Have you been dieting, exercising and generally keeping an eye on your weight, but still haven’t seen the scale move?
EverydayHealth.com wrote an excellent article on 12 reasons why you may not be achieving the weight-loss that you’d expect from rigorous exercise and a healthy diet. Most of us have, at some point, experienced the ‘plateau’ where the pounds stop coming off and discouragement sets in. Here are the 12 common diet mistakes that, if corrected, will get you back to seeing the scale go down in numbers. And don’t forget that Body Beautiful’s  line of signature inch loss treatments help support your weight loss efforts!

1. Overcompensating Food Intake When Exercising Regularly:

Many people overestimate the amount of calories they burn during exercise, and start to eat more as a result. The misconception here is that working out means you are burning more calories, meaning you can eat more. While the theory is correct, the conclusion is not, if you are trying to lose weight. In order to lose weight you need to be burning more calories than you are consuming, and the only way to accurately calculate that is by counting your calorie intake (a great way to do this is via a journal), rather than estimating it; and by calculating your calories burned (the intensity of exercise, your resting-or “basal”- calorie burn rate, the length and type of exercise, etc.). There are some great tools online to assist you in these calculations, such as CalorieCount that lets you input what you’ve eaten and helps you calculate the calories, as well as what you’ve burned based on general estimates for different common exercises.

2. Lack of Sleep:

Sleep is when your body rests, recharges and repairs. Lack of sleep can affect the proper sequence of hormone release, and can also lead to late-night snacking: calories you may not have planned and accounted for!

3. Stress:

Weight gain has been linked to stress in women, particularly those that are middle-aged. While many women manage their feelings with food because it’s soothing, the calories add up quickly. Try a cup of tea or a piece of calorie-free chewing gum when you need a pick-me-up.

4. Skipping Meals:

The temptation of skipping meals when you’re trying to lose weight is strong – but this type of crash dieting often results in overeating later in the day, eventually making up for the missed calories by eating more. It’s also worth noting that after approximately 72 hours of inconsistent eating habits, your body will stop burning calories and begin to store fat, as well as slowing your metabolism. Eating regularly and often (approximately every two hours, small, controlled portions) is the best way to encourage your metabolism to stay high.

5. High Calorie Intake:

Calories are not related to portion size – so while you think you’re dialing down your intake by reducing your portion size, if you aren’t counting the real number of calories you’re eating, there’s a chance you’re consuming more than what’s necessary for weight-loss.  Measuring utensils and a food scale are the best way to check your portions, and a food journal is essential for counting the amount of calories you’ve consumed over the course of a day.

6. High Calorie Drinks:

Many drinks that are seemingly healthy and wholesome contain a lot of calories. Consider sugar-free fruit juice, which contains up to 180 calories in a glass. Drinking three servings per day over a week can add up to 3,500 calories, which is equivalent to a pound of weight – which means that if you reduce your intake of high calorie drinks and drink water instead, you’re more likely to start losing weight.

7. Fast and Loose Dieting:

Without properly measuring your calorie intake and calculating your calorie burn, you’re really just playing a guessing game with your diet. You’re guessing that since you burned 300 calories by exercising, you are entitled to that 300 calorie muffin – which is essentially canceling the effects of your workout. In order to remain in the ‘caloric deficit’ required for weight loss, you need to be stringent with your calorie input and output. Becoming lax with your intake and justifying it with your regular exercise will keep you either at the same weight, or may even cause you to gain.

8.  Weekend “Breaks”:

A lot of people give themselves permission to indulge on weekends after a week of rigorous diet and exercise. The only problem is, those calorie splurges on snacks, desserts and alcoholic beverages can add up quickly, negating your week’s worth of hard work. If you need to indulge, do it within your diet calorie limit.

9. Diet Impatience:

It takes time to reshape your body – accessing fat stores and using them as energy is not an overnight process for your body. Many people get frustrated and resort to crash diets (which ultimately result in weight gain) or give up because they feel they aren’t seeing results quickly enough.

10. Medical Conditions:

Any condition that results in decreased mobility and less activity will make losing weight more of a challenge. Some medications lead to weight gain as a side effect – such as steroids, some psychiatric medications, insulin and certain beta blockers. If you are on medication that you feel has caused you to gain weight, speak with your physician about exploring a non-weight-gaining alternative. You may have an undiagnosed or untreated condition – such as a low thyroid, which affects metabolism – that has caused you to gain weight or inhibits you from losing it.

11. The Plateau:

It’s common during any weight-loss plan to reach a plateau. The plateau is where you’ve stopped losing weight, and are ‘stuck’ at one weight for an extended period of time. It’s important to realize that it isn’t all about the number on the scale. You could be exchanging your fat tissue for lean muscle (which weighs more), and as such the differences in your body will be visible, but not reflected on your actual weight. In time you’ll resume the weight loss, as your metabolic rate starts to increase.

12. Already at Optimal Body Weight:

Your body knows what its optimal functioning weight and size is – and it may be trying to tell you that you’re where you need to be. If you push past that point, it may lead to muscle loss and a slowing of your metabolism, because you will have to restrict your calorie intake by extreme amounts to see any results beyond your ideal weight. When this is the case, ask yourself why you want to continue losing weight, and whether you will be able to maintain a healthful lifestyle if you do so.