10 REASONS WHY YOU ARE NOT LOSING WEIGHT

Written by guest author Nynke Burggraaff

1. Olive oil/healthy oils

Olive oil is a healthy fat and fits perfectly into a healthy diet. However, although it is a healthy fat, it is also high in calories and can slow down your weight loss if you consume too much of it. One tablespoon of olive oil is around 120 calories. Whether you are dipping your bread in olive oil as an appetizer, use it for baking or sprinkle it on your dishes, do not forget that even healthy foods/fats can cause weight gain.

2. Condiments

Be aware of condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, sour cream and many more. Although they are very tasty, they are filled with sugars and sometimes molasses. The healthier options would include mustard, citrus based sauces or spices such as Sriraga or Tabasco.

3. Too much salt

Nobody likes bland food, but if you are a big salt consumer, it could be useful to lower your salt intake because it can affect your weight. Salt retains water and water equals weight. A high salt intake can also result in extremely high blood pressure.

4. Milk

People who use protein shakes to help with weight loss should keep in mind that even skimmed milk can contain a lot of calories. One glass of skimmed milk won’t hurt but protein shakes are often consumed a few times a day and also in higher quantities. Instead you could opt to use half water and half milk in your protein shakes.

5. Measure your food

Again, keep in mind that even healthy foods can cause to weight gain if you consume too much of them. Track your food by measuring and weighing your portions.

6. Drinks/liquid calories

Pumpkin spiced lattes, chai tea, soda’s all these tasty drinks are loaded with sugar and fats. To give you an example: Starbucks famed ‘ light Pumpkin spiced latte”contains 260 calories and 48 g of sugar. The regular version contains 410 calories. Aside from being high in calories, sugary drinks are also empty calories. When watching your weight, it is best to opt for a green tea or any other hot beverage minus the milk, cream and sugars.

7. Salad dressings

You are enjoying a large salad with lots of different and healthy vegetables and you’re proud that you skipped the burger. The truth is some salad dressings are very high in fat and in hidden sugars. Let’s use Ceasar dressing as an example; just 2 tablespoons contain 180 calories and 18 gr of fat. The best options include citrus or yoghurt based dressings.

8. Skipping meals

Skipping meals is a big no when trying to lose weight. Skipping meals makes you more likely to binge on unhealthy food and can spike in your blood sugar levels, making it impossible to stick to your diet.

9. Granola bars or other sugary bars

Granola bars contain oatmeal and nuts; therefore they must be healthy, right? False! What holds those healthy oats and nuts together is mostly sugar. And sugar is the one thing you want to avoid while trying to lose weight! Always check nutrition labels to make sure the product you snack on is how in sugar.

10. You subconsciously cheat

Little nibbles here and there can eventually accumulate. Snacking subconsciously throughout the day adds up and could be the reason why you’re not losing weight.