Five Things Dieters Do Wrong During Weight Loss

Ninety percent of all "successful" dieters fail to keep weight loss off during the first year.  Half of the remaining ten percent don't make it to the end of the second year without gaining the weight back.  Those statistics are dismal.  Why are people so bad at dieting?  It is more complicated than merely possessing strong will power.  Here is a list of five things many dieters do wrong:

Skipping meals (including breakfast) - the act of digestion burns lots of calories but more importantly eating three regular meals will help boost your metabolism.  I know some people who eat dinner at 6 PM, skip breakfast the next morning and eat lunch at noon.  Effectively fasting for 18 hours!  The is bad for two reasons: during fasting times our body gets a little scared it may not eat anytime soon (an evolutionary protection mechanism against starvation) and stores extra fat; the other reason its bad is because we usually overeat after a fast.  During the month of Ramadan, where Muslims fast from sunup to sundown, many people gain weight.

Watching TV while eating - This is called mindless eating.  Lots of            studies have been done showing people will eat up to 60% more while watching TV then if they dined without one.  Look at your food and enjoy every bite.

Eating at restaurants or ordering take out - I don't care how healthy you think the food is, it’s probably not.  Restaurants are in the business of making money and producing food that tastes good.  We wouldn't go back if it were bad.  Chefs know salt, fat and sugar enhances the taste of virtually any meal and most don't skimp on these ingredients.   Are you getting an egg white omelet at the deli?  How much butter (or bacon fat) was on that grill, how about the salt?

Buying low fat food - Typically low fat foods are made to taste better by adding more sugar and salt.  I've always stated, “low-fat equals high sugar”.   This added sugar raises your insulin level and promotes fat storage.  Additionally, studies show eating high fat foods sate eaters longer and overtime decreases their weight.

Drinking diet sodas and not enough water – Research show people who drink diet soda gain more weight than their regular soda drinking counterparts.  Scientists surmise diet soda tricks the body into thinking it’s getting calories and when it can’t find the extra energy it releases hormones to increase appetite.  In any event, you should only be drinking water, unsweetened tea, coffee and the occasional glass of wine.   Your liver depends on water for fat metabolism.  If it’s slightly dehydrated it does not work as well and fat breakdown slows down to a crawl.   Plus consuming cold water burns calories – not much but every little bit adds up.

It is possible to lose weight and keep it off.  For most people it takes a lot of patience and a honest lifestyle change.  If you believe you can do it, you’re right.  If you believe you can’t do it, you’re right too.  Which belief do you want to invest in?



Doug Joachim is a leading personal trainer NYC with over 17 years experience.

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