Weight loss can be a difficult journey at the best of times, but few things are more demoralizing than discovering you’ve been undermining your own efforts unknowingly. "People go into these plans with the best of intentions, but sometimes they don't have the best information to support their changes," registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, tells Harvard Health.
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1. Not Tracking Your Food Intake
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One of the best ways to set yourself up for success is tracking exactly what you eat so you know what’s working and what isn’t. "Research shows that people who track their food intake, if they're trying to lose weight or monitor sodium in diet, are more successful," McManus says. "It makes you aware on a regular basis of what you're putting in your mouth and how much you're eating.”
2. Not Making It As Easy As Possible
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Don’t make it a battle to choose healthy foods over less healthy options. “The best thing to do is surround yourself with healthy food," McManus says. "That's what you'll eat when you find yourself looking for a snack. But if you buy a half gallon of ice cream, eventually it will go into your stomach."
3. Not Enough Nutrient-Dense Foods
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Focusing on nutrient-dense foods is key for weight loss and fat-burning. “Eat for higher nutrients and lower calories. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins have a high amount of nutrients per calorie,” says Dr. Stacey Robinson of Robinson MD. “Processed foods that are low in fiber and high in sugar, flour, and processed fats are very low in nutrients and high in calories. Nutrient dense foods take up more space in the stomach, sending a message to your brain that you are full. Foods smaller in volume but high in calories don’t have this same satiety signal so you have to eat more food to feel full.”
4. Not Food Prepping
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Don’t leave your food options at the mercy of whatever might happen the next day. “Food prepping, or preparing meals in advance, is a key strategy for maintaining a healthy diet, especially for those with busy lifestyles,” says celebrity trainer Kollins Ezekh. “It ensures that you have healthy meals ready, which can prevent the temptation to opt for less nutritious, convenient options. Food prepping can help you stick to your nutritional goals, save time during the week, and can also be cost-effective as it reduces the likelihood of purchasing last-minute meals out. Additionally, it allows for better portion control, which is crucial for weight management or achieving specific fitness goals.”
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5. Severely Restricting Calories
Shutterstock Severely restricting calories is bad for your health and may actually prevent weight loss. “[When this happens], people often feel excessively hungry and in many cases, crave high-calorie, ultra-processed foods that they are telling themselves they just can’t eat,” Dr. William Dixon, MD, M.ED, tells Parade.
6. Focusing Only on the Scale
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The scale is obviously useful for tracking progress, but focusing on the scale can be misleading. “The scale is not the only tool to measure progress,” Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, tells Woman’s World. “Muscle gains might offset fat loss, which is still a positive outcome even if the weight stays the same. Body composition is something that the scale might not reflect, especially if muscle is gained while fat is lost.”
7. Cutting Out Food Groups
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Cutting out entire food groups is not realistic in the long run. “Foods that may need to be limited when one is trying to drop a few pounds is not the same as complete avoidance,” Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, tells Better by Today. “Instead of cutting out foods you enjoy, try watching your portion sizes or save richer foods for special occasions. You shouldn’t punish yourself by cutting out foods you enjoy just because you’d like to lose weight …enjoying delicious food is one of the pleasures in life.”
8. Only Thinking Short-Term
iStockWeight loss is not about yo-yo dieting, but realistic, long-term lifestyle changes. “The most common mistake I frequently see in individuals trying to lose weight is their dependence on short-term, quick-fix solutions rather than embracing lasting lifestyle changes,” bariatric surgeon Dr. Jihad Kudsi, MD, ABOM, MBA, MSF, FACS, tells Parade. “This often results in weight regain over time. It's vital to underscore the significance of gradual, consistent changes that can be maintained for enduring results.”
9. Not Asking For Help
iStockGetting help and support from others can help you stay accountable to your weight loss goals. “Ideally, find people who will listen to your concerns and feelings, spend time exercising with you or creating healthy menus, and share the priority you've placed on developing a healthier lifestyle,” says the Mayo Clinic. “Your support group can also offer accountability, which can be a strong motivation for sticking to your weight-loss goals.”
10. Burning the Midnight Oil
Shutterstock Not getting enough sleep will make fat loss near-impossible. Lack of sleep encourages stress, which can slow down weight loss and encourage unhealthy eating. "Working to find ways to clean up sleep hygiene may help people to extend sleep time to the recommended seven to nine hours per night,"Beth Frates, MD, tells Harvard Health. "This could, in turn, lead to consuming fewer calories and even weight loss in people who are in the overweight category by BMI."
