Many times clients visit with me frustrated by a lack of losing weight despite making many healthy changes in their lifestyle. What I often uncover is that these clients are eating healthy diets, but that they have some items in their diet that are stalling more progress. Here’s a summary of the top 5 sneaky weight gain factors
Oil - All oils have 120 calories and 14 grams of fat. Yes, there are many healthy oils like olive oil and avocado oil, but if you are not measuring them, then you could be getting almost as many calories as in a can of soda. Whether you are cooking with oils or dressing your salad or vegetables, measure your oils. Often 1 teaspoon is more than enough to dress a salad (add some fresh lemon juice to it as well) or to roast a vegetable like sweet potato.
Supplements - Many of my clients take gummy or chewable multivitamins. If you are taking multiple sources of the chewable ones, they also have calories too. Add on to that immune boosting lozenges or syrups, and you could be tacking on 100 or more calories per day. Take a look at all your supplements especially those in powder or chewable form and total up the calories.
Nuts - I love recommending nuts to clients as a healthy add-on of anti-inflammatory fats. But, keep in mind that because nuts are mostly fat, they are also very calorie dense. A cup of nuts tips the scales at 800 calories. Nuts are a great topping for oatmeal or nuts. Or try a small handful paired with a serving of fruit. Remember to portion them out. Keep a 1/8 cup scoop in your nut container if you want to have a snack.
Sweetened plant based milks - Plant based milk like almond, oat, and coconut are all the rage now. They are a great alternative for those who are intolerant to dairy products. However, many of these products have several teaspoons of added sugar per serving. Look for a plain and unsweetened version.
Protein bars - There is an endless supply of bars on the market. Many of these are 200-300 calories in what would take only 5-7 bites to consume. While they can fit the bill when you need a quick, non-perishable snack, I encourage my clients to be cautious about their consumption when they are trying to lose weight. Choose fresh food more often than packaged good like protein bars. For example, a cup of berries and small handful of pumpkin seeds would be a better snack idea.