Ask HUNGRY GIRL?

	Dear HG, What are some of the biggest mistakes people consistently make while dieting and calorie counting? I feel sure I am making some of them... Miss Take
	Dear Miss Take, I answer questions like this a lot -- and it's a really important one, so I think it's worth going over again. Here are the top three mistakes (in my opinion) that people make while trying to lose weight... 1. Serving size flubs. Whether people misread or overlook labels (yes, there could be THREE servings in that snack bag!) or are sloppy or lazy when it comes to measuring (and accidentally eat two cups of cereal at once instead of one!), ignoring portion sizes is a HUGE problem. So be sure to pay attention to serving sizes. 2. Believing the hype. What this basically means is that people often misunderstand the buzzwords that restaurants and food manufacturers throw around. People assume that because something's labeled light, low-fat, or healthy, it's therefore low in calories. That's DEFINITELY not always the case. A low-fat muffin can have 400 calories, and "healthy" wraps often have 600 - 700 calories each (just unroll one of those ginormous tortillas, and prepare to be shocked -- DO IT!). You need to be able to cut through the BS when it comes to this stuff. (Oh, please don't be offended by my use of "BS" -- asking nicely!) 3. Assuming salads are always good options. All salads are NOT created equally. Pay attention to what's in and on your salads. Cheese, tortilla strips, crispy noodles, nuts, etc. -- those extras can add hundreds of calories to your greens. The dressing can be even worse. It is not uncommon for restaurants to pour 500 calories' worth of DRESSING on your salad... a lot of those calories come from FAT. It's HORRENDOUS. Eating salads that have 1,000 - 1,800 calories is definitely a cause of diet sabotage for lots of people. There are more mistakes people make, for sure -- but thos e three are BIGGIES. Are you making any of them? If so, now you know, and you can take steps toward fixing 'em. Good luck!