7 Eating Habits That Are Messing Up Your Weight-Loss Goals

1. You hate wasting food, so you always eat until your plate is clean.
Either way, the food is going to waste — depending on whether you spell it "waste" or "waist," reminds Nancy Braack, a Weight Watchers leader in Omaha. "Put less on your plate to begin with. It's okay to go back for seconds, but you may find that you're satisfied with the smaller amount." If you're eating out at a restaurant, ask for a to-go box and wrap up a portion immediately so it's out of sight. And besides, those leftovers could be tomorrow's lunch!

2. You restrict yourself too much from the "bad" foods.
The occasional treat can ward off a binge. In a study of 30 normal-weight women, half were given unlimited access to chocolate and half were told it was forbidden. Twenty-four hours later, the second group was allowed to eat as much chocolate as they wanted — and they ate more than the group who had been allowed chocolate all along. Allow yourself your favorite things every now and then, and savor everything you eat. But watch out for promising labels like "low fat" and "sugar-free" as these could leave you thinking you can eat more of the downsized version.

3. You want to eat what everyone else is eating
Just because your friend can down a burger and fries for lunch and stay thin doesn't mean you can. Fair or not, some people are simply born with a faster metabolism than others, says John M. O'Brien, M.D., associate professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan Health System. Genetics and certain medical conditions affect metabolism, as well as the amount of exercise you do. Learn what keeps you at a healthy weight and stick to that. Enjoy the food and the company, and you may find your portion is actually enough. Related: Eat Your Way to More Energy

4. You don't bother cooking for one
You're having dinner solo tonight and it hardly seems worth it to make a big fuss over just you. So you end up grazing, having "just" some cheese and crackers, then some cookies, then maybe some leftover pasta ... until you're stuffed, and still haven't had a proper meal. Marla Cilley, co-author of Body Clutter, suggests cooking in advance and freezing single portions for those nights when you'll be alone. Another idea is to use a slow-cooker. Throw some ingredients in before you leave the house in the morning, and like magic, there's a hot and delicious meal waiting for you when you get home.

5. You don't get enough sleep.
According to a study from Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Stanford University, the less you snooze, the less leptin (a powerful hormone) your body is likely to produce. What's that got to do with shedding pounds? Leptin helps promote weight loss in two ways: It discourages you from eating (by sending the message Hey, stop munching — you're full! to your stomach), and it rouses you to expend energy. More evidence that sleep deprivation interferes with dropping pounds: The hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, is higher in people who don't get enough zzz's. (If you don't sleep soundly one night, try to squeeze in a nap the following day — the hormones are affected by how much shut-eye you get in a 24-hour period.)

6. You skip breakfast to save calories.
Ignoring breakfast isn't going to save big calories. Trust us. You'll become so ravenous, you'll likely gobble down whatever you can get your hands on at the following meal. The reasons: Physically, your blood sugar plummets, making you feel famished; emotionally, you may feel entitled to consume more. Plus, when you deprive yourself of food, your body thinks there isn't a source of nourishment readily available. As a result, your metabolism moves at a snail's pace. And we all know — the slower your metabolism, the harder it'll be to lose weight.

7. You think you have a slow metabolism, so you're eating way less.
It really takes at least 1,500 calories daily — with carefully chosen foods and a multivitamin/mineral for insurance — to get all the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients you need. But if your metabolism is superslow, you can probably get away with consuming 1,200 calories per day, supplemented by a multivitamin and two 500 mg calcium pills. Your food choices must be high in nutrients, though (vegetables, a few fruits, whole grains only, lean meat, skinless poultry, fish, and healthy fats). There's no room for junk food! Also, try eating smaller portions, more often throughout the day. This will prevent binging and causing your blood sugar to dip too low.


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