Weight Loss Mistakes That People Make

Summer is here and you are now disdainfully eyeing that very cute bikini that you know you will definitely not fit into unless you lose some weight. The question is, you've been on a steady diet since you made that New Year's resolution and you have only lost 5 pounds and your weight keeps fluctuating like you never lost the weight at all. Now what? What's the problem? Well here are some mistakes you may be making with your weight loss attempt.

Mistake #1 - Eating Out

I know, I know, you always have a reason to eat out. Like your kids only want McDonald's tonight and you are so tired from working all day that you give in. Then you make the mistake of ordering that large size value meal because you are hungry. It might just be that you want some variety from the carrot sticks and celery that you've been munching on all day. You need to remember that restaurants are increasing their portion sizes and this can increase your waistline. If you go to an all you can eat buffet, this can cause problems, too. The good pricing of the buffet, can cause you to eat more than you normally would, causing you to completely throw off your goal to lose weight. The other problem with eating out is that , if the restaurant you go to has a more relaxed atmosphere, it can cause you to linger longer and have more to eat and drink. This brings up the next mistake that some people fall into.

Mistake #2 - Drinking Your Calories

Did you know that the delicious chocolate martini that are having has over 400 calories? Or that a single Long Island Ice Tea has over 700 calories? It might be better to consider alcoholic beverages as beverages rather than dessert. If you absolutely MUST have a alcoholic drink, consider a wine spritzer, which is 90 calories or a rum and coke.

Mistake#3 - Not Enough Calories

Now if you are really confused, sorry about that, but I'll try to explain. If you don't eat enough calories, your body goes into starvation mode. When your body thinks you are starving, it will work against this calorie reduction by slowing down its metabolism, which in turn slows down your weight loss efforts. Most nutritionists recommend eating no less than 1200 calories a day.

Mistake #4 - Eating While You Are Distracted

I've done it myself. Sitting at my computer, absently munching a bag of cheetos and a candy bar, I am not really paying attention to how much of these high calorie foods I am eating. Therefore, it's no real surprise when I find that I put on 10 pounds instead of losing it. This is too true of anyone who is fighting to lose weight. If you are sitting down watching TV while eating your dinner, you are not really paying attention to your own hunger cues and will eat along with the program you are watching. Most people feel like they haven't eaten at all when they eat in front of the TV. This is because we don't register how much we ate, therefore we tend to overeat.

Mistake#5 - Not Enough Sleep

This has happened to me, too. When I don't get enough sleep, I tend to grab the lovely bag of cheetos, because I don't feel full and end up eating more than I should. It turns out that sleeping helps regulate production of two very important hormones that are responsible for feeling full and how hungry we feel. When I am tired, I grab for the nearest bag or bar of comfort food. Think about that afternoon chocolate bar you had at the office!

These are only a few of the mistakes you can make in your weight loss battle. If you make some good choices, things will go better for you. If you are still having trouble losing that last pesky 10 pounds, talk to your doctor. You'll get into that bikini yet!