Top 10 Weight Loss Mistakes

Whether you’re trying to lose weight for health reasons or for mere vanity’s sake, there are many factors that prevent one from reaching one’s weight loss goal.  Here are 10 common weight loss mistakes. 

Weight Loss Mistake #1:  Eating Out
I know.  This is a hard one.  There are many reasons to go out and eat; it’s your birthday, anniversary, Friday night, the start of the workweek, etc.  Sometimes you don’t feel like cooking, or sometimes you crave some variety in your diet.  I understand.  However, eating out can be dangerous to your weight loss efforts. 

Portion sizes are getting larger in restaurants and so are our waistlines. As a consumer we’re willing to pay a dollar more for an even larger meal because we think that we’re getting more bang for the buck a.k.a Value Meals.  Worst yet are all you can eat buffets.  In this case, you get a good price on an almost unlimited variety and quantity of food.  Studies have shown that people tend to eat more when there is more variety presented to them.

Economical pricing isn’t the only culprit that causes us to overeat in restaurants thus thwarting our weight loss goals.  Studies have shown that the ambiance we call romantic can lead us to overeat as well.  The low lighting and soft music cause us to linger longer at restaurants and to eat and drink more.  This brings me to my next point. 

Weight Loss Mistake #2:  Drinking Your Calories
Did you know that the trendy 4 oz chocolate martini that you are sipping has 438 calories, and that single serving of Long Island Ice tea has over 700 calories?  In reference to his fondness for alcoholic beverages, my husband’s colleague often says, “I don’t eat dessert, I drink it.”