30 sneaky things making you gain weight

Sautéing your own fish and veggies? Great! Pouring carelessly from a big bottle of oil? Not so much. “We use way more oil when cooking than we think, and every tablespoon adds 500 kilojoules,” says registered dietitian and nutritionist Joy Bauer. “Instead of pouring freehand from the bottle when sauteing, roasting or grilling, try an oil spray – you’ll use far less. Store-bought spray canisters are super convenient, but you can also make your own more Earth-friendly version by purchasing a bottle spray at a home-goods store and refilling it with a heart-healthy oil like olive or canola.”

Cooking oils: here are the good, the bad and the ugly.

Nothing’s really for free, is it? Fat-free treats are usually packed with extra sugar, which can make the kilojoule count soar (and you gain weight), says registered dietitian and nutritionist Sonya Angelone. You might be better off with a small portion of the real stuff.

“These are considered seconds!” says Angelone. Or, if you have a full house, thirds, fourths, and so on. Those kilojoules still count – pack the food away for leftovers or toss it.

If it’s all (or mostly) veggies, then you’re probably fine. But many “green” juices actually have apple juice as a first ingredient, says Angelone. “This is really a drink full of sugar kilojoules.”

About one in five women have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but unless you’ve been struggling to get pregnant you might not even know that you’re one of them. This hormonal disorder often goes hand-in-hand with infertility as well as obesity, acne and excess body hair. If you have any of these symptoms and your periods are irregular (and you’re not approaching menopause), talk to your gynaecologist about getting screened.

Exercising – whether you’re trying to lose weight or not – is a great move. But rewarding the effort with food is a different story, says registered dietitian and nutritionist Karen Collins. A muffin, for instance, can have around 1670 kilojoules! “It’s very easy for a reward to contain more kilojoules than you used up during the added activity. Over time, this will lead to weight gain,” she says. “The answer is not to forego the exercise; the answer is to retrain yourself to see the walk/activity as the reward.” If that’s too difficult at first, at least opt for non-food rewards (like a pedicure or new book download).

Who doesn’t want a quick fix? The problem is that a short-term solution – think a lemonade/cayenne cleanse or grapefruit diet – is unlikely to yield lasting results. “You may lose 5 to 10 per cent of your body weight, but once you go off your diet you’ll gain the weight back plus more,” says registered dietitian and nutritionist Toby Smithson.

Carb cutting may be trendy, and it works – to a certain extent. “If you aren’t eating carbs or are eating a diet very low in carbs, most likely you will be filling your plate with protein and fats. But the kilojoules from too much protein or fat can also lead to weight gain,” says Smithson.

Here are 16 low-carb diet mistakes you should never make.

Unless you’re using these to replace a meal, watch out. “Most contain 830-1050 kilojoules, which is way more than is needed as a snack,” says registered dietitian and nutritionist Rachele Dependahl.

Psst – these are the nine foods you should never, ever eat before bed!

If you’ve suddenly added an extra 2.5-5kg and you also have symptoms such as fatigue, dry skin and constipation, the butterfly-shaped gland in your neck could be to blame. See your GP an endocrinologist to get your thyroid hormone levels checked.

Discover 13 thyroid facts everyone should know.