Are you falling victim to a weight loss trap?

Whether you’ve been losing weight smoothly each week, you’ve hit a bit of a wall, or you’re finding it a bit up and down, take a look and see if you may be falling victim to any of these common weight loss hurdles.

Here are some of the most common traps that a slimmer can fall into when trying to lose weight:

1. Being too restrictive. To lose weight you don’t need to ban your favourite foods from your diet. In fact, if you allow yourself your favourite foods in moderation, then you are more likely to continue with your healthy eating plan rather than giving up.

2. Scales obsession. Be careful not to become too fixated on what the scales say. Weigh yourself once a week, using the same scales and at the same time of day if you can. But avoid getting too focused on what your scales say. It can easily become tempting to weigh yourself every day, or even lots of times each day! Be assured, if you’re following the Bite plan then you will see your weight go down in the long run.

3. Burning out at the gym. Some people fall into the trap of thinking that going for it in the gym will give them a huge weight loss instantly. When this doesn’t happen and they don’t get the results they hope for, it can be very demoralising and tempting to just give up. If you’re new to exercise, then don’t overdo it early on. Instead, try to gradually build up your levels of activity, combined with the healthy eating plan.

4. Setting unrealistic targets. It can be useful to set yourself both short-term and long-term goals, such as losing 1-2lbs a week, losing a stone in a couple of months or reaching your goal weight in 12 months. Unrealistic targets will only demotivate you and make you less likely to succeed.

5. Spot those hidden calories. One common trap slimmers can fall into is forgetting about the ‘hidden’ calories that can be lurking inside sauces, cooking oils and alcohol. Be careful that you’re not turning a blind eye and forgetting to count the Bites in a little knob of butter, a dash of olive oil, a small glass of wine….. it can all soon add up!

If you’re just starting out on your weight loss journey, begin by thinking about the reasons you want to lose weight. Write down your reasons so you can refer back to them later and whenever you need a motivation boost.

Remember you have the Bite Builder tool to help you balance your plate, and the Bite Burner tool to give you ideas for getting more active, as getting fit doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym.

But most of all, remember – you can do it!

(Image credit Michal Marcol/www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=371)