Weight loss can be tricky. Really tricky. In addition, when it comes to losing weight there are many mistakes that we can make. Some of them seem pretty obvious (Like how about -not- eating a whole pizza today? Or drinking a whole bottle of wine in one sitting…Oh, sorry I already did that, PMS and all…) and others seem to creep up on us and catch us by surprise.
What are some of the biggest mistakes that women make when trying to lose weight?
Here are 6 of the biggest ones that you may or may not know.
Skipping The Veggies
Vegetables are probably the best thing for anyone to eat, ever. Not just when you are on a diet. Yet for some reason, many female dieters are having a hard time meeting their daily serving suggestion for this vital food group. Health.com says that many people don’t get the recommended 2.5 cups a day of vegetables.
Why?
Well, many of us didn’t grow up eating them or the vegetables we had were simply gross (canned beets anyone?). When cutting calories, we skip this food group because we aren’t used to seeing them on our plates. Time to add them back in-and I also recommend taking 1 scoop of veggie greens daily. So now you really have no excuses!
Avoiding Snacks
Even though it seems to go against conventional wisdom when it comes to losing weight, snacking can be part of a healthy weight loss program. As long as you keep your snacks “clean” and planned you will get many benefits including a reduction in cravings and a boost in brain power through out the day.
Some of my fave snacks are:
- RivalUS protein powder with just enough water to make paste like consistency with frozen berries – the best guilt free dessert. Ever! (I use “Cookies & Crème Promasil flavour and add frozen raspberries)
- Tuna on rice cakes or lettuce wraps
- Fruit of choice with a handful of almonds
- Celery & carrots with hummus
Cutting Entire Food Groups
You may have seen this dressed up. Paleo, Veganism, Vegetarianism, Atkins, no fishitarianism (I made the last one up). These are the women who, in an attempt to control their eating habits, have cut out entire groups of food. Self.com notes this is becoming more popular. Cutting out entire food groups is not sustainable and can lead to disordered eating and unbalanced diets.
One of the major symptoms of an eating disorder is having foods that are “unsafe” to eat. Think of those you know who practice these very strict diets. Their obsessive nature about food can turn very quickly into something unhealthy. Try eating a well-rounded balanced diet instead.
Over Focusing On The Scale
LADIES!
Yes, you.
You are more than your weight. Focus on other elements of weight loss other than the number on the scale. Authority Nutrition recommends focusing on how your clothes fit and that you take measurements to see how your body is changing.
Women often quit because their weight doesn’t change, as quickly or in the direction, they want it to. Sometimes when gaining muscle, you will gain weight. Then you will start to burn fat and lose weight. Stop focusing on the scale and STOP weighing yourself every day.
Dressing
“Eat This” says that many women switch to salads but miss the drop in calories because they start drizzling dressing all over their greens. 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing contain 200 calories. Many people don’t measure their dressings and can put as much as 600 added calories onto the salad they are eating. Women across the world have switched to salads at lunch only to see the scale go up. This is because all of the dressing you pour on top of those greens. Skip the heavy dressing and go for a light alternative. I like to use balsamic vinegar and lemon on my salad.
No Plan
Hunger is a strong motivator. If you haven’t planned out your meals and you get too hungry, you are going to eat anything.
Ask any woman why she fell off her diet, and chances are she will tell you she got too hungry and “didn’t have anything else to eat.” Prepping healthy meals and snacks ahead of time will help you stay focused on your goals.
Now you know some of the common pitfalls that people experience when trying to lose weight. Have you fallen victim to any of these? Remember if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!