7 Eating Habits That Are Making It Impossible For You To Lose Weight

You've tried them all.

You suffered through the raw food, the alkaline, the cleanse, the detox, the juicing and who knows how many other diets. None of them worked for you.

And it's no surprise, really, because you can only juice and cleanse for so long before you start to question your entire existence.

Part of the problem is definitely the idea of the "trend diet" in general -- it's not sustainable -- but less publicized pieces of the puzzle are the common mistakes we continually make in our everyday efforts to lose weight and stay fit.

Because when it comes to healthy habits, many of us either don't have all the facts or have it completely backward all together.

From skipping meals to binging on avocados, here's why you're having such a hard time losing weight.

Starvation is not the key to a thinner, healthier you.

In most cases, you will lose weight if you consume fewer calories a day than you burn off, but how you go about doing this is very complex.

You may think you're going to lose weight by skipping a snack or even a whole meal entirely, but you're really doing far more harm than good.

Your brain needs glucose in order to have the ability to keep your appetite in check, so by eating -- as long as it's a healthy item -- you're actually empowering yourself not to binge eat at night.

In fact, most folks who eat fewer than three meals a day actually end up consuming more calories a day.

Liquid calories are torpedoing your quest to get (and stay) in shape.

According to a recent study, Americans obtain 21 percent of their daily calories from beverages alone.

And while you may think you're saving calories by eating less and choosing a more filling drink, in reality, the 10 drinks you had at the bar last night, the mochachacalaka coffee thing you get every afternoon and even that supposedly "healthy" smoothie are doing way more damage than you probably thought.

About 400 calories for one strawberry-mango disaster?!?!

Water remains the best beverage option for a multitude of reasons, but we're all human, so try club soda or vegetable juice if you need a different drink option.

The "make your own salad" bar is making you question your sanity.

A salad is a great idea for lunch, but putting everything but the kitchen sink into your bowl is a surefire way to pack on the pounds.

Adding bacon, fried chicken, mounds of cheese and a creamy dressing could leave you with a salad that contains more calories than a regular burger. Make sure to top your greens with light and simple items and, for the love of God, stay away from ranch, caesar and blue cheese dressings.

Also, don't forget to vary your greens. Romaine, kale and spinach are not the same things.

The weekend is not a license to throw every healthy eating habit out the window.

You've struggled through kale salads all week, and you have brunch scheduled for both days this weekend, but don't completely undo all the good you've done over the last five days.

Two full days of drinking and eating nothing but pizza, burgers and street meat will leave you with problems that can last far beyond your last Bloody Mary on Sunday afternoon.

Palmitic acid is found in a lot of the fatty foods you may like to consume on the weekend, and leptin is a hormone that aids in appetite regulation.

According to Deborah Clegg, Ph.D., at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center,

We found that within three days, the saturated fat blunts or blocks the ability of leptin to regulate food intake and body weight.

Let your leptin live, people.

Paying the $2 extra for sweet potato fries might not be worth it.

Look, I love sweet potato fries as much as the next person, but we can't be fooled into thinking we're actually being healthy by choosing this as a side option instead of regular fries.

On their own, sweet potatoes provide beta-carotene, vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and fiber, and all for just 100 calories per potato.

But soak those orange spuds in burning hot oil, and you're jacking up the fat and calorie content to crazy high levels.

And while we're on the subject, fried vegetables in general aren't good for you. Zucchini actually loses some of its antioxidant power after being breaded and fried.

Have your potato baked instead of fried, and you'll be happier in the end.

Binging on olive oil and avocados will turn "good" fat bad, real quick.

Yes, olive oil and avocados are packed with monounsaturated fat, which can help lower LDL cholesterol.

But, olive oil packs about 14 grams of total fat and 119 calories per teaspoon while one avocado contains around 322 calories and almost 30 grams of fat.

I'm not at all suggesting you give up these healthy foods entirely, but it's extremely important to have them in moderation.

Cooking with a little olive oil is great; dousing your bread in it like a sponge is not.

You struggle with the difference between snacking and overeating.

It's terrible to skip meals and snacks in favor of "saving" all your calories for one big meal at the end of the day, but it's also detrimental to snack all day long with reckless abandon.

You're starving when you get home from work, and that's why it's important to plan meals out for the week and do your best not to stuff your face as soon as you walk in the door.

Portioning out things like healthy nuts and fruit during your day is a great idea, but just make sure you're spacing out your munching and not eating these snacks in addition to the doughnuts a coworker brought to the office.

Citations: 6 Mistakes That Keep You Fat (Men's Health), Diet Mistakes: 6 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight (WebMD), 12 Eating Mistakes That Are Making You Pack On The Pounds (Prevention)