9 Sneaky Ways You're Derailing Your Weight Loss Goals

Want to know how to lose weight? The formula is simple—burn more calories than you take in, and voila! Of course, it’s not that easy. You may be doing everything right when it comes to your weight loss diet and exercise routine, but several other sneaky factors could be preventing you from reaching all of your weight loss goals. Learn how to avoid the common pitfalls that could be derailing your weight loss efforts with these nine sneaky ways you're derailing your weight loss goals.

1) Indulging in treat foods

Dieting can be tough, and it's easy to fall into a pattern of eating healthy foods all week long only to blow your diet on Sunday with a big brunch or family dinner. Be mindful of your tendency to indulge in so-called treat foods while attempting to lose weight—such as by savouring that extra slice of cake or glass of wine at birthday parties, or having a little more cheese than usual at dinnertime. A study from Kaiser Permanente found that dieters who are consistent about their choices (i.e., always ordering off the lunch menu) tend to have healthier habits overall than those who tend to go with whatever strikes their fancy each day (i.e., picking lunch off Tuesday's breakfast menu). It helps strengthen willpower!

2) Drinking too much alcohol

Alcohol is very calorie-dense, so it’s easy to put on weight when you drink. The USDA recommends that men limit their alcohol intake to 2 drinks per day and women keep it to 1 drink per day. Not only does drinking too much alcohol mess with your metabolism, but if you already have a full belly (which slows down digestion), your body processes all those extra calories in alcohol as fat. So there are many ways that too much alcohol contributes to weight gain!

savour you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to realize that not all calories are created equal—even when they come from seemingly healthy sources. If you eat too much in one sitting, your body will store what you don’t use as fat. And since muscle burns more calories than fat, over time you might gain weight. Put down your utensils between bites and savour every mouthful.

4) Not exercising enough

If you’re trying to lose weight but aren’t active, it might not be for lack of desire. When researchers asked 1,400 people about their exercise habits, only 39 per cent reported exercising a few times a week or more. But when they dug deeper and asked how many minutes per day they spent on physical activity beyond what was required at work, an additional 26 per cent said they were moderately active (defined as burning 511 calories per day) and an additional 7 per cent said they were very active (burning 822 calories per day). So if you want to lose weight and get in shape, start by adding some physical activity into your daily routine—even if it’s just a 10-minute walk around your office building.

5) Staying up late (or waking up early)

Studies have shown that both of these habits can lead to weight gain—if you’re not careful about what you eat. Not only does your metabolism slow down at night, but research shows eating late is associated with increased consumption of calorie-dense foods. To keep your weight in check, try sticking to a sleep schedule and keeping your evening meals light.

6) Skipping meals

Overeating is often caused by undereating. Skipping meals makes it harder to track calories because you’re more likely to eat more when you do eat, according to an Ohio State University study. In another study from Duke University, people who ate a large meal of 1,000 calories at breakfast were more likely to binge later in the day than those who split their 1,000-calorie breakfast into three smaller meals throughout their morning. More frequent small meals may also help reduce overeating.

7) Hitting snooze on the alarm clock (or having an alarm clock at all!)

First, there are two types of morning people: those who wake up feeling ready to take on their day and those who hit snooze every chance they get. Both groups can be successful in losing weight, but research shows that waking up without an alarm clock consistently increases your ability to burn fat and build muscle.

8) Being too quick to give up when you fall off the wagon (aka deviating from your diet plan).

This can happen more than you’d think. Maybe your friends planned a night out and you wanted to try out that new restaurant, so you ditched your diet for one meal. No big deal right? Well, if it keeps happening, then eventually it will be a big deal—because you’ll keep gaining weight due to all of those small deviations from your diet plan.

9) Focusing on the scale number instead of the progress picture

The best way to gauge your weight loss success is to focus on how you look and feel, not a number on a scale. The number on your scale changes constantly—from day to day, from hour to hour, even from minute to minute. If you’re focusing.