Common diet mistakes can thwart your best attempts to get back into that favorite pair of pants. If you just can't seem to lose those few pounds, there’s a high probability you probably are making one of these 7 diet lapses.

1. Not Paying Attention to Your Snacks

You count calories carefully at every meal, but what about all those bits in between? There is the bag of cookies on your counter, the little slice of cake at an friends party, the lock of your son’s ice cream cone. All of this mindless munching adds up and could undermind an otherwise well thought through diet. If you are serious about calorie counting, you may want to use a notepad to keep track of each bite.

2. Not Snacking at All

While mindless snacking can increase your waistline, careful snacking may do just the opposite. Several studies have shown that people who eat several small meals and snacks a day are more likely to lose weight by controlling their hunger. Eating 4 to 6 light meals helps keep your metabolism in high gear, especially when the snacks are protein-rich. Nuts are a good choice, and research suggests people who snack on nuts tend to be slimmer than those who do not.

3. Sipping Too Many Calories

When calorie counting, many of us tend to overlook what’s in our drinks. This can be a big mistake when you consider that most alcoholic beverages contain more than 500 calories. Even the calories in soda will add up quickly. What’s worse is that liquid calories do not reduce hunger. You’re not going to eat less after a high-calorie drink.

4. Not Drinking Enough Water

This is one of the simplest diet blunders to correct. Water is essential for burning calories. If you get dehydrated, your metabolism drags, which slows down weight loss. Studies show adults who drink eight or more glasses of water per day consume more calories than those who drink less. Add a glass of water to every meal or snack.

5. Ditching Dairy Products

Milk, cheese, and ice cream are taboo for most dieters, but ditching dairy foods may be counterproductive. Some suggests the body consumes more fat when it gets enough calcium and produces more cellulite when it’s calcium-deprived. Calcium pills do not appear to yield the same benefits, because dairy products have other compounds at work as well. Most weight loss experts recommend sticking to nonfat or low-fat milk and yogurt.

6. Measuring Your Weight Every Day

Weighing yourself daily is a recipe for disappointment and doesn’t give you useful information. It’s more important to look for a intermediate term trend with (bi-weekly weigh-ins. If your goal is to lose 1 pound a week, you will be satisfied to see those full-pounds drop when you hop on the scale. The outcome is more motivating than the frustrating swings that may accompany daily weigh-ins.

7. Avoiding Exercise

Not exercising will place the entire burden of weight loss on your diet. If you become more active, you can eat more of the things you like and still lose weight. The key is finding an exercise you like. If running around a track seems tedious, try swimming, ballet, or biking, all of which burn more calories than walking. Try several different activities until you find one you can do regularly.