I eat so healthy but I just can’t lose weight. Nuts, fruit, smoothies, salads, that’s all I have and the scales won’t budge!
The journey of weight loss can be time consuming, frustrating and defeating but it can also be rewarding, uplifting and life changing. A common factor that gets in the way of feeling the latter of those emotions is stagnance on the scales. If you feel like you’re doing everything right nutritionally but the scales won’t budge, here’s a few deceiving culprits that could be getting in your way and some smart switches to help you win the fight!
1: Smoothies and Juices
Though seeming innocent in the strive for weight loss, smoothies and juices can be some of the most guilty across the board. Though generally jam packed with fruit, they can sometimes contain more calories and grams of sugar than an ice cream. On top of this, because they are blended to fluid, smoothies and juices tend to not fill us up as much as other alternatives with the same calorie content. If you’re chasing something to drink with a little more taste than water, try making your own infused sparkling water. Use either a small amount of your favourite juice or even better – some fresh fruit!
2: Dried fruit and nuts mix
These can offer great benefits to us nutritionally and nuts especially are important to our balance of foods, however, it is also important to understand how calorie dense these mixes can be. If grabbing a handful from a packet a couple times a day, this can add up to hundreds and hundreds of calories for your day and dozens of grams of sugar. On top of this, dried fruit keeps all of the sugar from fruit but removes all of the water that helps keep us full. It’s much easier to eat 50 sultanas than 50 grapes but the calorie and sugar content is the same, see how it works? Next time try having one piece of fresh fruit and a small handful of nuts.
3: Restaurant salads
Salads are a great option on the weight loss journey, however, they vary greatly in fat, carb, sugar and calorie content. When eating out, be very wary of what’s included in the salad and what the dressing is. For example, quite often a Caesar salad can come with more calories than a cheeseburger! Yep you heard it correctly. This comes down to the bacon, cheese, croutons and dressing and with just a few additions a healthy option becomes an unhealthy option. Next time you’re choosing a salad from the menu, look for options that have healthy ingredients and always ask for the dressing on the side.
4: Yogurt
Similarly to fruit and nuts, yogurt can be a great addition to your nutritional balance with it’s protein and calcium content, however, this isn’t the case with all brands across the board. When choosing a yogurt make sure to look out for sugar, fat, calorie and artificial sweetener content. Just one small yogurt can contain more sugar than a bar of chocolate so always be wary of this (*Tip – 4.2 grams of sugar is a teaspoon). All natural yogurts and Greek yogurts are generally great options to start looking at so take the time in your next shop to scope out your options.
Healthy nutritional balance is pivotal in the journey to weight loss so let’s look at what could be blocking that movement on the scales with the 4 steps to success!
1: Identify one food or drink you’re currently consuming that could be sabotaging your weight loss. *Tip – If you’re unsure, track your food for a few days and raise your awareness around what you’re eating.
Example: Dried fruit and nut mix
2: Write down why it is you enjoy this snack and identify healthier alternatives that will still give you this.
Example: I enjoy that it’s easy and filling as a snack in the afternoon.
Alternatives – Protein bar, Low sugar/calorie nut bar, fibre packed piece of fruit such as an apple.
3: Choose one to switch it with this week.
Example: Protein bar
4: After a week, review if this works, if not try a different alternative.
Example: I enjoyed the protein bar but think I would like to mix it up to get some fruit so I will try having an apple instead this week.
Remember the 4 steps to success don’t work unless you do. Don’t allow hidden calories to reduce the benefits of your good intentions, increase your awareness around your food intake and take action towards changing your choices today!
Last but not least, as always, if you are having trouble with any of your 4 steps to success, don’t hesitate to contact me through our contact page on this site or our socials.
When women support each other, incredible things happen.
Jx