By Yelena Shuster, Glamour
Think you're a master dieter? These common weight-loss mistakes can ruin even the most disciplined action plan (and you might not even be aware you're making them). If you're eating healthy and working out and wondering why you're still not at your goal weight, these common diet destroyers could be to blame.
Weight-Loss Mistakes
Office Cake Guilt(01 of11)
Okay, so you caved and had a piece of the red velvet cake in the conference room? The biggest mistake isn't the calories you just consumed -- it's giving up on your diet as a result of one bad decision. "Putting pressure on yourself to do everything exactly as planned is unrealistic," says nutritionist Joy Bauer, R.D., author of The Joy Fit Club: Cookbook, Diet Plan & Inspiration. "Don't let one mistake snowball into a whole day, week, month, or even year of unhealthy eating." Bauer suggests thinking of your diet as a 90-10 balance: Eat healthy 90 percent of the time and cheat 10 percent of the time. This way, you don't feel like one unhealthy meal has to ruin everything. (credit:Romulo A Yane)
Eating In Front Of The TV(02 of11)
Excessive TV time leads to inactivity and mindless munching -- who can pay attention to portion sizes while engrossed in "Real Housewives" drama? "Make the TV room a no-eating zone," Bauer says. "Turn it off during meals so you're not distracted and are better able to decide when it's time to stop eating." (credit:Kyle Ericksen)
: Skipping Breakfast(03 of11)
There's nothing sweeter than hitting snooze, but studies show that eating within an hour of waking up jump-starts your metabolism and prevents overeating later. If you tend to crave a big lunch as a result of not eating in the morning, Bauer recommends a healthy, protein-rich breakfast to keep hunger controlled: Try an egg-white omelet or nonfat Greek yogurt with a banana. (credit:Romulo A Yanes)
Frequent Foodie Dates(04 of11)
We love a brunch or dinner with the girls as much as the next gal, but food-focused social outings rarely involve healthy meals. "Portion sizes are out of control in this country, and chefs often have a heavy hand with salt, fat, and sugar because they make food taste better," Bauer says. To limit the damage, first nix the bread basket -- ask the waiter not to bring it to the table at all. Next, always start with a salad, which curbs your appetite and helps fulfill your veggie quota for the day. Then, pick lean protein entrees that are prepared with little fat, like grilled fish or broiled chicken, suggests Bauer. (credit:Steve Eichner)
Not Stocking Up On Food(05 of11)
It might make sense at first -- you're trying to lose weight, so why stock up on lots of food? Well, Bauer finds that it's better to stock up on healthy food than to wing it after a long workday: "You can have every intention of consuming a healthy meal when you get home, but if you don't have the ingredients on hand to whip something up, unhealthy takeout is most likely what's going to happen," she says. Keep your freezer stocked with frozen veggies, which are packed with the same nutrients as fresh ones, minus the washing and dicing. Steam them as a side dish with grilled chicken or mix into ground turkey breast to make burgers. (credit:Ethan Palmer)
Sharing Food With Your Guy(06 of11)
Eating every meal together is not going to help your weight-loss goals. "Because men naturally have more muscle than women, they need more calories than we do," Bauer says. Not to mention the fact that most guys tend to opt for greasier, carb-heavy food than you might choose on your own. If you must order pizza for two, serve yourself on a smaller plate, enjoy a veggie- or salad-based first course, and then try stopping after one serving instead of matching him slice for slice. (credit:Harry Hartman)
Buzzed Bingeing(07 of11)
Drunk-texting your ex isn't the only bad decision that can happen after a few hours of drinking. Late-night encounters with cheese fries can be just as tragic (not to mention the extra calories from the alcohol alone). If you have bad diet judgment after a few drinks, change your tactics. Try slowly sipping a glass of wine or light beer and alternating each one with water to limit your overall consumption, Bauer advises. Want to skip the alcohol altogether? Get seltzer with lemon or lime and no one will be the wiser. (credit:Romulo A Yanes)
Thinking Salad Is "Safe"(08 of11)
You can't go wrong with eating a salad, right? Wrong. "A salad can easily go from super-healthy to a calorie bomb based on the dressing alone," Bauer says. Always get the dressing on the side, and use only one or two tablespoons -- not the entire container. Better yet, try two dashes of olive oil and balsamic or red wine vinegar instead. (credit:George Chinsee)
Keeping Trigger Foods Around(09 of11)
Create a Do Not Touch list where you acknowledge all your finger-licking-good food weaknesses and commit to stay away from them. Next step? "Keep them out of your house," Bauer advises. Bauer suggests tossing anything with "unhealthy ingredients like butter, sugar, and white flour." (credit:Mike Lorrig)
Rewarding Yourself For Working Out(10 of11)
We've all been there: You worked your butt off at SoulCycle and then treated yourself to a big waffle-tastic brunch as a reward. The problem: "We underestimate the amount of calories in food and overestimate how much we burn," Bauer says. As a result, we usually end up eating back the exact amount of calories we burned -- if not more. "Use an activity calculator to estimate how much a particular workout lets you burn," Bauer suggests. (credit:Kyle Ericksen)
Appetizers That Add Up(11 of11)
When it comes to finger foods and hors d'oeuvres, size really doesn't matter. Just because they're adorably tiny doesn't mean they're not packing a ton of calories. "Have a light snack about an hour before you arrive at a party," Bauer says. This will help take the edge off your hunger so you don't dive blindly into a platter of pigs in a blanket. Then, use the rule of one: Stick to just one of each item, one plate of food total, one alcoholic drink, and one dessert (or a sliver of two, if you can't decide). (credit:Romulo A Yanes)
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