Top 10 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight ...

1. You Eat Diet Food

One of the most common reasons you’re not losing weight could be that the healthy food you’re eating every day might not be as healthy as it appears. Diet food like low fat, low carb and low calorie foods are typically super processed and have tons of preservatives, sugar, sodium and suspicious ingredients that are not what you want to be feeding yourself. Focus on eating clean, whole foods when you can and limit your intake of diet foods.

2. Your Portion Sizes Are Distorted

I’ll admit it; I make this diet mistake often. I don’t take the time to measure out portions when I eat or I inflate the portion sizes. Measuring out your food all the time can be a hassle but it helps control how much you eat and ensures that you’re getting the appropriate amount of specific foods. Take the time to measure your portions so you can keep track of how much you eat and help your body realize when you’re full.

3. You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

Life gets busy. It’s bad enough we barely have enough time to work out but working in enough time to sleep can be a challenge as well! If you’re having trouble seeing results in your weight loss and you frequently skip out on sleep, your sleeping habits could be to blame. When we don’t get enough sleep, it can affect our ability to control our appetite and it can stimulate the release of a hormone that increases the appetite, according to Dr. Lisa Shives of Northshore Sleep Medicine.

4. You Eat Nutrition Bars as Snacks

Nutrition bars aren’t all inherently bad but there are some brands that are just fancy candy bars in healthy-looking wrapping. Even if you choose nutrition bars that are wholesome and nutritious, many of them are pretty high in calories and aren’t meant to be eaten as a snack. If you’re looking for a portable snack, think trail mix, fruit, nuts or air popped popcorn, which are high in nutrients and lower in calories.

5. You Don’t Read Labels

Another one of the things that keep you overweight is when you don’t read labels. Some foods are packaged with statements containing diet buzzwords like low fat or natural, but if you take a look at the nutrition facts and list of ingredients, it’s not the case! Some foods mislead us to think we’re eating healthy when they're filled with unwanted ingredients like sugar, sodium and trans-fats.

6. Your Meals Lack Produce

Lacking enough fresh fruits and vegetables is another possible culprit of a weight loss roadblock. Experts recommend eating about 5-7 servings of fruits and veggies a day and studies show that those whose meals contain lots of veggies are more likely to lose weight and keep it off. The great thing about eating a lot of veggies is that you can eat more of them; they’re high in vitamins and minerals and low in calories.

7. You Eat Fast

This is another diet mistake I make, finishing my meals too quickly! Trying to work through your lunch break and only having a limited time to eat can make this bad habit worse. There are absolutely no health benefits to eating fast and you can end up feeling bloated, overstuffed and you can end up eating way more food than you planned. Practice pausing between bites and savoring you food to avoid this diet pitfall.

8. You Drink Alcohol Often

Drinking alcohol often is another one of the things that keep you overweight. Drinking wine or other alcoholic beverages on occasion is fine. But if you frequently have a drink with dinner or indulge in happy hour cocktails a few times a week, it can be sabotaging all of your hard work! Feel free to indulge on occasion but be sure to count the drinks as part of your overall calorie intake.

9. You Skip Meals

Sometimes we skip meals without meaning to, but if you skip meals in order to save calories, it can end up working against you. Research shows that people who eat less than three meals a day end up consuming more calories throughout the day than those who eat regularly. Set a timer if you have to, but if you’re really serious about losing weight, make meals a priority!

10. You Drink Sodas

I used to be so addicted to soda that I couldn’t imagine going a few hours without my refreshing drink. Then, I realized that my daily fizzy drink was doing me absolutely no favors so I quit. As hard as it was, I realized that I was drinking a nutritionally void drink that had some undesirable long term effects. Even calorie-free diet sodas can cause bigger waistlines, health problems and ruin your teeth from all the acidity!

Did any of these weight loss roadblocks sound familiar to you? I’ve been there and while we try our best to eat healthy, we’re human and we can make mistakes. If you found yourself agreeing to some of these diet pitfalls, don’t get discouraged! You can easily correct the mistakes and get back on track. Can you think of other ways your weight loss could be stalling?