You might not realize just how quickly calories can add up. An extra tablespoon of salad dressing can add 75-100 calories, an extra tablespoon of butter adds 102 calories, and that 1-ounce bag of chips with your sandwich at lunch adds 162 calories. Eating while cooking, starting each day with a high-calorie coffee drink, finishing off the kids' plates at dinner, or having one too many glasses of wine -- these are just a few of the sneaky habits that sabotage weight loss efforts.
Yet as quickly as calories can add up, they can be subtracted. Becoming mindful of your diet mistakes -- the subtle ways that calories sneak into your diet throughout the day – can add up to real weight loss.
Read more: These Errors Can Affect Your Weight
Diet Mistake No. 1: Racing to the Finish
There's no reward for finishing your meal in record time -- unless you're a contestant in a hot dog eating contest! Our hectic schedules have led many of us to adopt the unhealthy habit of rapid eating.
"We need to adopt more of the leisurely, European-style eating so that we can savor our food, taste every bite, and get the signal of fullness before overeating," says Tara Gidus, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
Diet Mistake No. 2: Skipping Meals
It makes sense on the surface, right? If you eat fewer meals, you’re taking in fewer calories, so mathematically speaking, your weight should drop. Unfortunately, your body isn’t a mathematical equation, and there is far more going on inside of you than a series of numerical calculations.
When you don’t eat breakfast, for example, you’re going to eat more throughout the day to compensate for what your body is missing. In fact, the fewer meals a person eats, the more calories they will likely consume. Snacking calories add up fast, are often far less nutritious than meals, and can throw a serious wrench into a weight loss plan.
Your hunger is partly determined by a hormone in your stomach called ghrelin. When you eat breakfast, you can satisfy the release of ghrelin so it is less powerful during the day. This is particularly true for a protein-based breakfast. So, opt for eggs or Greek yogurt over pastries. Studies have shown that eating breakfast - particularly with protein—leads to less food consumption throughout the day, as well as fewer cravings throughout the day.
Eating is essential to a successful weight management program. Eat at least three square meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) per day, and two to three small, nutritious snacks.
Read more: Effective and Proven Weight Loss Tips
Diet Mistake No. 3: Too Many Liquid Calories
Liquid calories from alcohol, smoothies, coffee with cream and sugar, sweetened juices, teas, and sodas can really contribute to weight gain. One recent study found that Americans get approximately 21% of their calories from beverages.
"When you drink beverages, you don’t tend to compensate by eating less because most beverages satisfy thirst and don’t impact hunger," says Gidus.
Switch from calorie-laden beverages to water, club soda, skim milk, vegetable juices, and small portions of 100% fruit juice. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation, and choose lighter drink options.
Here are some calorie counts for common beverages:
- 12-ounce light beer: 110 calories
- 12-ounce regular beer: 160 calories
- 8-ounce coffee with cream and sugar: 30 calories
- 5 ounces of wine: 120-130 calories
- 6-ounce wine spritzer: 80 calories
- 16-ounce sweetened tea: 160 calories
- 12-ounce diet soda: 0 calories
- 12-ounce soda: 150 calories
- 20-ounce smoothie: 410 calories
Diet Mistake No. 4: Not Exercising
Yes, your diet is an essential part of health and weight management. But, it is only half of the equation. If you want sustainable and healthy weight loss, you’re going to have to be active as well. Exercise helps you utilize calories, deliver nutrients throughout the body, and keep your body, mind, and heart healthy. Also, when you’re activating your muscles and bringing nutrients into them, they grow stronger. The more muscle mass you have, the more efficient your body becomes at utilizing calories and burning fat.
As long as you’re on your feet and active, you can experience the physical benefits. A combination of resistance exercise and aerobics works best, but working within your comfort zone is the best place to start. Be respectful of your own limits by starting small and slowly increasing duration and intensity.
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