What most people get wrong about weight loss, from diet and exercise to sleep

If you're like 20% of Americans, your New Year's resolution was to lose weight. If you're like 50% of them, you've already given up by June. Everybody knows that body weight is an important factor in overall health. And it's not that you don't know how to lose weight.

You know that diet and exercise are critical to maintaining healthy weight, and everybody knows that too much sugar and fat are the enemy of good health. But what most people get wrong about weight loss is a much longer list. 

Diet and exercise are not equal for weight loss

For the vast majority of people, diet is a much larger factor for weight loss. 

Calories in food add up fast, but they don't burn off nearly as fast as most people think. The average person needs to jog about a mile for every 100 calories. Running isn't the only form of exercise, of course, but it usually burns calories the fastest.

Now think of all the calories that you eat. They will win the battle against jogging every time. 

None of this is to say that you need to starve yourself or that you're wasting your time exercising. A good exercise plan is vital to good health in so many ways: heart health, brain health, bone strength, disease prevention and weight loss. 

Eating a healthy breakfast

One way to start off the morning is a healthy glass of orange juice, right?

What most people get wrong is thinking fruit juice is automatically healthy. The reality that OJ has as many calories as a sodam and grape juice has even more. Now, fruit juice is healthier than soda in other ways, but not as much as you probably think. 

Fruit juice is loaded with sugar. It's naturally occurring, not the factory made stuff in soda, but it's still sugar. And for the most part, your body doesn't know the difference. Fruit juice also offers some vitamins, potassium, and plant compounds you won't find in soda, but not much.

If you like orange juice, eat an orange. You will get all the fiber and other nutrients that are lost in juice in fewer calories since an actual orange will fill you up faster.

Another popular breakfast choice, a muffin, is also not as healthy as people think.

A typical oversize bakery muffin runs up to 700 calories, the same as a Big Mac. Even a blueberry muffin, with the fiber, antioxidants and other good stuff that comes from blueberries, usually has more fat, sugar and calories than a slice of blueberry pie.

Not all muffins are created equal, of course. Smaller, homemade style muffins with oats, whole wheat flour and real fruit can be great for breakfast. 

"Healthy" foods are not always healthy

What most people get wrong is thinking salad equals healthy. Most restaurant entree salads start with lettuce and various vegetables, but few end there. After croutons, cheese, nuts, fried chicken and creamy dressing, that "healthy" salad now has the highest calorie count on the lunch menu.

There are plenty more examples foods with healthy reputations that have more calories than you might think: Granola, smoothies, trail mix, wraps, veggie burgers, energy bars and rice bowls, to name a few. There is a lot of good nutrition on that list, but do not forget about them if you're trying to control calories.

Sleep can be a big factor for weight loss

We all know how a lack of sleep can harm brain function and general health, but what most people don't know is how much sleep affects weight management. 

Lack of sleep makes you hungrier. Even one night of poor sleep can increase ghrelin, the hormone that makes you hungry, and decrease leptin, the one that tells you you're full. And what does it make you hungry for? Sugar, fat and carbs, the unholy trinity of weight gain. This can add hundreds of additional calories each day.

If sleep deprivation continues, it can increase a stress hormone called cortisol. Too much cortisol can promote fat storage and make fat harder to burn off. 

It's not just about willpower

Probably the biggest thing that most people get wrong about weight loss is thinking that obesity always means a lack of willpower.

Naturally thin people are often blessed with genetic and environmental advantages for feeling full sooner, burning calories while resting or storing and burning fat in more efficient ways. If you're one of the lucky ones, the best thing you can do is have grace and understanding for those who struggle.