Are You Derailing Your Diet Without Knowing It?

Whatever your weight-loss plan, there are some universal reasons why those pounds may not be coming off.

Too Much or Too Little Sleep

Believe it or not, clocking too many or too few ZZZs could be a cause of weight GAIN! Recently published research out of Canada, based on a 6-year study, found that there's a sleep "sweet spot" of about 7 to 8 hours per night. Any more or less could lead to unhealthy weight gain. So, if you've hit a weight-loss plateau, make sure you're tracking your sleep time and not just your calorie intake!

Serving Size Surprise

You choose sensible cereal when shopping at the store (good for you!), but when was the last time you checked how much of the stuff you've been pouring into your breakfast bowl? Same goes for those bags of baked chips and other low-fat snacks. Just because the bag is small and the label says 100 calories or so, that doesn't mean there's only one serving per bag! You could be accounting for only a single serving but actually chowing down much more. To get back on track, break out the measuring cups and scales, and always check the "servings per container" section of product labels!

Not Counting Liquid Calories

Sure, you may be tracking every bite at meal and snack times. But what about what you're guzzling? Coffee drinks, juice drinks, and even certain bottled waters can add hundreds of calories to your day, and that can definitely derail your diet. Make sure you account for those: read labels carefully and try not to go overboard on drinking your calories (chewing 'em is more fun anyway).

Overcompensating for Your Workout

We all know that working out means eating more. You need that pre-exercise snack for energy, plus you're gonna be hungry afterwards! But you might be taking in more extra calories than you're burning, and that's a no-no if you're trying to shed extra pounds. Cardio machines aren't always accurate in their "calories burned" estimates -- ESPECIALLY if you don't program in your personal weight. If you're exercising lots but the number on the scale's not moving, you may want to cut back on the extra calories you're allowing yourself to take in on workout days. Twenty minutes on the treadmill is not an excuse to eat cheesecake at dinner!