Diet Mistakes: 6 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

Are you dieting and not losing weight? More than likely, some common diet mistakes are tripping you up.

The truth, experts say, is that even when you're "on a diet," you may be eating a lot more calories than you think. There's often a disconnect between what we know we should do to lose weight, and what we actually do while trying to diet. 

For starters, stop thinking about dieting. Instead, take a look at those everyday habits that could be causing weight gain.  Going on a diet can create an obsession with food, heighten cravings, and lead to a "throw-in-the-towel-because-diets-don’t-work" mentality.

You might not realize just how quickly calories can add up.  An extra tablespoon of salad dressing can add 75-100 calories, an extra tablespoon of butter adds 102 calories, and that 1-ounce bag of chips with your sandwich at lunch adds 162 calories.  Eating while cooking, starting each day with a high-calorie coffee drink, finishing off the kids'  plates at dinner, or having one too many glasses of wine -- these are just a few of the sneaky habits that sabotage weight loss efforts.

Yet as quickly as calories can add up, they can be subtracted.  Becoming mindful of your diet mistakes -- the subtle ways that calories sneak into your diet throughout the day – can add up to real weight loss. 

Check out our list of common diet mistakes people make, and see if any sound familiar to you.

Diet Mistake No. 1: Racing to the Finish

There's no reward for finishing your meal in record time -- unless you're a contestant in a hot dog eating contest! Our hectic schedules have led many of us to adopt the unhealthy habit of rapid eating.

"We need to adopt more of the leisurely, European-style eating so that we can savor our food, taste every bite, and get the signal of fullness before overeating," says Tara Gidus, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Diet Mistake No. 2: Skipping Meals

Research shows that breakfast skippers weigh more than breakfast eaters.  There is a misconception that skipping breakfast -- or any meal -- saves calories. The truth is that most people who eat fewer than three meals usually end up eating more calories during the course of the day.

Strive for three meals a day. Always start your day with a healthy breakfast, but be careful to choose wisely.

"Even a low-fat muffin can have as many as 400 calories and 5 grams fat," says Joanne Lichten, PhD, RD, a nutrition consultant and the author of Dining Lean.

A healthy breakfast should contain both protein and fiber. An egg, a piece of whole-wheat toast, and half a grapefruit has only 250 calories and will keep you feeling full until lunch.