Katharine Jones Accredited dietitian on self-sabotaging your weight loss without realising

You’re back on your health kick, you’ve started exercising more and have been taking the time to plan your meals, so you eat better with the goal of weight loss in mind. But you aren’t seeing the results you were hoping to achieve.

What is going wrong?

It is fantastic that you are cooking and preparing meals, but there are a few things you could be doing to accidentally sabotage your weight loss attempts even though on paper you are ticking all the boxes.

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Overdoing your portion sizes

So often it is not what you eat but how much you eat. We tend to underdo the vegetable portion and overdo the protein and carbohydrate portion. Yes, even if it is healthy protein and carbs, too much is still too much.

When following a recipe, do your best to stick to the recommended portions. If the recipe says, it serves four, portion out four serves and only have your one. Add extra vegetables if needed to keep you full after the meal.

When following a recipe, do your best to stick to the recommended portions. Image: Getty

Mindlessly finishing someone else’s meal

The achieve fat loss, a calorie deficit is needed. All foods contain calories, even small bites here and there. It can be very tempting to finish the little bits of food left on your children’s plates, or the off-cuts when preparing a meal.

You probably don’t even notice you are doing this, though it could be just the thing adding up to those extra 50 – 100 calories per day, making it harder for you to lose weight.

Adding extra fat without realising

When cooking with fats, oil or butter, it is important to remember you are still consuming these calories at the end meal, therefore be weary of how much you use.

When cooking at home, use unsaturated fat such as extra virgin olive oil, and only use a small portion. Fat does help add flavour to your meals, though also think about other ways to add flavours, like herbs and spices.

Extra hidden calories

Be selective with the type and amount of sauce you use in cooking or at the end of a meal. I’m a big fan of sauces to help flavour food and make it taste better, as you are more likely to eat nutritious food when they taste good.

However, some sauces and dressings are a surefire way to add extra sugar and fat, and therefore, calories without realising the amount.

Check the label and the recommended serving size and try not to exceed it. This is another time herbs and spices can be used to enhance flavour without the additional calories.

Overloading on toppings

Another thing to be mindful of is the topping you add to your food. Think about the cheese you add to your pasta or the sour cream you add to your soup. These add extra calories you may not need.

Be careful of the portion you use. The same goes for nuts, seeds and cheese in your salad. These are healthy ingredients, but it is possible to have too much of a healthy thing when fat loss is your goal.

Rewarding yourself after exercise with a cheat meal

There is no harm in a cheat meal every now and then, and it is all part of a balanced diet. Though a cheat meal too often or every time you exercise is not going to help you achieve your fat loss goals.

It is common to overestimate the calories you have burnt off in your workout and underestimate the calories in that cheat meal or treat snack you are allowing yourself to have.

A 30-40minute workout burns 300-400 calories, while a café muffin or fast food meal will have upwards of 500 calories, which undermines your calorie deficit. Speak with a dietitian about how to get the balance right.

Katharine Jones is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian who works with clients to improve and manage endocrine issues such as Type 1, Type 1 and gestational diabetes and PCOS. Kate can be found consulting for Verde Nutrition Co.