ou deprive your body of a meal, you set yourself up for a future binge session. So eat 3 times a day, but in smaller portions.

6. Soda Pop

Since the malt shop started serving them, 'til the companies began bottling them, soft drinks have added to our waistlines. As terrible as missing a meal, drinking soda is a huge diet wrecker. The calories packed in most pop all but make up for other areas where you could be cutting fat and calories.

To avoid this hidden diet wrecker, drink no calorie diet soda or flavored water instead. Better yet, enjoy sugar and chemical free club soda during your meals and quench your thirst in between with good old tap water.

7. Long Work Hours

A big shocker to most is that work can make you fat. In addition to all the take out foods, soda-pop-filled vending machines, and candy

Dieting can be both physically and emotionally stressful. And to add insult to injury, there are many hidden ways you can derail your already uphill diet train. But by avoiding these seven diet wreckers, you can lighten the load and speed up your weight loss.

1. Restaurants

If there is one broken rail on your diet track it's probably restaurants. The calorie and fat loaded menus restaurants offer can tempt even the most strong willed dieter. Even higher class places, as opposed to fast food, can sneak in fattening ingredients.

Arm yourself by cooking more meals at home. You'll not only save money, but you can be sure what's inside. On the other hand, if homemade meals are not an option, select restaurant meals that are lower in fat and sugar. Making wise food choices like this can cut your waistline and still give you that “eating out” experience.

2. Prepackaged Foods

Nothing has done more to pack on pounds than prepackaged foods. Cookies, snack cakes, artificially cheesy chips, and all their deep fried cousins are responsible for most of the fat and sugar we consume. In fact, according to many credible websites, prepackaged foods could be responsible for many obesity related diseases.

Following new research, schools have even begun pulling manufactured snacks from vending machines to cut down on childhood obesity. Take a cue from those in the know and eliminate your snacks. Instead, replace that occasional box of cookies, cakes, and chips with fresh and dried fruits. Avoid even baked snacks – they're still prepackaged. Indulge in a smooth banana or some crisp grapes when you get a sugar tooth.

If it doesn't grow from the ground or a tree, don't snack on it.

3. Huge Dinner Plates

Years ago, prepackaged foods were almost nonexistent and so was the huge dinner plate. Today we eat on plates much larger than people did just a generation or two ago; and it's starting to show up on our waistline.

Most nutritionist agree that eating smaller portions are a great way to lose pounds and maintain a healthy weight. So instead of serving dinner on the standard “dinner plate,” choose to put meals on the dessert plate. You'll eat less and still enjoy the foods you love. Just make sure to leave the table before seconds and dump the dessert after dinner.

4. Vacation

Away from home it's easy to forget about your diet. The delicious drinks, the new foods, and the sedentary chill out session can really pack on the weight. For instance, just four days spent away from home could add 5 lbs. to your weight – when it took two weeks to lose.

Keep a little reminder of your diet with you and stick with it! This could be a photo of yourself that looks particularly unpleasant or a note saying, “Check the Scale”; whatever works for you. Just make sure to follow your own advice when faced with fattening foods and drinks. You'll thank yourself when you get home and so will the scale.

5. Missing Meals

So many dieters connect dieting with missing meals. And although you should eat smaller portions, you should never miss a meal. It's important to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner (for energy), but in smaller portions.

Never combine two meals saying, “I'll make breakfast up at lunch.” You'll only end up eating more later and packing on extra pounds. Whenever you deprive your body of a meal, you set yourself up for a future binge session. So eat 3 times a day, but in smaller portions.

6. Soda Pop

Since the malt shop started serving them, 'til the companies began bottling them, soft drinks have added to our waistlines. As terrible as missing a meal, drinking soda is a huge diet wrecker. The calories packed in most pop all but make up for other areas where you could be cutting fat and calories.

To avoid this hidden diet wrecker, drink no calorie diet soda or flavored water instead. Better yet, enjoy sugar and chemical free club soda during your meals and quench your thirst in between with good old tap water.

7. Long Work Hours

A big shocker to most is that work can make you fat. In addition to all the take out foods, soda-pop-filled vending machines, and candy d

you that “eating out” experience.

2. Prepackaged Foods

Nothing has done more to pack on pounds than prepackaged foods. Cookies, snack cakes, artificially cheesy chips, and all their deep fried cousins are responsible for most of the fat and sugar we consume. In fact, according to many credible websites, prepackaged foods could be responsible for many obesity related diseases.

Following new research, schools have even begun pulling manufactured snacks from vending machines to cut down on childhood obesity. Take a cue from those in the know and eliminate your snacks. Instead, replace that occasional box of cookies, cakes, and chips with fresh and dried fruits. Avoid even baked snacks – they're still prepackaged. Indulge in a smooth banana or some crisp grapes when you get a sugar tooth.

If it doesn't grow from the ground or a tree, don't snack on it.

3. Huge Dinner Plates

Years ago, prepackaged foods were almost nonexistent and so was the huge dinner plate. Today we eat on plates much larger than people did just a generation or two ago; and it's starting to show up on our waistline.

Most nutritionist agree that eating smaller portions are a great way to lose pounds and maintain a healthy weight. So instead of serving dinner on the standard “dinner plate,” choose to put meals on the dessert plate. You'll eat less and still enjoy the foods you love. Just make sure to leave the table before seconds and dump the dessert after dinner.

4. Vacation

Away from home it's easy to forget about your diet. The delicious drinks, the new foods, and the sedentary chill out session can really pack on the weight. For instance, just four days spent away from home could add 5 lbs. to your weight – when it took two weeks to lose.

Keep a little reminder of your diet with you and stick with it! This could be a photo of yourself that looks particularly unpleasant or a note saying, “Check the Scale”; whatever works for you. Just make sure to follow your own advice when faced with fattening foods and drinks. You'll thank yourself when you get home and so will the scale.

