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What could be more frustrating than not seeing the scale drop despite days or weeks of doing everything right? After all that hard work—all the cookies you didn't eat, all the willpower you maintained, all the time you logged at the gym—how could you not have lost any weight? It's enough to make even the most determined person throw in the towel. Before you swear off exercise and declare yourself as someone who "will never lose weight," stop, take a deep breath, and remember this: Weight-loss may seem simple (eat fewer calories than you burn), but often, there's a lot more going on than a simple calorie equation. Our bodies aren't calculators after all! What's more likely is that you've made some innocent mistakes in your quest to lose weight. Don't feel bad about it—it's extremely common. These bad habits may be preventing you from getting the results you want. Instead of giving up, make some of the smart changes outlined below, and you'll see that scale drop in no time!
10 Habits of Unsuccessful Dieters
Bad Habit #1: Going "on a diet" in the first place. Since when did the word "diet" refer to something good? The word itself implies restriction, limitation, and a short-lived effort to get some quick results and then return to a "normal" way of eating. SparkPeople's surveys have shown that people who consider themselves to be "dieting" lose less weight and encounter more problems (such as plateaus and a lack of motivation) than people who are trying to lose weight by creating a lasting healthy lifestyle. Plus diets usually mean giving things up: favorite foods, dining out, desserts—even your social life. You don't have to be a psychology expert to know that when you tell yourself you can't have something, you usually want it more. This way of thinking could directly be sabotaging your efforts.
Smart Fix: Ditch the diets for good and focus on creating a healthy lifestyle based on nutritious foods and small, realistic changes that you can live with for the long term.
Bad Habit #2: Overhauling your eating habits overnight. How many times have you gone crazy eating all the "bad" foods you know you shouldn't, only to promise to swear them off starting next week or next month or next year? How often have you decided to suddenly clean out your kitchen, throw away all the "junk" and then shop for only healthy food? How's that working for you? No one can expect to change a lifetime of eating habits overnight—and no one should have to! To lose weight successfully and keep it off, you have to adopt a way of eating that you can stick with for the rest of your life.
Smart Fix: Eating healthy isn't about taking food away; it's about eating MORE of the things that are good for you. To be successful, you have to implement small and realistic changes to your diet. Next week, swap that 2% milk for 1%, and switch out your usual bread for a healthy whole-grain variety. Once you get used to that, you can set a small goal like eating one serving of fresh fruits or vegetables each day. The point is to start small with changes that fit into your lifestyle. Here are more tips on how to start eating a healthier diet.
Bad Habit #3: Giving up certain foods altogether. We've already touched on the idea that labeling certain foods as diet no-no's can make you crave them even more. Whether you feel out of control when you're around certain foods or you've read about a certain diet plan that promises results if you were to just cut out wheat, gluten, carbs, sugar, or dairy, a lot of people think that to lose weight they have to give up specific things—including foods that they love. A truly healthy diet that you can stick with forever will include all the foods you love. Unless you plan to give up ice cream or bread forever, then don't cut anything out temporarily. Generally, people can give up foods like that for a while and see some weight loss success (usually because they're eating fewer calories, not because anything about that specific food causes weight problems). But as soon as that food is let back into your life, the weight tends to come back with it.
Smart Fix: All things in moderation. Instead of focusing on the foods you can't have, set goals to eat more of the foods that you know are good for you. This is a much more positive way to think about your goals and get results. Plus, allowing yourself portion-controlled servings of the food you're thinking about banning will keep you happy and content, but also prevent crazed binges that can occur when you're feeling weak.
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Nutrition Articles › Pitfalls and Plateaus10 Habits of Unsuccessful DietersBad Habits That Are Preventing You from Losing Weight-- By Nicole Nichols, Certified Personal TrainerSparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
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Nicole Nichols
Nicole was named "America's Top Personal Trainer to Watch" in 2011. A certified personal trainer and fitness instructor with a bachelor's degree in health promotion and education, she loves living a healthy and fit lifestyle and helping others do the same. Her DVDs "Total Body Sculpting" and "28 Day Boot Camp" (a best seller) are available online and in stores nationwide. Read Nicole's full bio and blog posts. Follow Coach Nicole Online:   
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Member Comments
Jan - 5/24/2013 8:13:30 AM
- 10/26/2012 5:26:59 AM
hoo.com I'm desperate. - 10/20/2012 10:43:01 AM
It is very helpful to fine tune our plan on a regular bases. - 10/20/2012 10:19:01 AM
lbootcamp.com/ - 10/17/2012 10:50:48 PM
Another mistake most dieters make is not discussing their diet/exercise plan with a doctor or dietitian. When you are getting the nutrients your body needs, then you will have less cravings for unhealthy foods. When you are overweight, you have a higher risk of problems with your body and knowing what signs to look for is something your doctor can help with. - 10/2/2012 6:24:39 PM
Another mistake most dieters make is not discussing their diet/exercise plan with a doctor or dietitian. When you are getting the nutrients your body needs, then you will have less cravings for unhealthy foods. When you are overweight, you have a higher risk of problems with your body and knowing what signs to look for is something your doctor can help with. - 10/2/2012 6:24:39 PM
1. Skipping breakfast in order to consume less calories.
2. Listening to and heeding the advice of "professional dieters" who have lost "x" number of pounds by following the latest crazy trend.
On the "giving up too quickly, I can reIate. I ate healthfully (around 1400 well-chosen calories most days) and exercised faithfully for about 9 months, while gaining or losing the same couple of pounds. As frustrating as it was, I kept at it, and just recently, over an 11-week period (while engaged in a First Place 4 health program), my setpoint (or BMR) finally adjusted to "the new normal". I lost 5 pounds (to reach my goal) and almost 8 inches, and have been able to keep my weight within a pound of that. - 8/27/2012 2:53:56 PM
Losing weight requires a whole lot of balance and what works for some may not work for others. For example, I'm fully aware that the scale is not the absolute determining factor of my progress, but I weigh myself every day, and sometimes multiple times a day. I like having an idea of how things affect me, and most of the time, for me, it's motivational, up or down. - 8/26/2012 11:24:01 PM
I gave up wheat forever. Been a year and haven't missed it. What I HAVE missed is heartburn, gas, and energy level crashes and burns.
Starch turns to sugar in your mouth and gluten turns to glue in your guts. The gliadin in wheat keeps you wanting more and more, driving eating obsessions. Wheat? Not worth the high cost.
I still eat relatively low levels of sugar (though even that will be going in the next few months), but I'm not really addicted to it. For those of you who are, cold turkey works the best. Tough it out, get over it and move on to a life where you actually have control over what you want to eat! - 8/26/2012 9:53:51 PM