7 Weight Loss Mistakes To Avoid

Going gluten-free when it's not necessary

65% of American adults think gluten-free foods are healthier, and 27% choose gluten-free products to aid in weight loss.

However, gluten-free foods tend to be higher in both sugar and fat. They also tend to be lower in protein, fibre, and other essential nutrients. Plus, they often have more calories than their regular counterparts.

When you think about it logically, Gluten is a protein that, when used in baking, makes our bread tall and fluffy. If you remove it, manufacturers must add a load of other stuff to get the same effect.

So unless you absolutely need to go gluten-free because you have been diagnosed with coeliac disease or have gluten sensitivity, choosing gluten-free foods in your weekly grocery shop is not a good choice.

Plus, they also tend to be a LOT more expensive.

In fact switching to a gluten free diet often leads to weight gain, this is something we see a lot in newly diagnosed coeliacs.

So this mistake is going gluten-free when it's not necessary

The bottom line is that if you can tolerate gluten, then go for it!

Eating too few calories

Some people start a diet with a huge amount of initial motivation, drastically reducing their calories. This is not a good approach because your brain now thinks it's being starved. Your hormones are put off balance and begin to send survival signals to your brain. These signals ramp up your appetite, giving you intense cravings, and you will start thinking about food all the time.

When you do allow yourself to have food, your brain intentionally turns off your fullness signals because it wants you to overeat. It's a survival mechanism; it wants you to eat as much as possible just in case you have to go another few days without food again. If you have ever experienced a "loss of control" when eating, this is why. It's a human response to starvation. Many people tell me they think something is wrong with them, and it offers a lot of relief when I explain that there is nothing wrong with them. This is human physiology and a normal response to starvation.

Additionally, our metabolism slows down to save energy because it thinks it's being starved. Often, without realizing it, we start to move less, we don't speak with our hands as much, we don't fidget as much, and the body overall goes into energy-saving mode. This might be a more extreme example, but when I have underweight eating disorder patients, they often become very unexpressive in how they communicate.

So, the mistake is eating too few calories.

I don’t want to stress anyone out here. You won’t permanently damage your metabolism. With some careful nurturing and bringing your calories back up, the majority of people's metabolisms can return to normal within a decent timeframe.

Oils & Dressings

If you pour oil straight from the bottle when you're cooking or making a salad, I need you to stop. Take out your tablespoon and measure out your oil. One tablespoon of oil will be plenty for most things you make and certainly more than enough for a salad. A tablespoon of olive oil has 120 calories. You could add between 400 and 500 calories if you pour straight from the bottle. So, limit the amounts.

Another big one to keep an eye on is mayonnaise. A generous spoon of mayonnaise has the same calories as a bar of chocolate. You can easily consume up to 250 calories, and I see people putting two or three big spoonfuls of mayonnaise into a salad just for themselves, adding 500 to 750 calories. If you want to use mayonnaise, use a small spoon and add some Greek yoghurt too. That way, you get some flavor, texture, and creaminess without piling on the calories.

I see many people who are trying to lose weight go to their local deli or cafe at lunchtime and purposefully avoid ordering a sandwich, thinking they're making a lighter choice by opting for a salad instead. But often, these salads can contain way more calories than the sandwich, even if the dressing looks healthy. So be careful here.

Remember, fat is not your enemy. Fat is a nutrient we need. However, if you are struggling with your weight, many people don't understand how many calories can be added to things we think of as just a little bit of dressing.

So, this mistake is being too heavy-handed with your salad dressings.

Healthy food halo

Food and supplement companies want to make money. Most of them are not concerned about your health and use clever tactics to draw consumers' attention to one aspect of food to make it appear better for you than it is.

This is what we dietitians like to call “The Health Halo” effect.

A big example I’ve seen lately is turmeric. Yes, turmeric is a spice that is good for you. But if you put turmeric spice on a cookie, it is still a cookie. Or if you have a turmeric-spiced latte that also has a load of syrup and cream in it, that little bit of turmeric spice on top doesn’t cancel out all the other stuff. I wish it did, but it doesn’t.

So, just be mindful of clever marketing techniques.

So this mistake is falling for the “health halo” tactic.

Healthy food causes weight gain, too.

Just because a food is so-called healthy, it doesn’t mean you can ignore portion size.

In theory, if you ate a ridiculous amount of broccoli daily, you could gain weight just as if you were eating too much chocolate. It would just be challenging to eat that amount of broccoli.

So this mistake is: Healthy foods can cause weight gain, too.

Ignore calories burned

Going into a gym, getting on a treadmill, and walking for a while will tell you how many calories you have burned. This is hugely inaccurate. Too many people then use this as an excuse to eat back that amount of calories. Plus, the number of calories you burn can change based on something as simple as whether or not you have your hands on the handrails while walking on the treadmill.

Similarly, in the last few years, Apple Watches and fitness trackers have become really popular, and many of them will tell you how many calories you burn daily. But again, these are estimates and not very accurate.

I encourage every client I work with to ignore these kinds of metrics. People who regularly check these things tend to eat more because they feel they have earned it.

So, the mistake here is exercising to burn calories at that moment. Exercise has huge benefits for weight loss, but it goes far beyond this. Exercise gives you more energy and boosts your mood, and the right kind of training can help you burn calories long after you have been in the gym.

The number of calories you burn during the 45-minute session itself is the least important part of the whole thing.

And again, it is often completely inaccurate.

Stop focusing so much on the scales.

Many people put too much focus on the number on the scale. When I try to steer clients away from using just this metric, they often find it really hard. And I get it; it's a very specific measurement, and if it goes down, you feel like you're doing well.

However, relying too heavily on the scale can be problematic. Sometimes, when people see no movement or even a small bit of weight gain, they get frustrated and emotionally overwhelmed, leading them to give up.

I want to emphasize the importance of not solely relying on body weight to measure success in a weight-loss journey.

True health encompasses both physical and mental well-being. Shifting the focus from weight loss to embracing an overall feeling of health and wellness is crucial. It's not just about numbers on a scale.

Also, our weight on the scale is impacted by many factors, including how well you've slept, whether you exercised the day before, your hydration levels, and if it's your time of the month. So, it's not as straightforward as we sometimes think.

In conclusion, navigating a weight loss journey can be challenging, and falling into common traps is easy. Understanding and avoiding these "weight loss mistakes" can set you up for long-term success. Remember, drastically cutting calories can backfire; healthy foods still require portion control, and exercise should be valued for its overall benefits rather than just the immediate calorie burn. Avoid being misled by the "health halo" effect and the inaccurate readings of fitness trackers. Most importantly, don’t let the number on the scale dictate your progress. Embrace a holistic approach to health that prioritizes both physical and mental well-being. You can achieve a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle by being mindful of these weight loss mistakes.