese or peanut butter, keep well. Today there are many small, portable refrigerators that you can take with you in the car or on the plane.

If it enters your mouth, count

It is not unusual for people to wonder why they are not losing weight because they are eating moderate and very healthy meals. They don’t skip meals, they have cut out the ‘junk’ and they keep an eye on portion sizes.

However, they forget about snacks between meals! A good rule of thumb is to consider that each bite can average 25 calories: therefore four ‘extra’ bites in one day results in an extra 100 calories for that day. An excellent site that gives suggestions for cutting down on those extras is at this link: http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftmar03.htm. Do you grab a quick handful of French fries when you run through the kitchen? At work, do you stop at the vending machine to ‘cure hunger’ in the afternoon? Or maybe you head out to grab a few bites of ice cream from the bowl when you’re tired, stressed, or angry. All these ‘little’ extras add up! If you ate an extra 100 calories every day, you’ll gain almost a pound in a month.

Again, keeping a food diary, more than 5 days, helps people to really be aware of the extra ‘hidden’ calories they eat at times they weren’t even aware of. In a previous program I offered, clients would keep a food journal for 30 days and write to me daily along the way. All of the clients who participated in this program discovered times they ate that they were not aware of, and every one of them successfully lost weight on the program!

When I see nutrition clients struggling to control their eating habits, snacking, and cravings, I often encourage them to keep more fruit on hand. If you tend to crave sweets, eating fruit instead will satisfy that craving, lose weight, and even be healthier due to the antioxidant-rich foods.

Does life end on Saturday and Sunday?

This is one of my favorites! Weekend ‘days off’ became popular with a particular diet and exercise program. However, what I see in my clients is that if they cannot control their eating as a ‘natural’ part of life, then taking the weekend ‘off’ will not help instill new healthy habits. It’s so easy to rack up the extra calories in just two days! If there is a food that you avoid because you perceive it to be a ‘bad’ food, or because you feel you cannot control the portion sizes of that food, but you ‘allow’ it on the weekends, you are depriving yourself of learning to manage that food. food and could continue to fight with it all his life. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel at peace with a problem food at some point instead of always avoiding it as ‘the enemy’?

Fill up on nutrient-dense foods

Although 66% of all Americans are overweight or obese, there are still people who manage to control their weight without constant struggles. How they did it? This article is not focused on exercise, but as a personal trainer, I may question the benefits of consistent exercise. Another key is to eat foods that are ‘nutrient dense’, high in moisture and low in fat. These are foods that fill you up without a lot of calories. Multiple studies from Pennsylvania State University have identified particular foods that fit into this category: examples include water, broth-based soups, vegetables, and particularly leafy greens. Adding vegetables to combination dishes helps increase the nutrient density and decrease the calories of the dish. Add water-rich vegetables like broccoli, carrots, or tomatoes to chili, casseroles, and even macaroni and cheese. Studies have shown that people eat the same amounts of servings, but because of the increased ‘bulk’, they eat fewer calories.

I always suggest clients look for a change that they can do at the same time. Review the tips above and determine what small change you can make today. Just work on that change until it becomes a habit or a natural way of eating. Only after it has become second nature should you work on a second change. Small, slow changes incorporating valid healthy habits will ensure that a year from now you will be lighter than you are today.