5 major dietary mistakes that prevent you from losing weight

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A healthy diet is full of pitfalls. Be on the lookout!

Mistake 1. You don't follow your portion size

Many people believe that if the product is healthy, then you can eat it in unlimited quantities. This is a big mistake. Even healthy foods like cereals, wholegrain pasta, or sugary fruits that are eaten without restriction can completely undermine your efforts.

How to fix

• Buy a kitchen scale and weigh all the foods you consume.
• Download a calorie counting app or keep a diary to stay on top of your daily intake.
• Please be aware that packages and charts indicate calories per 100 grams of unprocessed food, and dry / raw and finished foods can vary widely. Therefore, either weigh the food before cooking, or look for ready-made foods in the calorie tables.

Mistake 2. You do not take into account the calorie content of the sauce

Many people who lose weight assume that a small amount of sauce does not significantly increase the calorie content of a dish. In fact, commercial sauces are usually very high in calories and fatty: they contain about 30 grams of fat and more than 300 kilocalories per 100 grams. By adding 30 grams of sauce to a dish, you consume 90 calories, most of which are saturated fat.

How to fix

• Replace store-bought sauces with natural spices. This way you can reduce the calorie content of your meals without sacrificing their taste.
• If you cannot refuse sauces, proceed from the principle of lesser evil: instead of ketchup, buy natural tomato paste, and replace mayonnaise with white yogurt and mustard sauce.

Mistake 3. You prefer low-fat foods

Low-fat dairy and fermented milk products not only do not help you lose weight, but also force you to consume more calories. Recent Research Low – Fat Foods Can Make You Fatter! by Food & Brand Lab found that the 0% fat label on the packaging forces consumers to eat more food and get on average 84 kilocalories more than normal fat foods.

In addition, low-fat foods do not give you a feeling of satiety, and their vitamins and minerals are absorbed much worse. As a result, you are not getting any benefit and after a short time you are hungry again.

How to fix

• Buy dairy products with medium fat content.
• Count not only calories, but also protein, fat and carbohydrates.
• Read labels carefully: Some low-fat foods have added sugar to enhance their flavor, which can increase their calorie content.

Mistake 4. Do you prefer fried foods

The vegetable oil used in the frying process greatly increases the calorie content of the dish.

How to fix

• Use other cooking methods: bake food in the oven, steam it.
• Buy a non-stick skillet that allows you to fry without adding oil.
• If you use oil for frying, do not pour it into the pan from a bottle, but brush the surface with a brush.

Mistake 5. You eat too many healthy sweets

It is often advised to replace sweets and cookies with healthier snacks such as nuts and dried fruits. Yes, they contain much more nutrients, but there are also a lot of calories. For example, a small handful of walnuts weighing 30 grams contains 196 kilocalories, and the same amount of dates has 80 kilocalories.

How to fix

• Remove the plate of dried fruits and nuts from a prominent place.
• Before grabbing a healthy snack, measure out a portion, weigh it and count the calories.

Switch to a healthy diet and do not let mistakes and illusions negate all your efforts.