The struggle to lose or maintain weight while living in a society that's constantly coming up with bigger, fattier, and sweeter foods is a tough one indeed. Thankfully, lots of people are trying their hardest to stay slim by eating right and exercising, making the number on the scale go down and their quality of life go up. But even if you think you're making the right decisions when it comes to losing weight, you might be shocked to find that your so-called "healthy" habits are actually causing you to pack on the pounds.
Lots of things can cause us to gain weight, from the food we put in our mouths to the people we spend time with. This doctor actually called out one 600-lb patient's family for allowing her to get so heavy and provided them with a much-needed wake up call. Even if we don't allow ourselves to become morbidly obese and instead just hope to shed a few pounds, it can be hard to figure out a weight loss plan that works for us. This mom lost a lot of weight by eating WWII ration recipes, and now I'm tempted to try it, too!
If you feel like you're doing everything right, but still aren't losing weight, check out these surprising things that can make you heavier. You might be shocked at the things that can actually make you gain weight!
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1. Eating a small breakfast, but a big dinner
Studies have shown that eating a big breakfast, a moderately-sized lunch, and a small dinner can help you lose more weight than if you eat a small breakfast and a large dinner, even if you consume the same number of calories. Make your first meal your largest one if you want to keep the pounds off.
2. Drinking diet soda
By now, we all know how bad soda is for us. The sugar-laden drink does nothing for our health and expands our waistlines. But many people switch over to diet soda thinking that the no-calorie, no-sugar beverage is better than its full-calorie alternative. However, the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks can trick your body into thinking it's consumed sugar and make you crave more and more. Switch to water if you really want to get away from the harmful effects of all soda.
3. Not relaxing
Maintaining low stress levels can help keep your blood pressure in check and reduce your risk for a heart attack, but it can also help you keep the pounds down. Many of us tend to eat more when we're stressed, and keeping our anxieties at bay can help fight off the drive to eat our emotions away.
4. Low-fat snacks
For a long time, the myth that "fat makes you fat" has driven the diet market to create foods that are low-fat and no-fat. But fat makes food taste good, so to compensate for the lack of flavor, many food manufacturers are forced to add more sugar to their products… And sugar is what really makes you fat. Plus, fat helps fill you up, and when it's taken away, you might be driven to eat more to make your stomach stop grumbling. If you're going to treat yourself, opt for the full-fat version of you of your favorite snacks to keep the numbers on the scale down.
5. Not drinking enough water
Many times, the signals that get sent to our brains when we're thirsty are confused for hunger. Before you start snacking and before eating a meal, drink a glass of water. It will help you eat less and weigh less. Staying hydrated is also crucial for overall good health, and it can help you maintain your weight as well.
6. Not looking before you leap at the buffet
If you enjoy buffets (and let's face it: who doesn't?), it can be tempting to just move down the line and scoop a little bit of everything onto your plate as you come to it. But if you want to keep the weight away, it's best to check out all the selections before making your choices. You'll probably find that it will be easier for you to limit yourself to a few foods rather than piling a bunch of stuff onto your plate.
7. Not sleeping enough
Not only does less time asleep mean more time to snack, but apparently, being sleep deprived can also make us hungrier. Multiple studies have shown that people who sleep less tend to weigh more, so make sure you're getting plenty of shut-eye if you want to keep the pounds away.
8. Drinking fruit juice
Upon first glance, fruit juice might seem like a healthy alternative to soda if you crave a bit of flavor in your drink. However, most fruit juice you get from the store is laden with enough sugar to make the nutritional benefits not really worth it. If you absolutely need your fruit juice fix, make your own at home and mix in some spinach or kale to get a serving of veggies as well. Just make sure you don't filter out the pulp so you can get a healthy dose of fiber as well.
9. Eating the wrong salads
Salads are a well-known weight loss food, but done wrong, they can actually make you gain weight. Cheese, creamy or sugary dressings, croutons, meat, and other ingredients can turn your healthy lunch into a calorie bomb. In fact, the salads at many fast food locations contain more fat, sugar, and calories than their burgers! If you're going to use salad as your secret weapon in the battle of the bulge, stick to veggies and fruit, and make smart choices about your add-ons.
10. Eating too much "healthy" food
The secret to a happy and healthy lifestyle is moderation…even when it comes to healthy foods like fruits, whole grains, and meats. Just because a food is healthy doesn't mean you can eat unlimited quantities of it. Fruits contain lots of vitamins but also lots of sugar. Despite being good for your heart and packed with fiber, whole grains can also be high in calories and sugars, and meat is high in cholesterol despite having lots of protein. Avoid excess when it comes to any kind of food, even the healthy kind.
11. Going overboard on cheat days
Having a slice of pizza on the weekend or a beer during happy hour won't be enough to derail your diet plans. However, going crazy on your cheat days will cause the pounds to pile on. Eating healthy all week only to consume an entire chocolate pie in one day will reverse any progress you've made. It's better to have a smaller, lower-calorie treat once a day to stave off those weekend cravings.
12. Paying attention to the wrong numbers
If your belt says you're getting smaller, but the scale says you're getting heavier, you might be a little confused. However, since muscle is denser than fat, you might actually find that you're gaining weight while losing inches if you've been hitting the gym. Try not to focus so much on the number on the scale unless you're extremely overweight — it can fluctuate due to a number of reasons, including something as simple as retaining water. As long as you eat right, exercise, and stay healthy, your weight doesn't have to matter too much.
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