6 Hidden culprits that sabotage weight loss

You’re watching what you eat, making sure you eat a healthy, balanced diet and paying attention to portion sizes.  Why are you still not losing weight? 

The following six hidden culprits may be part of your problem:

1. Too much milk and sugar in coffee and tea

Coffee and tea are ideal beverages to have between meals, but if you drink quite a few cups in the course of the day, you could be adding hundreds of calories unwittingly. 

For instance, if you like your tea milky with two teaspoons of sugar, you could be adding over 100 calories to every cup you drink.

Take a bit less milk and learn to enjoy the taste of it without sugar, or use sweetener or one teaspoon of sugar if you must (don’t overdo it with the sweetener, though; some studies have indicated that artificial sweeteners may increase appetite and actually cause weight gain).

Furthermore, although there is no clear evidence that artificial sweeteners may cause cancer in humans, studies conducted with rats have indicated that large quantities may cause bladder cancer in rats.

2. Fizzy and other calorie-laden drinks

Fizzy drinks contain a lot of sugar; opt for the sugar-free variety if you are only having one or two glasses a day, but once again, these contain artificial sweeteners which should not be consumed excessively.  Similarly, fruit juice is a very concentrated form of fruit and can be quite high in calories.
Smoothies and milk shakes, depending on the size and ingredients, can contain as many calories as a meal consisting of a toasted sandwich and salad;  just be aware that you can take in as much as a quarter of your daily calorie consumption by having one of these.

3. Alcoholic beverages

We’ve all heard that a glass of red wine a day can actually be good for your health (particularly because of the resveratrol found in red wine), but any alcoholic drink can be quite high in calories; having one drink is great to relax and socialise, but having five may be detrimental to your weight loss plans (and your soundness of mind!)

4. Fats and oils used for cooking

Oils and fats are the most calorie-dense foods and must be used sparingly, not only to keep a check on weight gain, but also for heart health and cholesterol levels (especially animal fats).

Bake or grill where you can – food often tastes better when cooked this way anyway. Some things need oil for frying though (e.g. stir-fry) but use as little oil as possible. The same applies to butter and salad dressing – use sparingly to get the taste without the calories.

5. Tasting while cooking

Get into the habit of not tasting bits and pieces of your cooking while preparing food – it may seem innocent enough, but can add many calories, besides the fact that by the time supper’s ready, you won’t enjoy it as much. 

6. Eating while doing something else

Eating while watching TV, surfing the internet or reading a book can be dangerous – before you know it, that packet of crisps or toffees will be finished and you were not even really aware of eating it. 

When eating, focus on eating only – leave everything else for afterwards, so that you are able to taste and enjoy what you are eating.  This way, you’ll also be satisfied with less.
Bearing in mind that we need to “save” about 3 500 calories in order to lose a pound, and the average woman needs about 2 000-2 200 calories per day to maintain her weight, let’s end off by looking at how much you could add by not taking heed of the above points:
With your breakfast, you have a medium smoothie containing yoghurt, fruit juice and a bit of ice cream (calories added about 350). Around mid-morning you have a lattè with two sugars (about 200 calories). With lunch you have a can of Coke (about 150 cal). 

Late afternoon you have a cappuccino with two sugars (about 150 calories) and after a long day at the office, you relax on the patio and have two glasses of wine (about 250 calories). When we do the sums, you have had 1 100 calories before you’ve eaten anything!  Worth a thought...

About the author:

Ilke Hay does weight and food counselling for individuals who wish to change the way they think about food and eating, in order to assist with permanent weight loss and maintenance.

Contact details

Website: www.weightcounselling.co.za
E-mail: [email protected]
Cell: 082-652-1823

Image: © Yuri Arcurs - Fotolia.com

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