eleven reasons you aren't losing weight on the Mediterranean nutrition

mediterannean diet eating healthy salad

The Mediterranean diet focuses on consuming things like found-based foods, fish, and olive oil.
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  • The Mediterranean nutrition has gained popularity and it advocates eating more than found-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, as well equally eating fish and poultry at least twice a week.
  • Yous might non be losing weight on the diet if you're non keeping an centre on your portions.
  • Y'all could also not be losing weight if you're not exercising or watching your cherry-red wine consumption.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Mediterranean nutrition was recently named the peak diet of 2022 for the third year in a row by US News & World Written report — and so information technology'due south no wonder people have begun post-obit it.

It advocates eating more than establish-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, besides equally eating fish and poultry at least twice a week. The eating plan also involves swapping out butter for olive or canola oil, enjoying meals with others, and flavoring food with herbs and spices instead of salt.

And even though the Mediterranean diet is known to have a host of health benefits, some people might observe that they're not losing much weight even while sticking to the diet.

Insider consulted with nutritionists, dietitians, and doctors to effigy out why you lot might not be losing weight on the Mediterranean diet.

You're adding too much olive oil to your meals.

When used in excess, olive oil can add together a lot of calories to your meal.
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The Mediterranean diet encourages the employ of healthy fats similar extra-virgin olive oil and other monounsaturated fats in identify of saturated fats, such every bit butter and lard.

However, the fundamental to making these swaps work for weight loss is paying close attention to how much fatty y'all're using.

"Olive oil (and all oils) provide 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon. Since many people utilise much more than that, hundreds of excess calories are consumed," Wendy Kaplan, registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition managing director at Racine Cancer Care Foundation, told Insider.

Fifty-fifty though a teaspoon or tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil will add season and nutrients to your dish, roasting vegetables with a quarter cup of the stuff tin can likewise add together hundreds of unnecessary calories to your meal.

"When cooking your balanced repast, don't get overboard calculation actress olive oil to your food. Small-scale amounts notwithstanding provide benefits, but can keep the calories in your meal low," Julie Stefanski, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics told Insider.

You're eating too many nuts without realizing information technology.

Almonds are Mediterranean diet-friendly but suggested portion sizes should exist considered.
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Nuts are a great plant-based snack – they're portable, tasty, and pack a hit of protein. They're also a delicious source of the omega-3 ALA and an free energy-rich component of Mediterranean diets.

However, many people seriously underestimate the number of calories they're really consuming when they eat basics.

"1/four  cup of nuts typically contains 150 to 200 calories. Many people detect information technology very like shooting fish in a barrel to snack on over 1,000 calories of basics in a sitting, and so it is of import to be mindful of portion sizes and so that you practice not demolition yourself," registered dietitian Summer Yule told Insider.

Y'all're drinking besides much blood-red wine or alcohol.

Vino is Mediterranean-diet friendly, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can should consume an unlimited amount of it.
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For many people, one of the peak selling points of the Mediterranean diet is the inclusion of red vino.

Information technology's not necessary to drink wine to be compliant with the Mediterranean diet, but anyone who chooses to do so needs to have the calories in that wine into account.

"If you lot are not familiar with the nuances of this diet, it'due south easy to over-eat calories from booze and therefore sabotaging weight loss efforts. A serving of wine is only 5 ounces and moderation ways up to one glass per day for women and ii glasses per solar day for men," said Kaplan.

To exist absolutely certain y'all're not undoing your diet with a heavy pour of wine, take the fourth dimension to actually measure how much wine you're consuming and stick to the recommended daily limit for your body blazon.

You're non taking other liquid calories into account.

Remember to take note of liquid calories.
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Even if you lot're careful virtually limiting the amount of red wine you potable on the Mediterranean diet, not keeping a close center on your other liquid calories could be sabotaging your nutrition.

"People think of diet in terms of solid food, but twoscore% of our calories can come from drinks. If we have also many sweet cocktails, Frappuccinos, or supposedly healthy fruit juices, people don't call back they are breaking their diet, but they could add together to calories significantly," weight loss specialist and lath-certified cardiologist Dr. Luiza Petre told Insider.

Be sure to read the nutritional labels on all your pre-made drinks and opt for whole fruits and vegetables over smoothies and juices when possible.

