While there is no doubt that dieting is needed to keep control on our weight to avoid obesity and other related problems, it is equally important to avoid the common diet mistakes that we often commit in our effort to manage weight. While such mistakes may seem correct initially and cause weight reduction, it is sure to bounce back with vengeance because of such wrong methods being adopted. So let us over the next few lines try and find out the common diet mistakes that we commit when it comes to managing our weight loss plan.
Starting a crash diet
Turning to a crash diet with the objective of losing 4 kilos within a short period of time is a common mistake that most of us make. The moment you start reducing the total calorie intake to less than 1000 and continue with it for a few days you are headed for trouble. This is because you are training the body to slow down its metabolism rates. Hence when you are through with this crash course diet plan and start your normal food habits, you are sure to put on weight because of the slowed metabolism rates. Surely it is better for you to select a low fat diet for weight loss and try to transform and adapt it to your lifestyle!
Skipping calories
Skipping calories is often considered by many to cut on weight but it is almost certain to be a short sighted option that at best can give you only a temporary solution. This could lead to unplanned-snacking a binge eating which could cause more problems than solutions. You should therefore give importance to a good breakfast that is rich in fiber and less on fats and carbohydrates.
Eating unhealthy snacks
The nibbling of food in between your main meals is another big mistake that people often commit when it comes to managing their weight. You should avoid the temptation of having an ice cream every now and then or try those crisps and chips that you could come across either in office or at home. This could play havoc with your diet plan and you could be pouring water on all the hard work that you may have put in so far. In the same light, not going in for any snacks at all could also be fraught with risk and dangers. Not eating anything for long periods of time is certainly bound to increase hunger and more often than not you could end up eating much more than what you have planned earlier. Hence, eating light snacks in between main meals is a good way of preventing over-eating. The snacks however should be high protein food items rather than being rich in fats and carbohydrates.
Sipping calories
Another common mistake that many of us make is sipping calories that are far in excess than what you have in mind. You should try and restrict alcoholic beverages and coffee drinks which have anything more than 500 calories. Fruit juices and soft drinks could also damage and throw your diet plan awry. The fact that liquid diet does not curb hunger often makes you eat solid food again. This combination will certainly make you add more calories than what you might have planned.
Drinking little water
Drinking too little water is a very common diet mistake that can easily be corrected and fixed. Water is extremely important for getting rid and burning those excess calories. Dehydration leads to slowing down of your metabolism rate and it could prove damaging as far as your diet plans are concerned. Drinking 8 to 10 glasses per day is a wonderful and natural way of keeping your metabolism at an optimum level.
Eating fast food
There are many people who think that dairy products are rich in fat and therefore should be avoided or taken in very few quantities. Calcium is an important factor which helps you metabolism to function effectively. There is no doubt that milk and dairy products are very rich and natural sources of calcium. Hence it is recommended that you add moderate quantities of milk and dairy products to keep your diet plan in track. Drive-through munching and eating is indeed a big villain as far as your diet plan is concerned. Eating fast food in an unplanned manner is a sure recipe for increasing weight by as much as four kilos. Hence, you should try and do away with fast food or if not possible, keep it to the minimum extent possible. There are a number of weight conscious people who have the habit of taking their weight each and every day. This is a wrong thing to do because more often than not it leads to frustration and disappointment. When it happens over a few days regularly, you could give up such diet plans in the belief that it is not working on you. You should look at weight loss from a long term perspective and check your weight only once a week at best. Daily weigh-ins should be avoided at all costs.
Setting unachievable goals
When you are going in for weight loss through exercise and diet plans, you should set yourself targets that are realistic and achievable. Setting a goal of losing 9 kilos in the first week itself is too unrealistic and there are hardly any people you have achieved such unrealistic goals. If you are not able to achieve such impossible goals, you are sure to lose confidence and focus. Many people have given up their diet and weight reduction plans because they have failed in meeting weight reduction targets that are unrealistic to say the least.
No exercise
Many people make the mistake of forgetting the importance and need for regular exercise. Just by dieting alone it is not possible to lose weight and maintain it in the long term. You could choose the exercise that suits you perfectly. If walking or running is a boring or difficult exercise, you could go in for swimming, cycling, gymnastics and other such exercises.
Hence at the end of the day, there is no denying the fact that your diet plan should be carefully drawn up and should be something that is realistic and achievable. You should have a disciplined approach to managing weight through diet and exercise. You should be ready to make some short terms exercises with the overall long-term well being in mind.
Author Bio: Mihai Taraipan from Ways2weightloss.com – an internet enthusiast, who has been involved in web content and management for over 3 years.