Admittedly, I’ve actually done all of these.. I know what it’s like trying to lose weight – you try everything! But one thing I’ve learned over the years is that it all comes down to habits and how you view them. If you think chocolate is bad and you won’t allow it in your diet, you’ll crave it and then there will be this stigma attached it – you’ll feel guilty when you eat it and then probably decide you need to go on another diet and punish yourself with exercise. I know because i’ve been there. I hope this blog post helps others not make the same mistakes.
All of these habits can be considered “healthy” but long term, I don’t think they are.
“Treating yourself” for being good all week
You’re super great with your diet and exercise all week and by the end of the week, you’re craving a cheat meal and something tasty. You’ve been good so you’ve earned it! You have a cheat meal and then find hard to bounce back, plus you’re out socialising with friends so you’re not going to restrict yourself. And then it’s Sunday and you just decide that you’re going to start on Monday so you ruin Sunday too. Monday comes around and you start again.
This isn’t a healthy pattern, trust me. The key to being consistent for the entire week, is not being so restrictive on yourself Monday to Friday. Balance is more important. Believe it or not, if you have a few treats in the week, you’ll be less likely to binge out on the weekends and feel deprived. Try it! I promise it will work.
I ALWAYS put treats into my nutrition plans as I know this works best long term.
You love healthy smoothies
I LOVE healthy smoothies more than anyone, but I make them myself (99% of the time). When I make them myself, I know what goes in it. I know that it’s not jam packed with calories and artificial sugars.
Juice and smoothies bars (even the “healthy” ones) often make the smoothies huge so there’s no portion control. They add healthy things like nuts / seeds and nut butters, which massively increase the calories. Then they top it off with granola and extra toppings – this means sugar and more calories.
Making smoothies yourself is great, and I’m not saying that all smoothies you buy out are bad, but just make sure you’re aware of what’s going into them and portion control. I’ve never seen a smoothie that is under 500 calories. 
You religiously count calories
I think being aware of the calories you’re consuming is great – you can tell whether or not you’re overeating (or under eating). But counting them religiously can get obsessive. This is not healthy and can lead to eating disorders.
If you do want to count calories, I suggest doing it for one week MAXIMUM. This will give you a good idea about how many calories are in certain foods. And then from there, just eat intuitively.
Otherwise, you can have a look at my eBooks which include nutrition plans and all the calorie counting is already done. You know you’re eating the right amount without having to obsess over it!
You fill your plate with healthy food
Healthy food is great! But you still need to have some portion control. Just because it’s all healthy, doesn’t mean you need to overeat. When you’re trying to lose weight, it is important to eat the right type of foods (healthy food!) and also the right amount. If your body only needs 1500 calories and you’re eating 2000 calories, it doesn’t matter if the food is healthy or not, you’ll still gain weight.
Read more about this here.
You cut out gluten, dairy and sugar
I.e. the Paleo Diet. I’m a bit fan of eating Paleo and I do think it is healthy. But I don’t stick to it religiously. Gluten, dairy and sugar aren’t great for you, but they’re not the devil. You can still be healthy and lose weight even though you eat them. Again I think this one comes down to being super restrictive. There’s no need for it. As I said, it’s about balance! It is OK to eat bread, drink milk and have the occasional sweet treat. 
You skip meals
OK this one isn’t a “healthy habit” but I wanted to include it. Constantly skipping meals can actually slow your metabolism and it makes you more hungry – who wants that?! In the long run, it will cause you to store more fat and make it harder for you to lose fat. And in the short term, you’ll be so hungry that you’ll probably overeat and the next meal and feel bloated and full. You don’t need to starve yourself to lose weight.
If you have any questions, I’m here to help! So feel free to leave a comment – I reply to everyone :) xx
It’s FREE
Hi Rachel,
Thanks again for the great blog. I feel I am learning so much here.
I would like to ask about intermediate fasting(?) which you don’t eat basically for 16 hours and you will burn more calories. Is it okay long run? It seems I am practicing this 16 hours fasting but with 3 meals. Please see below.
I am trying to practice your fasting cardio recently. I try to finish dinner before 6 pm the night before and I go jogging or walking in the morning(usually quite hungry but then I drink water and don’t feel it anymore). When I finish, it is usually about 9-10 am which is about 16 hours apart from the previous meal. Then I will eat my late breakfast (usually oatmeal), light and late lunch (of course I am not hungry yet, usually DIY salad or smoothie or scramble eggs with veggies and chicken) and again try to eat early dinner. Does it count skipping meals? Will this style work out well for losing weight and burning more calories?
Hi Rachael,
It’s so nice to see someone else in this world who goes through exactly what I go through. I loved reading every single blog…I am obsessed with learning everything you have learned. :) Thanks so much for sharing!
Aww you’re welcome hun! Happy to share my knowledge and experiences :) xx
Great blog post, I really needed to hear this! ?
You’re welcome! xx