5 Signs Your Weight Loss Plan May Fail.

So you've decided to lose weight. If you are already struggling, you're not alone. Seventy-three percent of adults who made fitness goals gave up before meeting their targets, according to an online study conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of bodybuilding.com.

One key to sticking with your goals to drop weight may be to squash diet derailers before they can interfere with your big goals. Here are five five red flags that may steer you off course if you're not careful.

1.Your diet is too regimented.

The average American gets bored eating the same thing day after day. Plus, according to one study, dieters who gave up their favorite food ultimately ended up overeating later.

Food Guilt? What Is It?

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “chocolate cake?” Do the terms “bad,” “decadent,” or “sinful” come to mind? If so, you’re like the countless Americans who link this sweet treat with guilt.

A hard truth I learned as a dietitian is that knowing more about my food doesn’t mean I won’t crave (and eat) my fair share of chocolate cake. Knowledge also doesn’t spare your guilty conscience.

It’s important for us to learn how to manage our attitude toward food because it can work against our weight-loss goals.

Consider this: A study in the journal Appetite found that people who felt guilt-ridden by chocolate cake were less successful at losing weight compared to those who associated chocolate cake with celebration.


Related: 5 Easy Tricks To Outsmart Cravings

But enough about chocolate cake. Let’s dig into the guilt part so we can help you understand why having a guilt-free relationship with food can help you hit your weight-loss goals.

What is Food Guilt?

Feeling guilty about what you just ate, right? Duh! Not so fast. Feeling guilty is a symptom of a bigger root cause.

Food guilt is grounded in your beliefs of which foods you should or shouldn’t eat. Many of these beliefs take the form of “food rules.” These rules are subconsciously planted in your mind by your culture, those around you, and that very fit friend you have.

5 Lifestyle Habits To Maintain Your Weight Loss.

The majority of people who lose weight soon learn that maintenance brings new and often more difficult challenges to overcome, and they often gain the weight back within a couple of years. Many diets, intense workout programs, and detox plans are often a setup for failure. They can help you lose weight, but don't help you learn the habits to support it for life.

If you asked someone who lost weight and kept it off long-term how they did it, they'd probably say, "It's a lifestyle," but that's vague and rarely helpful if you're struggling to do the same. Below are five key habits that will help you not only lose weight but also keep it off.

This One Trick May Help You Lose Weight Without Extra Effort

The motivational quote you might want to start using as your weight loss mantra is "shoot for the moon and you'll land amongst the stars."  And it doesn't just sound ~inspirational~. According to recent research, setting your weight loss goal high sets you up to lose more weight overall. 

In a new study, 46 women who predicted they'd shed more weight over a 27-week diet period dropped more lbs (37 on average) than those with less lofty targets (who lost as little as 13); they were also more likely to have maintained their loss at a one-year check-in. This challenges the common belief that setting higher-reaching goals could make dieters abandon ship. 

Related: 8 Ways To Motivate Yourself To Start To Lose Weight

Victoria A. Catenacci, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, says the findings may inspire a new weight-loss strategy: Set an ambitious big-picture goal, then celebrate at smaller incremental points (Catenacci suggests up to 10 percent of your weight in six months). "You'll make progress toward your major goal, but your success along the way will provide ongoing motivation." 

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