5 ways you’re sabotaging your weight-loss resolutions

Nearly half of all Americans will resolve to make 2016 the year they get fitter, faster and reach their feel-great weights. Weight loss and exercising continue to be among the most popular New Year’s vows, according to a Marist Poll.

It would be wonderful if the pounds melted off as soon as we ramped up our workouts and swore off sweets. But many people find that weight loss isn’t that simple or that linear. They get stuck in a weight-watching purgatory – dragging themselves through workouts and scrutinizing food labels – while the numbers on the bathroom scale stall or inch upward. Here are some common weight-loss traps and how to avoid them.

1) Too much too soon

Many people try to overhaul their diets while simultaneously logging monster workout sessions at a pace that’s unsustainable. “People get all excited about counting calories, they overexercise and undereat, and it ends up being too much restriction,” says exercise physiologist Jenny Hadfield, founder of coachjenny.com. “Three weeks after they start, they can’t manage it, and the scale tips the other way.”

Hadfield says baby steps are often more effective. With exercise, do a variety of workouts: short easy aerobic efforts, endurance-building long sessions, strength and cross-training. And make one to two small dietary changes at a time. But don’t get rid of the pre-workout nosh. White recommends eating a snack of 100 calories 30 minutes before exercise – a piece of fruit, a cup of yogurt or half a granola bar.

2) Inappropriate diet

Many people hitch their weight-loss hopes to a popular diet, declaring themselves low-carb, Paleo, or gluten-free without considering their own likes and lifestyles. If a diet requires consuming specialty foods that drain your wallet or make you feel chronically deprived, it isn’t likely to last. Adopt an eating plan you can afford and enjoy. And allow yourself a weekly treat meal. Just don’t regard it as a “cheat” meal, says Jim White, a Virginia Beach, Va.-based dietitian and exercise physiologist.

3) Not enough carbs

Any diet must support your exercise routine so you get adequate amounts of nutrients. Coaches say they see a lot of people attempting low-carb diets while training for endurance events like marathons. Carbs are the nutrient the body can most efficiently convert into energy. So trying to exercise without carbs “is like trying to drive your car with zero gas,” says White.

4) Eating energy bars

Grocery shelves are packed with sports bars that promise to deliver speed, strength and energy. Many of these products have calorie, sugar and fat profiles that rival conventional candy bars. Instead, focus on fruits, vegetables and grains for carbs; poultry, fish and lean red meat for protein; and nuts and avocados for fats.

5) Post-workout eating

It takes only minutes to eat back the calories burned on a 30-minute run. Before your workout, prepare a post-workout snack – maybe fat-free yogurt and a piece of fruit, or rice cakes with peanut butter. And find ways to make your calorie burn fun. Meet a friend for a run so your workout becomes a social hour. Download audiobooks and reserve your exercise time for entertainment. Most important, find a form of exercise that you genuinely enjoy. If you dread it, you’re not going to do it.

Jennifer Van Allen is the co-author of “Run to Lose: A Complete Guide to Weight Loss for Runners” with dietitian Pamela Nisevich Bede.

This story was originally published January 6, 2016 at 1:01 PM with the headline "5 ways you’re sabotaging your weight-loss resolutions."