I’ve seen blog posts around the Internet about the best and worst ways to lose weight.  They are a dime a dozen and there are very few that actually add anything new to the age-old weight loss struggle.  Unless you’ve been living in a cave in Afghanistan, few of them tell you anything you don’t already know.  That is not to say these bloggers don’t have good intentions but there are only so many ways you can repackage the same information.

We all know that fad diets, diet pills, fat loss surgery, and the others are not the “suggested” way you should lose weight for a variety of reasons.  I have detailed the 7 Reasons Why Most Diets Fail which mainly dealt with my ‘worst ways to lose weight’.  And, if you are a regular reader of Dave’s Press, then you know I’m a huge advocate of finding a diet that is sustainable in the long run.

So what can sabotage your weight loss efforts once you do find a sustainable meal plan?  What are some of the things to look out for that may help increases your chances of success if you know what they are?  I’m glad you asked!  Here are some ways I’ve identified:

1.  Relying solely on willpower

Some level of willpower is a must during any weight loss process.  Obviously, if you are going to lose weight, you’re going to have to give up some of the foods you currently love to eat and you’re going to have to display willpower at some point in time.  However, you need to give yourself a break!  Get that bad stuff out of your fridge and cabinets.  Avoid you’re favorite eating places if you don’t know that you can withstand the urge to splurge. 

If you have a spouse and kids, this can be extremely challenging.  When you go on a diet, they basically go on a diet as well.  This was tough for me since one of my kids was very young at the time and has always been extremely picky about what he eats.  Also, I didn’t want to deny them the foods they liked.  My advice is to communicate and compromise.  Dealing with this situation is actually going to be my next post on Dave’s Press so stay tuned!

2.  Thinking you are the expert

Thinking you are an expert and that you don’t have to look to anyone for advice is a mistake made by many.  Much like creating your own fitness routine if you are new to weight lifting, you should also avoid trying to create your own ‘eating routine’ if you are ‘new’ to dieting.  If it has been years since you’ve attempted to eat healthy, it is entirely possible that what was ‘healthy’ and ‘promoted weight loss’ years ago may have actually changed or it could have been a myth to begin with!  Remember, at one time cigarettes were thought to be good for you.  Do your research and be willing to listen to others that know more than you do. 

I’ve heard people say, “I know my body best and I know what works for me.”   I guess it is possible you are right but most likely you just don’t want to listen to anyone because this is a way to limit the amount of change you need to make in order to lose weight.  If you know your body best and what works for you, how did you end up in a situation where you needed to lose weight?  I would actually bet money that those that feel this way try to “do what works for them” and then wonder why they aren’t making progress.  Any takers?

3.  Being consistently inconsistent

This one is fairly obvious.  The key to creating good habits is consistency.  If you don’t do something long enough, it won’t become a habit.  If you don’t consistently work to break bad habits, they won’t be broken. 

Here is an example:  I highly encourage anyone that is beginning a weight loss program to keep a journal of their food intake.  As I’ve said before, my favorite tool for this is FitDay.  If you aren’t consistent in logging your food after every meal then it won’t become second nature and you won’t be able to adequately track your calorie intake.

4.  Assuming “healthy” foods are low in calories

Advertisers are masters at marketing “healthy” foods.  They use phrases like ”whole grains”, “low fat”, “low cholesterol”, “low sodium”, “heart healthy”, and many others.  We have been groomed to see these phrases and think, “hey, I can eat that and not feel guilty!”  Whoooooaaaaaa!  Slow down a moment and read the labels.  While these foods may or may not have health benefits, they aren’t all meant to be consumed on a low calorie diet.  In fact, some may actually be higher in calories than it’s “not as good for you” counterpart.

For instance, the other night I noticed my wife bought some whole grain bread with all the nuts and seeds that make it “healthy”.  Yes, nuts and seeds are healthy in moderation but they add calories.  When I looked at the nutritional information, I found the bread actually contained 160 calories PER SLICE!  When I brought that to my wife’s attention, her response was, “But it has so much ‘healthy’ stuff in it!”  I then point out that the plain Jane, Kroger brand whole wheat bread had only 60 calories per slice.  What I was trying to drive home was the fact that ‘eating healthy’ and eating to lose weight are NOT always the same thing.

5.  Depriving yourself of the occasional cheat

The operative word is “occasional”.   Some have a very difficult time with treating it as a cheat. If you are someone that cannot control the urge to over indulge, your best option is to abstain.  However, you’re body does become accustomed to your diet and adjusts.  You could find that you hit a weight loss brick wall because your metabolism has accounted for the lack of calories and actually slows to preserve itself by burning fewer calories.  Having the occasional cheat may be just the thing that keeps your body guessing to the point where you can bust through that brick wall.