Ignore these and you Jeopardize your Weight Loss Goals

Watch out for these four nutrition traps. You could be doing everything else right in your diet, but if you fall victim to any of these four traps, keeping the weight off will be very difficult.

Weird (Food) Science: It seems like the packaged food industry is performing a giant science experiment and the American people are their lab rats. (Lab rats who happen to have money to spend on food that comes in flashy containers.) Look at any box of processed food at the grocery store and you will see more fake ingredients than you will see actual food ingredients that you are familiar with. One big thing to look for is ingredients like dextrose, fructose and sucrose, these are all sugars. Steer clear of partially hydrogenated fats. Check foods labeled “trans fat-free” and avoid it if you see “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredient list because the FDA allows a food to be labeled “trans fat-free” even if it still has up to half a gram of trans fat per serving. You should avoid additives like monosodium glutamate (also called MSG), sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate (often found in processed meat products, these additives have been linked to cancer). Avoid artificial sweeteners like saccharine, sucralose and aspartame, your body doesn’t know how to digest these chemicals and a lot of emerging research shows that these can stay in your body and adversely affect your health. And if you ever question an ingredient, do some online research to learn more about it, after all, knowledge is power.

Be Wary of Low-Fat and Fat-Free Foods: These two terms do not mean something is low calorie or healthy. Usually when one thing is decreased, like fat, something else is added to make up for flavor, like added sugar. Eating these foods give people a false notion that they can eat a lot more of it than if it was the “regular” version of the food. Many studies have shown that people end up consuming more calories of the low-fat/low-sugar foods than if they had eaten the normal version of the food. These foods also tend to have more additives like artificial flavors and sweeteners. Portion control is a much better plan of attack since a calorie is a calorie, it doesn’t matter if it comes in the form of a carb, sugar or fat, if you have too many you will gain weight.

Don’t Drink your Calories: Cutting out high calorie beverages is probably the easiest adjustment you can make to your diet and be able to see results. One can of cola has 155 calories, while the larger 16 ounce bottles have 200 calories. A flavored medium latte, from America’s favorite coffee shop, has about 250 calories. Let’s say in an average day you have a glass of apple juice with breakfast (120 calories), a latte around lunch (250 calories) and a soda with dinner (155 calories). These three drinks, which didn’t fill you up and offered few nutrients, just cost you 525 calories. That is a lot considering 2,000 is the average amount of calories you should be consuming in a day! By replacing these drinks with water or herbal tea, you will save yourself a lot of calories very easily. If you really like you flavored beverages, try one of these tricks. If you like your cola, try having a half serving of cola and a glass of water. Drink the soda for flavor and drink the water to quench your thirst. If you are a coffee lover, try non-fat milk and asking for fewer pumps of “flavored syrup” in your drink.

Meal Skipping: On the surface, the idea of skipping a meal or snack seems like a good one since you are consuming fewer calories. But this is a very short-sighted plan because meal skipping often backfires and is not sustainable. Timing you caloric intake throughout the day will help you eat less while also making sure you never feel famished. Try to eat something roughly every 3-4 hours. Starting with a healthy breakfast gets you off to a good start; try things like oatmeal, eggs, or a yogurt smoothie. Keep a few packets of instant oatmeal at the office for days when you don’t have time to eat at home, this will keep you from getting donuts at the coffee shop while still providing you with some filling fiber. Lunch should be your biggest meal of the day, aim to get 4 to 6 ounces of protein. Have dinners centered on lean protein, whole grains and veggies and try not to eat after 8:00pm. In addition to meals, snacks are a great way to keep your energy up. Snacks should be between 100 to 300 calories. Things like plain yogurt topped with honey and nuts, peanut butter on an apple or a protein shake are all great choices.