Y'all're not controlling portion sizes.

Zucchini is Mediterranean-diet friendly and not overly high in calories.
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The Mediterranean nutrition includes plenty of health-promoting foods, but it is still possible to gain weight if you're eating more calories than y'all're burning.

"The Mediterranean diet is a wonderfully healthy way to swallow, simply people can swallow likewise many calories on almost any nutrition. Nearly successful weight-loss diets modify both the type of food eaten too as the amount. If you're not doing both, you probably won't lose weight," clinical nutritionist Zoe Morosini told Insider.

Piling your plate high with diet-friendly foods can thwart your weight loss efforts if y'all're not paying attention to portion size. Luckily, you lot don't necessarily need a scale to effigy out how much to eat on this diet.

"As you portion your Mediterranean-fashion plate, try to make half of it vegetables with high water content such as zucchini, eggplant, onion, and peppers. Limit the grain option to only one-fourth of your repast. Keep the protein selection to an amount the size of your palm," said Stefanski.

Y'all're relying on "healthy" swaps without considering calories.

Swapping out white rice for brown rice won't necessarily assist you cut back on calories.
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The Mediterranean diet urges adherents to swap out processed food and sugary treats for fruits, veggies, fish, and healthy fats, but it'due south yet important to proceed rail of how many calories you're consuming.

"Calorie-loaded foods that have a salubrious halo like avocado, basics and excessive amounts of olive oil are very caloric dense and can pack fat quickly on your waistline," said Petre.

Whole grains like whole wheat flour, dark-brown rice, bulgur, and barley are staples in the Mediterranean diet, but merely swapping out white flour and rice for dark-brown varieties won't necessarily save calories.

"But swapping whole wheat flour for white flour does not automatically announce healthy. For instance, your whole-grain muffin tin can however be oversized, providing over 600 calories and comprise unhealthy ingredients," said Kaplan.

Yous're not counting calories from toppings and condiments.

Chances are the creamer yous add to your coffee are calories you're forgetting to take note of.
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Even if you've memorized the number of calories in a sweet white potato and have perfectly portioned your pasta, toppings and condiments can add unexpected calories to a repast.

"Your diet is not as make clean and low in calories as y'all recall. The hidden saboteurs are everywhere, from too much salad dressing to coffee creamer. At that place are a thousand fiddling things that tin can pack on a lot of calories," said Petre.

Y'all're overestimating how many calories you lot're called-for.

You might call up your time on the elliptical is burning more calories than it truly is.
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Unless you lot spend your day doing physical labor or are an active athlete, you probably won't lose weight eating 2,000 calories per solar day unless you lot're incorporating exercise into your routine.

Similarly, simply walking up a few flights of stairs to reach your office won't burn down enough calories to qualify equally a workout.

"Many people overestimate the calories they burn in a day on average past as much every bit 25%. Keep runway and employ a journal or an app," advised Petre.

You're focusing on nutrition and ignoring do.

The Mediterranean nutrition can be more constructive at weight loss if you're likewise following an practise regimen.
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The Mediterranean diet is about more than just your grocery list. In order to reap the weight loss benefits of this way of eating, y'all can't forget about staying active.

"Fifty-fifty though it is possible to lose weight by modifying diet lonely, it is difficult. Adding regular practise to any weight loss regimen increases your chances of burning more calories than y'all consume, making you lose weight more than consistently," said Morosini.

All weight loss plans benefit from a commitment to exercise and burning calories. In order to make the Mediterranean an constructive weight loss strategy, be sure to go along your torso moving.

You're eating as well speedily and not savoring your food.

The Mediterranean diet promotes a style of eating that goes beyond what'due south on your plate.
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Making this diet piece of work ways embracing the thought that meals are most more than simply calories and nutrients. Enjoy your nutrient by taking the time to shop for fresh ingredients, spend time cooking with friends or family unit, and linger at the table.

"Don't just adopt the foods from a Mediterranean plan — take this opportunity to cultivate their mental attitude towards eating, too. When y'all focus on slowing your speed of eating downward, you're likely to feel more satisfied on less food," said Stefanski.

To make sure you're non overdoing it, pre-portion your basics in plastic numberless or reusable containers to brand sure you tin savour the wellness benefits without accidentally eating more than you lot meant to.

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