Getting into a weight loss routine is an exciting time, especially when the weight starts to come off. You feel productive, proud and accomplished. But just when you think everything is going right, you may find yourself stagnant. You’re exercising and eating right, so why are you suddenly stuck in the same place?
If you can honestly say you’re sticking to proper methods of weight loss and not secretly sneaking candy bars every day, you’ll need to examine your daily habits to see if something seemingly helpful or innocent might be stalling your weight loss tactics.
Here are 13 of the things we tend to overlook when trying to lose weight that could be doing more harm than good when it comes to shredding off those extra pounds.
1_You’re replacing too many meals with smoothies
Smoothies are a fast and easy way to pack in more nutrients, especially if you have to force yourself to eat your veggies. While making smoothies for some of your meals can be helpful, you should mix it up every other day.
Liquids are more quickly absorbed by your gut too which gives us a big sugar rush. Smoothies also don’t work to fill you up as long so you can fall victim to over-snacking. If you want your smoothie to work for you, fill it with more fiber and protein so it will satiate you.
2_Less is more with cooking oil
If you’re choosing olive oil for your cooking, it’s certainly a smart choice because it has the healthy fats our bodies need. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. There are about 120 calories in every tablespoon of oil, even heart-healthy olive oil.
So measure it out to keep from accidentally adding excessive calories to your meals. Whether you’re just pouring it in the pan or onto your salad, if you take a moment to measure things out, you’ll be shaving extra calories off your meals and may soon start seeing those results you were hoping to see.
3_You’re drinking diet soda
Plenty of people are hooked on soda, and you might think that since you’ve swapped your favorite full-calorie soda for diet, that it’s a better choice. Sadly, if you want to make progress on your weight loss, you need to ditch the soda habit entirely. Studies have shown that diet soda is even worse than regular soda and may even make you more likely to gain weight. To your brain, there’s no difference between real sugar and the artificial stuff.
And that’s not all either. As research has shown our gut serves as a second brain, artificial sweeteners like those in your diet soda have alarmed scientists because of how they convert energy to fat and cause insulin resistance. The bottom line is this: stop drinking your calories. As soon as you do, you’ll find the scales tipping in your favor.
