There are many ways you might be sabotaging your weight loss, and I gave you six ways in a previous post. A few of the ways were skipping meals, eating when you’re bored, and eating “low-fat” food. I said I would give you more ways in a later post, so here they are.
Rewarding Yourself with Junk Food
You know when you reach certain mini goals on your way to your bigger goal, you just want to celebrate? Of course, you should! You’re doing well, and it’s great when you set goals and achieve them. But when you reward a week of eating well with a weekend of junk food because you were “so good” during the week, you can really set yourself back. Think of other rewards that don’t involve food. It could be a nice pair of shoes you’ve had your eye on for a while, a manicure and/or pedicure or massage. Or do something you enjoy doing but never seem to have enough time to do. If you never make time for a relaxing bath, that could be a reward.
Hanging Out with Unsupportive People
Have you told your friends and family that you’re working on eating healthier food to improve your health and lose weight, yet they’re constantly pushing things like cake, fried food, cocktails, second helpings, and fast food on you? When you’re at a restaurant and you’re trying to make healthy choices, do they goad you into indulging in wings, oversized burgers with the works or egg you on to finish your meal when you planned to take half of it home for lunch the next day? Unfortunately, if those you hang out with are constantly trying to steer you away from your goals, you might have to spend less time with them if you are easily swayed by them. They are moving you away from rather than towards your goal. Who knows, they might realize you’re serious and stop pressuring you.
Not Setting Realistic Goals
When setting weight loss goals, it’s important to be realistic. If you set a timeframe that is too short to lose a lot of weight, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Conversely, you might resort to unhealthy methods to actually lose the weight in time. This also isn’t good for long-term weight loss since you can’t maintain a restrictive diet, and you could be susceptible to bingeing and yo-yo dieting. Think of it as a lifestyle change that requires time and patience. Don’t think of it as a “diet” because diets don’t work for long. Plan to lose weight in a healthy way, and set goals that are achievable in a reasonable amount of time. Weight loss varies, but think of losing one to two pounds per week.
Weighing Yourself Too Often
Resist the temptation to weigh yourself every day. You can get discouraged and it’s not really an accurate reflection of weight loss as your weight fluctuates even during the same day. Pick one day a week to weigh yourself first thing in the morning. It’s good to be consistent with the time of day and with what you’re wearing when you weigh yourself.
Also, other things should be taken into account other than just the number on the scale. For example, if you’re also doing resistance training, you could be gaining muscle but losing fat, but the number on the scale doesn’t tell you that. Pay attention to how your clothes are fitting and how you feel overall.
Do you see yourself in any of the above? If so, find rewards that have nothing to do with food, surround yourself with supportive people, make sure your goals are realistic, and resist the urge to step on the scale every day. Hide it in between weigh-ins if you have to!
Image courtesy of hyena reality at FreeDigitalPhotos.net