9 Unhealthy Habits That Sabotage Your Results

You already know the obvious unhealthy habits: eating too much processed food, smoking, and not getting enough exercise. However, there are actually several other bad habits that can sabotage your results. Some of these habits can be difficult to identify, especially if they have become part of your normal routine (and some are even celebrated by social media).

You may not notice any harmful effects of these unhealthy habits immediately, but over time they can actually have a serious impact on your physical health, relationships, and overall well-being.

Unhealthy Habits That Sabotage Your Results

Listen to this on The Healthy Mama’s Podcast:

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I’m against dieting and teach realistic nutrition for busy and overwhelmed moms.

So today I am diving into some of these unhealthy habits that I want you to take a look at, some of these will probably be surprising to you.

Don’t forget to check out How Habits for Weight Loss are Made, Broken, and ReBuilt.

1. You are Restricting Your Diet

While eating is one of the most important aspects of staying healthy, having an overly restricted diet rarely results in health benefits.

If you try to restrict too much of your diet, you are going to find that while you may initially lose weight, it can come right back. Being too restrictive with what you are eating is just not sustainable.

Your body will have enough, tell you to eat which can result in a binge. Fewer calories than your suggested range does not mean faster weight loss…it can actually mean slower fat loss.

Alternative: Rather than going on a super restricting diet, it is better to make small, overall lifestyle changes. Having that slice of pizza is just fine, just don’t eat the whole pie, and pair it with a side salad or some veggies and dip.

Listen to your body. It is one of the most important parts of maintaining a healthier lifestyle.

2. You’re Not Drinking Enough Water

The amount of water that we rely on to stay hydrated greatly depends on several different factors.

These factors consist of weight, height, and level of physical activity.

Figuring out exactly how much water you should consume can be a challenge.

However, making the effort to figure that out can make all the difference when it comes to your overall wellbeing and health. When your body is properly hydrated, it functions much more effectively.

Your metabolism, digestion, natural detoxification process, and your body’s ability to absorb nutrients will all be amplified when you are drinking enough water.

Many people are simply not drinking enough water throughout the day and this can greatly sabotage your results.

Alternative: Stay hydrated at all costs. Set a goal throughout the day and stick to it.

To know how much water you should be drinking, take your weight, and divide it by 2. The result will be how many ounces you need at a minimum throughout the day. The best way to know how much water you are consuming is to use a refillable water bottle, this will help you to stay on track.

3. You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

The amount of sleep you get has a huge impact on your health, yet many simply aren’t getting enough of it.

When we sleep our bodies have the opportunity to reset, repair, and rest. All of these things have a huge impact on your progress. While many believe it is ok to sacrifice sleep in the face of productivity, it is actually counterproductive.

If you aren’t getting the right amount of sleep, your body will function less effectively and efficiently. A lack of sleep can even disrupt your gut balance, weaken your immune system, and throw your hormones totally out of balance.

Alternative: Set a goal to ensure you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Having a bedtime routine can help with this. You want to ensure that you give yourself the opportunity to wind down before lights out so you can get the best sleep you can.

4. You are Making Too Many Changes at Once

When people get ramped up and excited about changing their health, they tend to make several huge changes all at once. This is not necessarily a good thing.

Doing everything all at once, changing your diet, starting a new exercise routine, meal prepping, adding in a new hobby, is simply a way to set yourself up for failure.

You’ll burn yourself out.

Alternative: While making lifestyle changes can be a positive thing, you want to ensure that you are keeping those changes at a maintainable pace. Choose one thing at a time and ensure that it is done before moving on to the next thing. Your body will thank you and you will be more likely to maintain those changes.

Don’t forget to join the 30 Days to a Healthier You Challenge. Stop starting over when it comes to your health because you’re overwhelmed with ALL THE THINGS. Instead, ease into it with this step-by-step challenge.

