The top five reasons your pants don't fit

Sometimes it is impossible to think about anything other than weight. Seriously, I just watched the news for an hour and all I can think about is the number on the scale, how to get it down, and how to keep it there. As far as weight goes, I consider myself to be a typical American woman. I do (almost) everything right, and consistently fail to get the results that I want. I work out regularly. I don't eat fast food. I count calories. I avoid carbs. And I watch IQ lowering reality TV shows where skinny girls prance around to encourage my efforts.

So why can't I reach my goals? I really want to find a balance where I am living, eating well and maintaining my optimal weight (about 15lbs less than I am now) but it seems no matter how I spin it, the ultimatum remains the same: get big or starve.

One thing I love about traveling is that it gives you the opportunity to explore not only the cuisine of another culture, but also the way people eat. How they weave it into their lives--for celebrations, daily nourishment, for comfort. The last time I was in France, I was fascinated by how thin the women were, but yet they were still eating, and there was no talks of gym memberships, juice cleanses, etc. It just all seemed so moderate, balanced, and appealing. From this standpoint, it seems that if we can make slight edits to our diet and physical activity we may finally get the results we want. Here are five things that could be keeping you from reaching your goal:

1. You drink (maybe) a glass of water a day.

Drinking water is so important for so many reasons. But I am always amazed at how much less food I eat when I am drinking 8 glasses of water a day. If you can't stomach that much tastelessness, flavor your water with lemons, limes, herbs or other fruit.

2. Your breakfast is small. And sugary.

A big breakfast is not for everyone, but it really sets the tone for the rest of your day. I usually do an egg or oatmeal, and sometimes I will whip up a smoothie with ground flax seeds.

3. You eat a meal while cooking a meal.

This is perhaps my grossest habit. Eating while standing up counts. Eating in the dark counts. Eating in the car counts. If you're like me and just can't stand to be around food and not eating it, sip on a cup of tea, a mint or chew gum to avoid eating two dinners every night.

4. The refrigerator is your dining room table.

Fact: Everything tastes better when you're eating it in front of the refrigerator, door wide open, no fork. But again, this is mindless eating that will squash your attempts to lose weight. Try to only eat slowly, sitting down, so you can savor a proper amount.

5. Two words: white flour.

Whenever I hear this I cringe, and with good reason. So many foods (especially when eating out) contain white flour--pizza, bread, croutons, desserts. And they're awesome. But these should be treats- not the basis of our diet. You can get the carbs you need from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The more white flour you can eliminate from your diet, the better.