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The Mediterranean diet supports health and weight loss, but excess calories can still prevent fat loss.
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Common mistakes include overeating healthy fats, large portions of calorie-dense foods, and not getting enough protein or balance in meals.
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Sustainable weight loss depends on maintaining a calorie deficit while managing portions, protein intake, and alcohol consumption.
The Mediterranean diet is a popular diet based on the eating patterns of people living along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, including Italy, Spain, and Greece. This diet prioritizes nutritious foods, like vegetables, beans, fruits, and fish, and has been linked to impressive health benefits, such as reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers. It’s also been shown to support weight loss. However, common mistakes can stall progress.
1. Overdoing Healthy Fats
One of the mainstays of the Mediterranean diet is healthy fats, such as olive oil. While fats are essential and should be a part of any healthy diet, they’re calorically dense and can easily add hundreds of calories to meals and snacks without you realizing it, which can impact weight.
For example, just one tablespoon of olive oil contains about 120 calories, while 2 tablespoons of almond butter has nearly 200 calories.
When following a Mediterranean diet, it’s helpful to measure out healthy fats at first so you can learn what a proper portion looks like and keep your calorie intake in check.
2. Eating Large Portions of Calorie-Dense Foods
The Mediterranean diet includes mostly nutrient-dense foods, but some of them are also calorie-dense. For example, Mediterranean diet staples such as nuts, seeds, cheese, and oils are calorie-dense. Even though these foods are healthy, eating large portions of them can lead to overconsumption of calories, which can hinder your weight-loss progress.
To prevent this, it’s important to pay attention to portion sizes and pair calorie-rich foods, like cheese and nuts, with lower-calorie foods, like vegetables and fruit.
3. Relying Too Heavily on Refined Carbs
While whole grains are emphasized in the Mediterranean diet, refined grains, like white bread and white pasta, are common in traditional Mediterranean dishes. For example, white bread is often served alongside soups, and many classic pasta dishes are made with white flour-based pasta.
While these foods can absolutely be enjoyed in small amounts as part of a healthy diet, they lack the protein and fiber needed to keep you feeling full after eating, making it easier to overeat.
When following a Mediterranean diet, choosing more whole grains over refined grains can help you better manage your weight and may help prevent overeating.
4. Drinking Too Much Wine
While wine is commonly enjoyed by many people living on the Mediterranean coast, drinking too much wine can derail your weight loss.
A standard 5-ounce glass of wine contains around 125 calories, which can add up if you’re consuming multiple glasses or are drinking wine daily. Drinking too much alcohol can also harm your overall health and increase your risk of liver disease, certain cancers, and many other health issues.
If you do drink, it’s recommended to keep your intake moderate, which translates to up to one drink per day for women and two for men. However, further reducing alcohol intake may be better for health.
5. Not Eating Enough Protein
The Mediterranean diet prioritizes protein sources like fish, legumes, and poultry, but some people following this way of eating may not consume enough protein.
Bumping up your protein intake is an evidence-based way to lose weight, as protein helps you feel full after eating, reducing total calorie intake. A high-protein diet can also protect against muscle loss during weight loss, especially when paired with strength training.
To ensure you’re taking in enough protein while following a Mediterranean diet, be sure to include at least one source of high-quality protein, like chicken, Greek yogurt, fish, lentils, or whey protein, at every meal and snack.
6. Snacking Mindlessly on Nuts, Dips, or Bread
Snaking on nutritious foods can help you stay on track when you’re trying to lose weight. However, it’s important to be intentional with snacking by prioritizing filling foods and managing your calorie intake.
Some Mediterranean snack foods, like pita bread, hummus, and nuts are easy to overeat, and can cause you to take in excess calories throughout the day.
To keep yourself on track, try planning your snacks and preparing them in portion-controlled containers ahead of time so you can snack more mindfully.
7. Not Balancing Meals
Another common mistake that can lead to weight gain on any diet is choosing unbalanced meals and snacks. This means meals that contain too little protein and fiber, which play important roles in satiety.
When building your meals and snacks, start with protein first, then add a source of fiber, like vegetables, beans, or fruit, followed by a healthy fat source, like avocado or olive oil.
Creating balanced meals can help regulate your hunger, support stable energy levels, and prevent overeating later in the day, setting you up for weight-loss success.
Why the Mediterranean Diet Doesn’t Always Lead to Weight Loss
Transitioning to a Mediterranean diet doesn’t always result in weight loss. No matter how healthy a diet is in terms of foods and macros, creating a calorie deficit is what matters most for losing body fat.
If you continue to take in more calories than you burn, you’ll continue to gain weight, no matter what diet you follow.
The Mediterranean diet isn’t specifically designed for fat loss, so you’ll still need to create a calorie deficit, either by eating fewer calories, increasing your activity level, or both, to lose weight.
Simple Fixes That Make a Big Difference
If you’re having a hard time losing weight while following a Mediterranean diet, these simple fixes may make weight loss easier:
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Measure oils instead of pouring freely: This helps train your eye while keeping calorie intake in check.
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Be mindful of wine intake: If you choose to drink, aim to stay within recommended limits, which are no more than one drink per day for women and two for men.
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Watch portions of calorie-dense foods: To keep calories within range, watch your portions of calorie-dense foods, like nuts, cheese, and oils.
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