15 Hidden Reasons You're Not Losing Weight, According to Dietitians - Yahoo Lifestyle

A whopping 45 million Americans diet and spend $33 billion on weight loss products each year, according to Boston Medical Center.

Learn what surprising mistakes you might be making and how to get on a sustainable path to weight loss success.

“By taking the focus away from weight, a lot of my clients find that they can finally make peace with food and have a better understanding and appreciation for their bodies,” says Wendy Lopez, MS, RD, a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator and the co-founder of Food Heaven Made Easy.

And there’s nothing wrong with feeling better, even if you're not losing weight.

This may result in a shift of composition that is not reflected by the number on the scale,” says Bari Stricoff, RD, a registered dietitian in New York City.

This is especially important for women age 40 and older, who can start to lose up to eight percent of muscle mass each decade,” says Abby Sauer, MPH, RD, a registered dietitian at Abbott.

You'll be a lot happier, be more likely to make choices that are best for your body and have a higher chance of sticking with it if you do,” Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN, a registered dietitian and the author of Body Kindness, says.

Before you begin a new diet, examine your life holistically: Think about how much you’re sleeping, how your body feels throughout the day, what emotions you’re experiencing and more, suggests Rania Batayneh, MPH, the author of The One One One Diet: The Simple 1:1:1 Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss.

“This will help you identify areas of change that will complement your strategy for weight loss.

The goal should be achieving a healthier lifestyle, not just losing the weight,” Batayneh says.

When you're making choices with wellness in mind, weight loss will happen naturally,” Batayneh says?

“Instead of saying ‘I'll never eat chocolate again,’ which I call a ‘dead person's goal’ because it's something only a dead person could do, start to describe the ways you want to enjoy chocolate or any other food you feel you need to avoid forever,” Scritchfield says.

You'll be open to the challenges of behavior change when you focus on creating lasting changes that you feel good about,” Scritchfield says.

Feeling hungry every so often is fine, but starving yourself won't help you lose weight; it just sets you up for overeating when you finally dig in.

Small changes lead to bigger lifestyle shifts and more positive long-term outcomes,” Stricoff says.

Instead, focus on practicing a flexible and realistic diet and moving your body,” Stricoff says.

Slow and steady is more effective and results in sustainable weight loss,” Batayneh says.

The most sustainable strategy starts with a focus on what’s going on in your mind, not what’s going on your menu.“Giving yourself permission to 'undiet' is the first step to a healthier relationship with food, which goes hand-in-hand with a healthy lifestyle,” says Rachel Fine, MS, RD, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of the nutrition counseling firm To The Pointe Nutrition.

Enjoying some chocolate every night helps to curb my sweet tooth when presented with more indulgent options,” Fine says.

“There’s no feeling of ‘I have to pack it all in now because I won’t have the chance for awhile,’” Fine says.

Aiming for 35 grams or more of fiber can help you feel fuller longer, says Maya F.

“When I splurge, I do so mindfully and tune in to my feelings and how satisfied I’m getting,” Fine says.

Contemplation can lead to preparation which will lead to action,” Batayneh says.

What makes us all different is how we respond to it,” Batayneh says.

As one of my client’s says, ‘Pick up the phone, not the peanut butter,’ Batayneh says.

Our species is naturally diverse in size, and there are no good studies that prove how we all can lose weight and keep it off

You can't always control your weight, but you can always control your choices,” she says