Hindrances to Weight Loss Programs

Sometimes even the best quick weight loss programs can’t stop you from hitting a plateau. You may be working hard, watching what you eat and exercising regularly, but the scale is no longer budging. While the factors listed above are key components to successful weight loss, there are other elements that may play a role in what become obstacles to achieving your goals.

One of the most important elements we discuss with clients when they first visit our medical weight loss centers is portion control. Especially in the United States, we have a tendency to eat much larger portions, in addition to underestimating their calorie and fat content.

The first thing to do is to get your portions in check. Get a food scale and measure your servings, and also get measuring spoons and cups to use for guidelines. At your next visit to one of our weight loss clinics, check out some of our examples. We actually have physical models that depict normal portions.

Another thing to watch out for is mindless eating. This occurs when you distract yourself while eating your meal. The most successful weight loss programs encourage you to take your time and savor every bite—that’s hard to do if you’re watching television or working at your computer while you eat. When you’re distracted, you tend to eat more and you can’t keep track of how much you are snacking on. If the show or game you’re watching is still going, you may just keep eating, even if you use medical diet pills to curb your appetite and cravings.

Another thing to watching out for when snacking are bowls and bags. For example, if you’re at the movies and you get a large bucket of popcorn, chances are you may continue to eat it even when you’re no longer hungry, simply because the movie is still in progress. When you snack from a candy bowl, you may completely lose track and blow your entire diet for the week in one sitting. This can happen even with the use of pharmaceutical diet pills. Your best game plan is to make a rule to always eat from a dish, or if it has to be a bag, choose a pre-measured snack that is for one serving only—a great choice would be one of our medical weight loss products, like Drizzles or Control Chips.

Another common deterrent that patients of our weight loss clinics experience is overestimating calorie burn and increasing calorie count as a “reward.” People often count on what gym machines say there are burning in terms of calories, and then feel like it’s a free ticket to eat what they want afterwards. First of all, machines at the gym are notorious for overestimating the calories burned, especially if the equipment is older or not serviced properly. More importantly, you can’t think that a workout gives you license to overeat—exercise simply enhances your weight loss efforts and helps you increase muscle mass.

Another form of sabotage is deprivation. While we tell clients of our medical weight loss centers to cut down on sugar, unhealthy fats and simple carbs, we also don’t recommend having a diet so strict that you no longer enjoy your meals and never indulge in your favorite treats. When you completely deprive yourself, chances are you will succumb to a binge that will do much more harm than having a treat once in awhile.

There is a two-pronged approach to having little indulgences every once in awhile. The first is to find a substitute, like one of our medical weight loss products that is designed to satisfy cravings. If you’re a chocolate addict, try chocolate covered Drizzles or one of our pudding or shake mixes. Chances are that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Most importantly, don’t think of your meal plan as a “diet.” That just sets you up for failure. Experiencing long-term success with medical weight loss programs requires you to change your lifestyle. This means learning to enjoy healthy foods and no more deprivation. Emphasize foods that are good for you and learn to prepare them in creative ways so you can truly enjoy them. If the majority of your diet includes healthy fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein, you can have that special treat every once in awhile. Enjoy that piece of birthday cake or a slice of pizza every once in awhile and you’ll still stay on track with your healthy new lifestyle.