Avoid The Most Common Diet Mistakes That Dieters Make

Hundreds of people start and stop diets every year for many reasons. People choose to start diets because they want to lose weight. However, people don’t anticipate how hard it will be. Losing weight takes dedication and motivation. However if you aren’t prepared for the challenge then you may ultimately quit before you reach your goal. Before deciding if a diet is right for you its best to learn about the diet and nutritional factors. By being knowledgeable you can avoid making common diet mistakes just like these. Here are your top 10 diet mistakes that you should avoid when starting a diet.

1. Unrealistic, impatience- Everyone wishes for that easy weight loss program that will make you lose wall your weight without having to do much work or make any sacrifices. If it were possible we wouldn’t have a culture of obese Americans. Losing weight is hard and it takes time. If you expect to lose 20 pounds in the first week you are being unrealistic. Slow, steady weight loss is more realistic and more likely that you’ll keep the weight off. Losing 1-2 pounds a week for women and 305 pounds a week for men is normal weight loss. Don’t become impatient during your weight loss regime because this will lead you to quit before your get to your goals.
2. Dieting alone- Most diet programs recommend exercise in combination with nutrition. However, many people think that a diet is enough. Unfortunately this is not true. Although, you will lose weight, you won’t lose fat, you lose muscle and water weight. Diets cause your body to go into starvation mode, which cause the body’s metabolism to slow down to conserve energy. This also slows down weight loss. To boost weight loss adds in an exercise plan to burn fat, boost energy and gain muscle.
3. Not set goals- If you start a diet plan without knowing your goals, then its like going in blind. You have a starting point but no end in sight. Setting a long-term goal with your total pounds that you want to lose and smaller short-term goals help to keep you motivated and will encourage you to keep going. Additionally writing down your goals will solidify your determination to lose the weight. Also keep your goals in plain sight, like on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror so it will act as a daily reminder.
4. Not Tracking Food- A diet log/diary is necessary to keep track of what you eat. Not only does this keep you on track for your daily calories it also lets you learn how many calories are in each type of food. Most people have no idea the amount of calories in their food and most people eat a lot of calories above and beyond what they should. By knowing the number of calories in your food then you can maintain your daily caloric intake.
5. Skipping breakfast- Breakfast in the most important meal of the day. By eating breakfast you boost your metabolism by breaking the fast your body goes through while sleeping. If you don’t eat breakfast you stay hungry and you feel hungry way before lunch rolls around. This compromises your energy, focus, concentration, and will ultimately lead to choosing a high sugar, high fat convenience snack.
6. Not eating enough or often enough- You may think that cutting out snacks is a way to cut calories, but by not eating in between meals, you will feel hungry and your energy and metabolism will decline. Eating small snacks or meals every 2-3 hours you will keep your metabolism up, which will allow you to burn more calories. Plus if you are building muscle and working out your body will need more calories to use for energy. The objective is to eat healthy snacks. Replace regular high fat and sugar snacks with preplanned health snacks that you can take with you. Fruits and vegetables are healthy, low calorie alternatives as snacks.
7. Not drinking enough water- when you first start losing weight the initial weigh t loss is from water weight. Therefore you need to replenish your body’s water to stay hydrated and healthy. Dehydration can impair your eight loss goals. Replace all your drinks with water to reduce your calorie intake. Always carry a water bottle with you wherever you got that way you will never go thirsty.
8. Starving yourself-Starving yourself actually dos the opposite of what you’re trying to accomplish on a diet. When you deprive your body of calories your metabolism slows down. Your body tries to conserve energy by slowing down the burning of calories. It holds on to fat because it’s unsure when it will be fed again. Don’t get me wrong eventually you will lose weight but your body will start by breaking down muscle tissue first because muscle requires the most calories to be maintained. As you continue to go without good or calories your mental capacity will diminish while energy and ability to function rapidly decline.
9. Obsessive about the scale-When starting to lose weight people can become obsessed with the number on the scale. They weight themselves in the morning, before and after meals, in the evening and normally will be disgusted with the numbers. Throughout your day as you eat and burn calories your weight fluctuates. Therefore its best to only weigh yourself once a week. This way the number on the scale won’t discourage you. It’s also best to weight yourself around the same time and same day each week that way the number is more accurate.
10. Not rewarding yourself-When you reach one of your goals the best way to keep yourself motivated is to reward yourself for all your hard work. When on a diet rewards should not be food oriented such as shopping for clothes or shoes, going to a movie or getting a massage, manicure or pedicure. This will keep you satisfied to continue on with your diet program.

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