5. You’re Eating the Same Things

While it is important to maintain a well balanced and nutritionally rich diet, many people make the mistake of thinking they should only be eating fruits and vegetables, or that they should eat the same exact varieties of fruits and vegetables repeatedly.

Yes, it’s true that fruits and vegetables are an essential addition to every diet, they don’t account for all the nutrients and vitamins our bodies require.

Our bodies need fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and other elements, even in small amounts.

Not to mention, consuming the same foods, rather than a variety is a way to feel rundown and limit your progress.

Food boredom will set in and you will subsequently find yourself reaching for that bag of chips for a change of pace.

You also won’t be having a variety of foods to nourish your bodies in their unique way.

Alternative: Diversify the foods you consume. Fruits and vegetables should absolutely be involved but they do not need to make up the entire, or majority of the meal.

Eat a broad variety of foods that fall into your healthy categories and be sure to change up the menu. This will ensure that you do not get bored and also that you are maintaining a well-balanced diet.

6. You’re Not Paying Attention to Portions

Nutritional balance is not just about what it is you are eating. It is also about how much of it you are eating.

Even consuming large quantities of healthy foods can cause you to gain weight.

If you’re not paying attention to the portions you are consuming, chances are you are not only overeating but ending the meal feeling overfull and bloated. Make sure that you are taking good-sized portions without going overboard.

Alternative: Pay attention to the serving size of foods you should be getting for your body.

This will change based on your goals, your body composition, and any dietary restrictions you may have. Too much of a good thing still isn’t a good thing.

7. You are Overdoing Exercise

Getting the right amount of exercise is one of the absolute most positive things you can do for your health. There is, however, a downside to it, especially if you are overdoing it.

Many people have unreasonable expectations for themselves when it comes to how much and how often they should be exercising. The problem with that is, those who overdo it have a tendency to experience more injuries and a resulting burnout.

Alternative: Make sure to pace yourself when it comes to exercise. Working out should be a fun break from the stress you are experiencing, not cause you more stress.

Forcing yourself to work out too much, too often, and too hard will not only add to your stress level but it will absolutely have a hand in sabotaging any results you were looking for.

Know your body, listen to it, and create a routine and goals that are reasonable for you.

8. You are Eating in Front of Your Devices

While you can use your device as a tool to aid in your health journey, it shouldn’t be at the table with you for dinner.

Sure, it is great for tracking exercise and the foods you are eating, but while you are eating it is absolutely a distraction you just do not need.

You’ll find yourself watching television, answering emails, or even mindlessly scrolling through social media at mealtimes. While this may seem harmless, it leads to what is called Mindless Eating.

Alternative: Put the devices down during mealtimes. This will help you to ensure that you are participating in mindful eating, truly enjoying your food and more.

Learn more about mindful eating here.

9. You are Following the Crowd (Hidden Unhealthy Habit)

Setting achievable goals and sticking to them is a great way to make sure you are making positive progress. However, many people are underestimating their nutritional needs, overestimating how much exercise they need and simply not taking the right supplements to maintain their health.

What works for some people will not necessarily work for you, so following the crowd participating in fad diets, is only going to sabotage your progress.

It is important that you are aware of what your individual body needs to flourish and thrive.

Alternative: Hire a holistic nutritionist. Not only can a holistic nutritionist help you to figure out what you need food-wise, but they can also give you the insight you need into your body and wellness. In fact, they can also keep you accountable.

Want to work with me? Check out my nutrition program packages here.

Participating in unhealthy habits that can sabotage your results will not only take you fully of track but simply put, they won’t help you reach your goals.

While you may believe that you are doing the right things by overly restricting your diet or overdoing it on the exercise, you are doing a disservice to your body and your health. If you find yourself doing any of these things, make sure to try out the alternative.

It is also important that you ask for help whenever you find yourself needing it, a holistic nutritionist can absolutely provide you the things you need to move forward without the fuss and help you to ensure you aren’t sabotaging your results.