12 Weight Loss Traps

6. You Took a Break from Exercising

Maybe you got too busy with a PTA project or put in extra hours at the office, but a layoff can seriously interfere with weight-loss efforts — beyond the unspent calories. A recent study at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that joggers who temporarily cut back on distance or who stopped running altogether couldn’t simply resume what they’d been doing if they wanted to drop the pounds they’d put on during their break. They needed to add extra miles in order to get back to their pre-”vacation” weight.

7. You’ve Banished All Carbs

It’s not about food groups, it’s about calories — consume fewer than you spend and you’ll lose pounds. Does that mean you should eat a little less of everything? Probably, but tiny portions on your plate will signal “hunger” to your brain. “By the time we’re adults, we’ve eaten thousands of meals and we have a good notion of what it will take to fill us up,” says Barbara J. Rolls, Ph.D., professor of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University. Eat too little at dinner, and you’ll be charging the fridge before bed. Her solution: Put more veggies and fruits on your plate. True, they have carbs, but they also have fiber and water, and they’re not high-cal. This way, you get the sensory experience of chewing and swallowing plenty of times, and your stomach gets filled without much risk of its also getting filled out.

8. You Listen to the TV, Not to Your Body

A recent study showed that Americans use external cues, like waiting till their TV show is over, to stop eating, unlike the don’t-get-fat French, who rely on internal messages, such as feeling full. We’re also susceptible to social influences. “Many of us keep eating until almost everyone at the table is finished,” says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., a nutrition expert at Cornell University and the author of Mindless Eating. The damage can be serious if you’re picking at the macaroni and cheese, so if you tend to finish before your family, “keep the salad bowl or veggies in front of you,” suggests Wansink. Better yet, ask yourself if you’re really still hungry. Unless the answer is truly yes, put down your fork.

9. You’re Keeping Your Diet a Secret

Support is key to dropping pounds and keeping them off. That’s why groups like Weight Watchers and online diet communities work so well. But be careful whom you turn to: Canadian researchers recently interviewed people trying to change their diets and found that some spouses actively hindered the dieters’ efforts (by eating forbidden foods in front of them, for example). If that sounds like someone in your household, try an online buddy.

10. You’re Working Out Too Hard

You may be setting yourself up to drop out. Research has shown that the best way to stick with an exercise program is to build confidence by starting slow and learning the proper mechanics — not by throwing yourself into it. And don’t skip the cooldown. A study of 110 adults found that a happy ending makes the workout seem easier, “and in a related study we found exercisers reported they would be more likely to repeat the activity in the future,” says study leader Britton Brewer, Ph.D., of the Center for Youth Development and Research at Springfield College in Massachusetts. Perhaps most important: You may be less likely to undo all the good by rewarding yourself afterward with a high-calorie treat.

Share this story: