The Top Five Dieting Mistakes

Losing weight can be both challenging and a daunting task with all the conflicting diet advice out there. While most methods will work over time, there is a right and a wrong way to lose weight in order to maintain health and to keep the weight off for good. Here are the top five mistakes people make, and the healthy alternative to have long-lasting success. 

1. Skipping meals

Most of us know that starving ourselves is not healthy, but some of us think that if we skip one or two meals a day, it will be okay. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth - it can take a very negative toll on your body and in reality will not help you lose weight. This is because when you consume too few calories, your body thinks it is starving and adjusts its metabolism. When you go back to eating normally, your metabolism is now slower, meaning you need fewer calories than before. Over time, this process leads to weight gain in the form of body fat, which further damages your metabolism. Continuing this yo-yo dieting cycle may leave you feeling weak and sick, causing you to have no energy (or motivation) to exercise. 

Healthy alternative: Eat small, frequent meals, starting with breakfast and every 3 hours or so during the day. Include a food with a source of protein such as unsalted nuts or seeds, eggs, poultry, fish or lean meat, beans or yogurt to keep you more full and satisfied. 

2. Avoiding fats - especially saturated fats

Most of us have been taught since we were young to avoid fats, especially saturated fats. It’s the line on the ‘nutritional contents’ label we tend to focus on heavily and fear if we are trying to lose weight.

A great deal of recent research has found that a moderate intake of saturated fats can actually aid in weight loss and LOWER the risk of heart disease. This type of fat is important for the proper functioning of all of the organs in your body, and can even help cleanse the liver of fat cells. It has also been found to play a role in boosting the immune system. In addition, our brain needs saturated fat to function properly (it is made up of fats and cholesterol). 

Healthy alternative: Include foods with saturated fat such as organic, extra virgin coconut oil and pastured butter. Other healthy fat sources include unsalted nuts and seeds, olive oil, avocado and fatty fish.

3. Counting calories

Focusing on the number of calories that you eat is a self-defeating process. Fixating on the quantity versus the quality of your foods seriously sets you back on your goal to achieve a healthy weight.

If you are eating fewer calories of unhealthy foods, you are still getting all of the unhealthy, often weight-gain promoting ingredients which will make you feel tired, hungry and defeated. The fact is that the quantity, quality and timing of calories can significantly alter their affect on the body. Quality of caloric intake is especially important because the chemicals, hormones and general byproducts that are found within processed food affects the absorption of nutrients.

Healthy alternative: If you focus on eating whole, nutritious foods, there is no need to count calories as long as you are physically active enough to balance them out. Eating small, frequent meals will help to keep you full and satisfied and avoid the chance of getting overly hungry, which leads to overeating.

4. Binging on weekends

Giving yourself the leeway to eat whatever you want on the weekends, as a reward for sticking to a healthy diet the rest of the week can be hazardous to your plan - especially if your weekend foods are processed or filled with refined flour and sugar. These types of foods stay in your body and have toxic effects on your digestive system, and may actually negate the healthy things you do during the entire week. This ritual can also wreak havoc on your mental state, as you inherently always feel as though you're dieting, rather than adopting healthier eating habits for the long-term.

Healthy alternative: Be realistic with yourself. Losing weight is not about having an all-or-nothing mentality. Be sure to include some of the "not so good for you" foods on occasion and in moderation. Eating in a healthy manner is about balance. It's when we tell ourselves that we "can't" have something that we want it that much more. If you allow yourself to have a small amount of something that you truly enjoy on occasion, you'll be less likely to overeat the food and you are less likely to feel deprived as well. It's what you eat "most of the time" that matters most when it comes to both your physical and mental health.

5. Relying on a ‘miracle cure’ for all of your weight-loss goals

A healthy diet is all about balance, and there is no magic pill, formula, or even food that will make you lose weight in a healthy way on its own, if the rest of your diet and lifestyle is not on track.

Many diet pills and drinks contain potentially dangerous chemicals, and while you may lose weight, it certainly will not be healthy, could cause damage to your body, and you will likely gain it back when you stop your 'miracle' drink.

While it is true that certain foods can greatly aid in weight loss efforts, even these in isolation can’t do all of the work if the rest of the food you eat is not healthy, and if you do not exercise.

Healthy alternative: To truly lose weight in a healthy manner, it is essential to get into the mindset that your lifestyle must change to a healthy, active one. Simply adding the 'miracle' product to an already unhealthy lifestyle won't lead to losing weight. Begin with a diet consisting of whole foods, focusing heavily on fruits, vegetables and water, combined with an active lifestyle, and you will be well on your way to more energy, a better mental outlook and even the weight loss you were shooting for from the start.