So you’ve decided to go on a diet and you have it all figured out: you planned your exercise routine, you’ve made a list of foods you’re definitely not allowed to eat and you’ve bought a couple of books on how to cook healthy. But before you begin your diet, make sure you check out these mistakes people often make when they’re trying to lose weight, mistakes that can compromise your goals.
Drinking too many diet sodas
Don’t be fooled by what marketing campaigns are promoting, diet sodas may be low on calories, but they contain artificial sweeteners which can increase your appetite and make you crave real sugar. Try and avoid sodas when you’re on a diet, your best choice would be water or natural, freshly squeezed orange juice.
Skipping breakfast
Not eating before you start your day is definitely a mistake, by lunch time you’ll be so hungry that you’ll wonder if you should have fries with that large stake you just ordered, and trying to decide between chocolate cake and cream pie for dessert. We all know time is an important resource these days, but you can still enjoy your breakfast without putting too much effort into it. Skim milk and cereals for instance are a great choice, you could add nuts and dry fruits in you cereal bowl and make it even healthier and more nutritious. You should also consider preparing your breakfast in the evening if you’re not a morning person. Having your breakfast on the go is also acceptable: you could eat fruits and protein bars, nuts or light yogurt.
Not keeping track of what you’re eating
You may not realize it, but many of the calories you get every day come from mindless snaking or small bites that you don’t even think matter: your co-worker asks you to taste a delicious pretzel she got for lunch, your kid didn’t finish his sandwich so you just eat what’s left, your best friend takes you out and you have a Long Island Ice Tea, all these calories add up and can make you actually gain weight. The solution? Always carry a small notebook with you and write down every bite you eat. This will help you learn where all those extra calories come from and soon you won’t even need the notebook to control what you eat, you’ll just know.
Don’t be discouraged by a few tiny setbacks in your diet, what’s important is to deal with them learn from your mistakes and not give up your goal.
