10 Common dieting mistakes

If you want to reach your weight loss goals, make sure you don’t make the following common dieting mistakes…

1. Skipping breakfast

If you have ever been on a diet, you have probably tried skipping breakfast, thinking that eating less and depriving your body of the most important meal of the day, will aid in weight loss. Breakfast however, sets the standard for your appetite and hormonal control, and can therefore determine how effectively your metabolism functions.

2. Eating infrequently

This results in your body entering into a starvation state, slowing the metabolism and limiting energy utilisation.

“Five to six snack-sized meals is one of the most efficient ways to not only support your heightened metabolism, but also to stabilise blood sugar levels and normalise insulin response,” says Gareth Powell, National Training Manager and qualified nutritionist at Ultimate Sports Nutrition (USN). This will serve to help you better manage your appetite. Snacks on the go like USN protein bars are useful to those with busy lifestyles.

3. Reducing/counting calories

Minimising calorie intake directly results in a slowing metabolic rate. In addition, counting calories takes the attention away from healthy foods as people start to look for low-energy and high volume food options to help them feel full.

“Individuals need to create a healthy eating plan, placing the focus on quality protein, carbohydrate and fat sources, smaller portions and regular exercise,” advises Powell.

4. Cutting fat

“The human body needs a certain volume of fat when dieting in order to maintain appetite control, and support proper hormone and cellular functioning,” says Powell.

Including healthy fats in your diet helps to support weight loss, as they not only slow digestion, but also improve the uptake of many nutrients, control appetite and add flavour. Avocado is a great example of a healthy, tasty and versatile dietary fat.

5. Portion sizing

Due to inconsistent eating throughout the day, the evening meal typically become the largest meal we consume in terms of portion size.

Powell advises that breakfast should be the largest meal of the day, not only in volume, but in many cases calorifically as well. “This is because it primes your metabolic rate for greater energy utilisation, and also fuels your system for a full, productive day ahead,”

Dinner should be portion controlled, and often a lighter, high protein, low starch meal. A protein-rich pre-bed snack, would have you feeling great, improve your sleep quality and aid in digestion.

6. Doing too much, too soon

Taking on a new lifestyle approach can be so drastic that the process becomes tiring and difficult to maintain. This results in your focus and consistency deteriorating.

Powell suggests making smarter and better informed choices when it comes to meal planning. Moving through the lifestyle change, take it one step at a time. Introducing new and healthier habits gradually and regularly will help you to ease into it, rather than drastically changing everything overnight.

7. Cutting out carbohydrates

Reducing the amount of carbohydrates that you include in your diet, because of the drastic weight loss results, is a misconception that many are fooled by. Most of the weight lost is water weight, since carbohydrates increase water retention to maximise energy storage and improve hydration state.

“Managing and validating your starch intake is recommended as these are often seen as empty calories and provide little in the way of micronutrients. Consuming a variety of vegetables however, will provide you with not only carbohydrates, but also large volumes of micronutrients, phytonutrients and plant sterols, keeping you healthy and energised,” says Powell.

8. Skipping training

Dieting and exercise go hand in hand. Powell says, “SASSO (South African Society for Obesity and Metabolism) states that 66% of South African women and 33% of South African men are overweight. And while 18% of South Africans claim to be physically active, over 60% are trying to lose weight.”

“Meeting up with a personal trainer as well as a nutritionist with the purpose of getting you back to the gym and refocused on healthy foods, will help you to maintain control over your weight”.

9. Not taking care of your digestive system

The exposure that we have to foods which are highly refined and processed is not ideal for our digestive systems.

“Individuals need to eat for digestive health by cutting out sugars, reducing grains and eliminating processed foods. Steaming or blanching your vegetables will also help increase your body’s nutrient uptake potential,” advises Powell.

10. Overconsumption of alcohol

With alcohol being a calorie dense beverage, providing almost double the kilocalories of a protein and carbohydrate and close to the energy value of fat, limiting your intake of alcohol is recommended.

Powell believes that alcohol becomes the body's fuel of choice when regularly consumed, despite high levels of sugar being available - this in return, can cause a downturn in metabolic efficiency, toxicity of the liver, a reduction of fat mass utilisation, with a slowdown in hormone production.

Recommended reading: 10 Tips for a healthy summer detox

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