When you have weight loss goals, sometimes you go all in to achieve them.
A healthy diet and sufficient exercise are a part of a balanced weight loss plan. However, dieters make many mistakes at the beginning of their journey that can hinder progress.
If you are beginning a new diet, here are eight common mistakes to look out for to ensure that you have a positive experience.
From the foods you eat, calories, and more, we are here to break it all down for you.
Keep on reading to learn how to avoid mistakes with diets.
1. Not Having a Balanced Diet
When you first begin dieting, you may be focused on cutting out a specific food group altogether, cold turkey.
Though there are ways to successfully eliminate certain food groups, like carbs, fat, etc., your body still needs some balance to ensure that you have the proper amount of energy to sustain yourself throughout the day.
For example, if you cut out fat in your diet, you may be missing some important nutrients that can help you stay full. A nutritious high-fat food, like avocados, is packed with good-for-you fats that can help promote heart health and Omega 3’s.
If you eliminate these from your diet completely or turn to highly-processed fat-free alternatives, you may be feeling the consequences. This means not feeling full after your meal, feeling irritable, and in turn, eating more to get your hunger satisfied.
The key to a healthy lifestyle, and diet, is balance. No matter the types of diets you plan to go on, make sure you have plenty of fruits and vegetables, balanced carbs and fats, and eat as little processed food as possible.
2. Focussing Too Much on the Scale
When you have weight loss goals, you make sure that you weigh yourself daily to see the changes. Though this is an excellent way to track your progress, sometimes new dieters make the mistake of focusing way too much on the scale, which in turn can lead to disappointment if they don’t hit their goal weight by their expectations.
Your weight can fluctuate throughout the day for various reasons. Hormones, stress, muscle building, and water retention can all play a role in your weight changes. If you don’t lose a particular amount in your desired timeline, don’t get discouraged.
Besides the scale, there are other ways to track your progress. How your body feels, body composition changes and more can point in the right direction if you accomplish your weight loss goals.
3. Eating Too Little Calories
When you are beginning a new diet, you may have a strict calorie count that you want to follow. Though having a calorie counter may be helpful, it’s important to make sure that you are getting a suitable amount of calories to ensure that your body has the energy it needs.
Depending on your activity levels, you may need more calories to sustain your hunger and energy. If you eat too few calories, you may find yourself more hungry throughout the day or feeling groggy. This can lead you to binge eat unhealthy foods, have less motivation to be active, and more.
There are handy ways to figure out how many calories you should be eating, but remember, if you are eating healthy, unprocessed foods, that is the most important part of your diet.
4. Not Meal Planning
Cooking can be tough. Being on a diet can make it even more difficult. The key to a successful diet is having the resources you need to have healthy, easy meals, and snacks.
If your meal plan, you take the guesswork of “what’s for dinner?” and don’t have to worry about resorting to fast food because you don’t feel like cooking.
No matter what, if you’re on the ketogenic diet or vegan diet, there are helpful resources to help you recipe plan and get your meals prepped for you.
5. Eating Too Much Diet Food
Though popular food items like Diet Coke and diet protein bars may seem like a healthful option, they are still not great for you in reality.
Though everything is fine in moderation, these “sugar-free” snacks are highly processed and, in turn, offer little to no nutritional value. Even if the calories are less than more healthy snacks, it’s important to understand that calories don’t mean everything. It’s better to eat a handful of high healthy fat nuts than eat a sugar-free, low-calorie candy bar.
6. Over-Exercising or Not Exercising Enough
Once again, a healthy diet is all about balance, and so is exercising.
Diet and exercise go hand in hand, and even if you don’t hit the gym every day, it’s imperative to go out and be active at some point in the day.
There are so many benefits of staying active and can help promote weight loss and your healthy diet. By the same token, it’s also important to get some rest. If you are over-exercising, your body may be exhausted, and it can even cause injuries.
All in all, stay balanced and maintain a good exercise routine.
7. Not Listening to Your Body and Eating in Moderation
One of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight is to understand your body’s hunger cues. Additionally, when you eat in moderation (not just when you’re bored), you can savor your food and not feel like you overeat.
When you’re satisfied with your meal, your body sends a satiation cue that tells your body, “I’m full.” When you follow this guide, it can lead to you feeling more satisfied with your meals and avoiding guilt.
8. Giving Up
No matter where you are in your health journey, it’s imperative not to give up. There is so much more to your diet than just the number on the scale. It’s about having an overall healthier lifestyle and feeling great about yourself.
Have a support group around you to hold you accountable and to help you if you ever feel discouraged. The key is to not be alone in this journey, have others there to cheer you along, and you take these healthy steps.
The Mistakes With Diets to Avoid
From food choices to your mental state, these are the eight mistakes with diets to avoid. If you are looking to go on a diet and change your lifestyle, these tips can help you maintain a healthy outlook and help with your goals.
Want to learn more about health and fitness? Then check out our website for more information on dieting, exercising, and other ways to live a healthy life.
