Don’t do these 12 things when trying to lose weight.

First of all, wow.

Have you seen some of the comments on the recent post about breastfeeding?

You ladies are amazing. I sometimes wonder who’s reading my blog, & then all of sudden, you all have things to say, & you’re smart, inspiring. I’m honored to have you ladies as readers.

And you’ve given me a lot to think about. In my next post, I’m going to bring to light some of the great things you all had to share and do a part 2 to that post, because obviously, I’m not the only one who feels conflicted about breastfeeding & there’s more to say, more to discuss.

But for now, I want to address something that’s also been on my mind.

It seems like every spring there a few winter pounds I’d like to shed in preparation for summer. This spring is no exception. I have a few pounds to lose. Like 2 or 3, nothing big.


Nevertheless, I’d like to get rid of them, & will, as I apply the secret(s) of weight loss.


If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you might think that my weight goes up and up and down and then back up again. That I’m constantly gaining and losing weight.

This is partly true, & I have the stretch marks to prove it.

I have gained massive amounts of weight and lost them over the past half a decade. But that’s not what I’m going to talk about in this post today.

What I’m going to talk about is the little weight gain that happens to all of us, that is part of life.

I don’t know of anyone who weighs the exact same weight day in and day out. An individual’s body weight is in constant flux–it changes based on what we’ve eaten that day, water consumed, exercise, and our day-to-day activities.

Your body fat percentage is even in flux. It can change from day-to-day, week to week. It shouldn’t vary a great deal over time, but it isn’t a fixed, concrete number either.

A little bit of fluctuation is normal!

There are times (ahem, like the holidays, vacations), where we tend to eat more and move less, hence a little weight gain.

Realizing that your weight will fluctuate will help you to calm down and put things in proper perspective.

If you gain a few pounds, it’s not, “oh well, guess it’s all downhill now, might as well not even try,” but rather, “oh, interesting, I guess I need to pay more attention & do something about it.”

Yes, you may have a little weight gain (or a lot), so what are you going to do about it?

Whatever you do, don’t do these 12 things when trying to lose weight.

(And as a bonus for reading such a long post, I have a few little non-calorie “treats” for you at the end.)

1. Stop eating.

Have you ever thought to yourself, after a particularly indulgent party or get together (isn’t it always the parties that do it?), “tomorrow I’m going to make up for it by not eating anything!”

Maybe that’s just me. Like all of my rash ideas, it’s a particularly dumb one. How long does this last? Maybe half a day. Then, hunger takes over, like a springtime bear waking up from hibernation, your body tells you to eat, & eat A LOT darn it!

The truth is, you’ve got to continue eating, because simply not eating for a few days, just isn’t possible (or, must I add, healthy) unless you’ve been marooned on a stranded island.

2. Weigh yourself every day.

You’re just setting yourself up for discouragement. Remember your weight can change from day to day? What you’re looking for is a consistent, gradual decline over time.

Decide upon a day and weigh yourself every week on that day. Ideally, first thing in the morning before you’ve eaten or drank anything (drinking one big glass of water right before weighing could increase the numbers on the scale by a pound or two!).

3. Think that licks, little bites, or nibbles are freebies.

All calories count.

Even if it’s just a “smidgen” of brownie batter, or a “small” handful of chips. If it goes into your mouth, no matter in what form or how little, it’s calories, and it counts.

4. Exercise at the expense of your sleep.

I know the temptation. And the dilemma. You only have a certain amount of time in the day.

Do you wake up an hour earlier to exercise? If it’s at the expense of get a full night’s rest, I wouldn’t. Adequate sleep is more important than exercise. Because, you can easily fit exercise in throughout your day if you have to, but it’s highly unlikely that you can fit extra sleep in throughout your day.

Also, research has shown that individuals tend to consume more calories when they get inadequate amounts of sleep. Not helpful when you’re trying to shed pounds.

5. Fall for the diet drink trick.

Slimfast? Replace two meals with a “delicious” (according to whom, may I ask?) shake and eat a “sensible” dinner. Easy enough. But. Liquid protein shakes or meal replacement shakes don’t register with your body the way real food does.

First, you’re not actually chewing, an activity that your body likes & wants to do. Second, there’s no real fiber in these concoctions. There may be added fiber, but it is very different from the natural occurring fiber in whole foods.

6. Take weight loss pills.

I don’t care if they’re “natural.”