5. Missing Meals

So many dieters connect dieting with missing meals. And although you should eat smaller portions, you should never miss a meal. It's important to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner (for energy), but in smaller portions.

Never combine two meals saying, “I'll make breakfast up at lunch.” You'll only end up eating more later and packing on extra pounds. Whenever you deprive your body of a meal, you set yourself up for a future binge session. So eat 3 times a day, but in smaller portions.

6. Soda Pop

Since the malt shop started serving them, 'til the companies began bottling them, soft drinks have added to our waistlines. As terrible as missing a meal, drinking soda is a huge diet wrecker. The calories packed in most pop all but make up for other areas where you could be cutting fat and calories.

To avoid this hidden diet wrecker, drink no calorie diet soda or flavored water instead. Better yet, enjoy sugar and chemical free club soda during your meals and quench your thirst in between with good old tap water.

7. Long Work Hours

A big shocker to most is that work can make you fat. In addition to all the take out foods, soda-pop-filled vending machines, and candy

he ground or a tree, don't snack on it.

3. Huge Dinner Plates

Years ago, prepackaged foods were almost nonexistent and so was the huge dinner plate. Today we eat on plates much larger than people did just a generation or two ago; and it's starting to show up on our waistline.

Most nutritionist agree that eating smaller portions are a great way to lose pounds and maintain a healthy weight. So instead of serving dinner on the standard “dinner plate,” choose to put meals on the dessert plate. You'll eat less and still enjoy the foods you love. Just make sure to leave the table before seconds and dump the dessert after dinner.

4. Vacation

Away from home it's easy to forget about your diet. The delicious drinks, the new foods, and the sedentary chill out session can really pack on the weight. For instance, just four days spent away from home could add 5 lbs. to your weight – when it took two weeks to lose.

Keep a little reminder of your diet with you and stick with it! This could be a photo of yourself that looks particularly unpleasant or a note saying, “Check the Scale”; whatever works for you. Just make sure to follow your own advice when faced with fattening foods and drinks. You'll thank yourself when you get home and so will the scale.

5. Missing Meals

So many dieters connect dieting with missing meals. And although you should eat smaller portions, you should never miss a meal. It's important to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner (for energy), but in smaller portions.

Never combine two meals saying, “I'll make breakfast up at lunch.” You'll only end up eating more later and packing on extra pounds. Whenever you deprive your body of a meal, you set yourself up for a future binge session. So eat 3 times a day, but in smaller portions.

6. Soda Pop

Since the malt shop started serving them, 'til the companies began bottling them, soft drinks have added to our waistlines. As terrible as missing a meal, drinking soda is a huge diet wrecker. The calories packed in most pop all but make up for other areas where you could be cutting fat and calories.

To avoid this hidden diet wrecker, drink no calorie diet soda or flavored water instead. Better yet, enjoy sugar and chemical free club soda during your meals and quench your thirst in between with good old tap water.

7. Long Work Hours

A big shocker to most is that work can make you fat. In addition to all the take out foods, soda-pop-filled vending machines, and candy

ust four days spent away from home could add 5 lbs. to your weight – when it took two weeks to lose.

Keep a little reminder of your diet with you and stick with it! This could be a photo of yourself that looks particularly unpleasant or a note saying, “Check the Scale”; whatever works for you. Just make sure to follow your own advice when faced with fattening foods and drinks. You'll thank yourself when you get home and so will the scale.

5. Missing Meals

So many dieters connect dieting with missing meals. And although you should eat smaller portions, you should never miss a meal. It's important to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner (for energy), but in smaller portions.

Never combine two meals saying, “I'll make breakfast up at lunch.” You'll only end up eating more later and packing on extra pounds. Whenever you deprive your body of a meal, you set yourself up for a future binge session. So eat 3 times a day, but in smaller portions.

6. Soda Pop

Since the malt shop started serving them, 'til the companies began bottling them, soft drinks have added to our waistlines. As terrible as missing a meal, drinking soda is a huge diet wrecker. The calories packed in most pop all but make up for other areas where you could be cutting fat and calories.

To avoid this hidden diet wrecker, drink no calorie diet soda or flavored water instead. Better yet, enjoy sugar and chemical free club soda during your meals and quench your thirst in between with good old tap water.

7. Long Work Hours

A big shocker to most is that work can make you fat. In addition to all the take out foods, soda-pop-filled vending machines, and candy

ou deprive your body of a meal, you set yourself up for a future binge session. So eat 3 times a day, but in smaller portions.

6. Soda Pop

Since the malt shop started serving them, 'til the companies began bottling them, soft drinks have added to our waistlines. As terrible as missing a meal, drinking soda is a huge diet wrecker. The calories packed in most pop all but make up for other areas where you could be cutting fat and calories.

To avoid this hidden diet wrecker, drink no calorie diet soda or flavored water instead. Better yet, enjoy sugar and chemical free club soda during your meals and quench your thirst in between with good old tap water.

7. Long Work Hours

A big shocker to most is that work can make you fat. In addition to all the take out foods, soda-pop-filled vending machines, and candy dishes at work, there's the fact that most people spend their days plopped behind a desk. All that sugar and fat and setting around can take it's toll on your diet.

Avoid the vending machines and pack your lunch. You'll not only stop mid-day snack and restaurant eating, but you'll lose weight too. In addition to packing your lunch, take the stairs if your office is located on a higher floor. All that extra exercise will keep your diet moving forward and make up for some time spent behind your desk.

It's so easy to forget about your diet – especially when you're sucked in by a hidden diet wrecker. But now knowing where to find these fat felons, you can avoid them before they wreck your diet.