5 Ways You Are Dieting Wrong

1. Eating the Wrong Thing for Breakfast

Most of my clients that are trying hard to drop pounds will log their food into the "My Fitness Pal" app. If their weight loss has stalled then the first thing I do is look at a week's worth of food. Without fail, the number one mistake is breakfast. It is usually Special K or some lame "weight loss" cereal claiming to help you drop inches in two weeks. 

STOP EATING CEREAL!!!!  And here is why: 

1. SUGAR. Sugar makes you fat. It's in milk (just as much sugar is in skim milk as vitamin D) and the cereal. 

2. There is no protein in cereal... protein makes you stay full. No protein = crazy hungry at 10am. 

3. Not enough calories in cereal. You need at LEAST 350 calories for breakfast. That does NOT include your latte. 

Non-cereal breakfast ideas:

Protein Pancakes (make in advance & freeze, toast to eat on the go).

Sausage - Egg Muffins 

Egg White Omlet

Whole Wheat Egg - Sausage Breakfast Sandwich

Oatmeal with Protein Powder mixed in

Cottage Cheese with Scrambled Eggs

Greek Yogurt with Ezekiel Bread & Almond Butter

2. Skimping On Protein

All day your body is going through a process called protein turnover, basically breaking down its own muscle tissues. Totally normal, but many women don’t eat enough protein (which contains amino acids, the main “food” for muscles), to counteract this effect and properly maintain lean mass. Not good since the more muscle you have, the more 

calories you burn no matter what you’re doing.

Try eating salmon or tuna for lunch... especially if you're family turns their nose up at fish if you try to serve it for dinner.

3. Not Eating ENOUGH Calories

People crack me up. They decide to lose weight and instead of eating the appropriate amount of calories, they go into some crazy starvation mode and barely eat anything. You have to eat enough to keep your metabolism working or your body will react to the crazy drop in calories, hold onto EVERYTHING you eat and then you won't lose weight. 

No matter what you weigh, you should be eating at LEAST 1,000 calories per day. Ideally those calories will be spread out into 5 little meals. This keeps your metabolism burning ALL day long, fueling your body ALL day long and keeps your body guessing ALL day long!

4. Drinking Diet Coke

I'm not on the crazy train saying that it's poisonous or going to kill you. BUT the artificial sugar does trigger the same hormone and metabolic response as real sugar. Basically the receptors in your brain and gut anticipate getting calories from the sugar; in response your body releases the fat storage hormone insulin. THEN about 30 minutes after you drink that diet coke you want something sweet or carbs: you go straight to the vending machine for M & M's or Doritos. 

SO: don't drink diet coke so that you won't eat later. 

5. Your ONE Cheat Meal Turns into a Seven

You have been "good" all week. It's Friday night. You decide this is going to be your one "cheat meal" (calories don't count, you'll get back on track tomorrow). So you go out with girls, start with one margarita (700 liquid calories), chips and salsa.... two margaritas (1,400 liquid calories), enchiladas.... three liquid margaritas (2,100 calories), the end. 

But you don't feel so great on Saturday morning so you don't go work out or eat egg whites and oatmeal for breakfast. You NEED a latte and donut. (That's cheat meal #2.)

Your mom wants to eat lunch, so you go out to Mimi's, drink sweet tea, eat one of their 1,000 calorie muffins PLUS lunch. (That's cheat meal #3.)

Your husband asks you to go on a date. Of course I'll go... it's Saturday! So you drink wine, eat a spinach dip appitizer, a small steak, baked potato, and order dessert... because it's date night! (That's cheat meal #4.)

Sunday morning and your kids want pancakes, bacon, etc. So you eat with them, because it's a family breakfast! Pass the syrup, please! (That's cheat meal #5.)

After church the family hits up the chinese buffet. I am 100% sure there is no way to track or calculate calories at a buffet. And I'm 1,000% sure that that is the point: have you looked at the people filling their plate at those places? Enough said. (That's cheat meal #6.)

Assuming you don't have a baby shower to attend (yes, you eat two cupcakes) you are really too tired to plan anything for dinner so you pick up pizza. (That's cheat meal #7.)

OKAY! IT'S MONDAY: I WEIGHT MYSELF AND HAVEN'T LOST ANY WEIGHT!!! UGHHHH. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TALK TO MARIETTA ABOUT THIS. WHY AM I NOT LOSING WEIGHT???? 

I promise you this: you deleted the entire week of eating "good" by binging all weekend. Admit it. You did it. 

Disclaimer: If dieting mistake #5 hits all too close to home, I promise I can identify. Mostly because I have done the EXACT SAME THING. And I hear the complaints EVERY Monday. Without fail.

Is this a good time to say "Have a great weekend!"? Hah! No really: stay on track, be strong. You can still have fun and be smart about what you're eating, you just have to think before you eat. 

Happy Friday!

Marietta