Most weight loss pills contain high amounts of caffeine and other so called “natural” ingredients like herbs. Not saying herbs are bad, just that they are like drugs. You can’t just take as much as you’d like whenever you’d like unless it’s something like basil or thyme, but who would want to do that?

“Natural” is not synonymous with: completely safe to consume/eat, like spring water, or breathing air. Tree bark is “natural” but you won’t see me gnawing on some anytime soon!

Plus, if you are burning any extra calories from these expensive, magical diet pills, the effects will eventually taper off as your body adapts. Our bodies are beautiful at adapting. Like any drug, you’ll just need more, & a dependence is created.

What you learned in 5th grade D.A.R.E. class still rings true: “Just say NO! to drugs.”

7. Get discouraged because you’re only losing .5 lbs. a week.

First of all, after your intial big weight loss (should be 3 or 4 pounds the first week from water weight), .5 pounds a week adds up. In a month, that’s 2 solid pounds. In a course of 6 months, that’s 12 pounds. Not bad, especially if it’s a loss that will stick.

The key is consistency.

I’m much more interested in consistency over a period of time, rather than results in a small chunk of time.

Reason is two fold: the challenge of weight loss is sustainability & maintenance. Sure, you can go on a cleanse or water fast, or quickie weight loss diet, but if you haven’t addressed lifestyle issues, weight will come back with a vengeance. Not what you want, to be sure.

8. Eat well one day, then binge or “fall off the wagon,” the next.

Consistency is key (hmm, have I said that before?).

I recommend trimming 250-500 calories a day, rather than a greater calorie deficit, because it leaves room for greater satiety, not as restrictive, & you can make room for a small, healthy dessert now & then.

This will help prevent the binge, strict, binge, strict, cycle that can develop if a diet is too restrictive.

9. Rely on willpower.

I have no will power, & I know it.

This is why I try to always fill up on raw vegetables first, then go for the higher calorie stuff later. When I say higher calorie, I’m not talking candy bars, rather things like rice, beans, tofu, etc.

After I’ve had my fill of the good stuff, if there’s room for a bit of dessert, then I’ll have some. Since I’m usually really full after a big salad or vegetable soup & a hearty serving of starch, I know I won’t go overboard on dessert.

10. Skip meals.

Skipping meals just to save on calories will come back to bite you in the tushy, & you know it.

It’s one thing to not eat a meal because you’re not hungry or because you’re still full from the last meal (happens to me sometimes), but to simply choose to skip meals in order to cut calories is not a wise choice.

Instead of skipping a meal, eat a light meal of raw salad &/or vegetable soup. This way, you’re not setting yourself up for a free-for all binge when your hunger really rears it’s ugly head next meal time (& it always will).

11. Snack to “rev” your metabolism.

To say that a person needs to eat every few hours so they can burn more calories is nonsense. You do burn calories digesting & processing food (hence the “revving” of the metabolism).

However, you still have to account for those extra calories. If you can snack in between meals without over consuming your daily total calories, then go for it.

Some people find having a small (less than 100-200 calories) fiber-rich snack in between meals helps them to eat less at mealtimes. I don’t find this the case with me, so I don’t snack a lot.

If I’m really hungry & it’s not mealtime, I’ll drink a big glass of lemon water, wait a bit. If I’m still hungry I’ll make myself a big raw salad (easy to do w/ the pre-washed lettuce) or snack on raw cauliflower or cucumbers sprinkled with Mrs. Dash.

12. Go overboard on the protein because it’s “good for weight loss.”

Most women need roughly 50 grams of protein a day. More if you are pregnant or nursing (about 71 grams). More than this is just extra protein your body will have to process & excrete. It’s true it takes more energy (calories) to digest & process protein than it does carbs or fat, but this is not necessarily a good thing. Why make your body work harder than it has to?

Many times eating more protein in order to lose weight, without looking at other factors (like your total caloric intake) will just lead to excess calories, which means little or no weight loss, or even, yikes, weight gain!

Remember, the goal is not to become the skinniest gal on the block (if it is, maybe you’re reading the wrong blog), but rather to be your healthiest, happiest, & most vibrant self!

As for the goodies I have for you, I’ve posted two new workouts & and an intro video, check ’em out. I made them just for you :).
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Question:
Does your weight fluctuate, or do you stay at the same number day in and day out, no matter what? Do tell.


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