Counting calories? If you’re currently on a fat loss diet plan and trying to see the best results from your efforts, there’s no doubting the fact that counting calories is going to help get you there.  When you know precisely how many calories you’re taking in over the course of the day, you can quickly make alterations to that calorie intake based on the results you get to make sure you’re moving in the right direction.

Sadly though, many people often mistakenly think that they’re eating healthy meals, when they are doing anything but.  If you sit down to even one of the following popular dishes, you can quickly watch your calorie count fly out the window.  All of these pack in far too many calories for anyone on a fat loss diet to be consuming and will instantly slow down your progress.

Here are the meals to be aware of.

Caesar Salad

Most people would think that having a salad for their meal would be a smart diet selection, but when it comes to salads, you must choose wisely.  While some will definitely work towards your goal of maximum fat loss, others will quickly take you away from it.

Caesar salad is one such option that will quickly move you in the opposite direction.  The problem with this dish is not only is the salad dressing loaded with fat and calories, but on top of most Caesar salads you’ll find croutons (sometimes pan fried in oil), bacon bits, as well as Parmesan cheese.  All of these ingredients pack in far too much fat and added calories to be considered a part of a healthy diet plan.

If you are going to have Caesar salad, have the dressing on the side and without the added ingredients listed above.  Then, also place a grilled chicken breast on top to boost the protein content and make it a more complete meal that sticks with you.

Lasagne

Moving on, the second popular meal that is extremely high in calorie count is lasagne.  Many people do realize that this is a higher calorie option, but fail to realize just how many calories it can pack in.

First you get all the fat and calories from the ground beef in the dish, and then you get the fat added from the cheese that goes into it.  To top things off you have a heavy dose of carbs from the noodles, making it one dish that is very non-diet friendly.

If you’re craving Italian, spaghetti would be a much better option. With this one, watch the serving size of noodles you dish up on your plate and consider preparing it with ground turkey rather than ground beef to reduce the total calorie and fat content.

Steak And Potatoes

Steak and potatoes is another common meal that’s eaten that will move you further away from weight loss success.  While leaner cuts of steak can be a good addition to a diet plan, the problem comes with the serving size that most people eat.  You really only need 3-4 oz per sitting, but it’s not unusual to find people consuming upwards of 6-9 oz instead.

Add to this the fact that the potatoes are often mashed with butter or baked and topped with high-fat sour cream and you really have a diet doozey.

If you’re going to have a steak, grill it and keep the serving to the lower size and then serve a baked potato topped with salsa instead.  That will be a much better option to help you stick with your diet plan.

Vegetable Stir-Fry

Stir-fry’s are another popular dish among many who are watching their weight, but if you aren’t mindful of how you prepare these, the calories can really add up.

The first thing to watch is the sauce that goes on. Many stir-fry sauces are loaded with sugar and thus contain far too many calories to be diet appropriate.  Then, if you place this stir-fry over a big bed of rice or a bowl of noodles, chances are you’ll be taking in far too many carbs to fit in with your diet plan.

Instead, create a stir-fry sauce yourself so you can monitor the ingredients that go into it and then either eat it on its own as a vegetable-based dish or serve it over a small serving of brown rice instead.

Soup And A Sandwich

Finally, the last meal that can destroy your calorie count is a soup and sandwich for lunch.  While soup can be a good choice when choosing wisely, if you opt for a creamy variety, the calorie count can easily come to 200-300 per cup.

Then if the sandwich happens to be prepared with high-fat mayonnaise and a higher fat type of deli meat, you’ll also be taking in far too many calories there.

Instead, opt for broth based vegetable soup instead and consider having a turkey or chicken wrap along with it.  Wraps tend to contain fewer carbs than sandwiches and if you dress it up with some mustard or light Italian dressing, you’ll take in a fraction of the total fat.

So there you have five meals that you’ll definitely want to think twice about if you’re watching your weight.  Don’t let these put a dent in your progress.