You keep dieting, but the methods simply aren’t as effective as described, or the results aren’t as impressive as other people’s – sounds familiar? Like always, there are a couple of tips and tricks you probably haven’t heard of and they could help you immensely. Today, we’re dealing with things you shouldn’t do, so here are five most common dieting mistakes:
Stop counting every single calorie
Of course, you should always try to keep your calorie intake on a stable level, or reduce it if you’re trying to lose weight, but it shouldn’t be your only guideline. A 2012 study in JAMA made us realize that people who followed low-carb and low-glycemic diets burned way more calories than those who followed low-fat and high-carb diets. So basically, pick a diet that is suited for your organism instead of a mediocre diet that will force you to cut your food intake in half and chew your nails every time you step on the scale.
Constantly eating small meals
Basically, one of the first things every single dieting person does is splitting their daily food intake into smaller meals. What pretty much everyone fails to realize is that dividing 1000 calories into three and six meals still amounts to 1000 calories. You need to have lighter meals – that’s where the accent is.
Eating the same foods
Eating the same food over and over again will in no way help you, and might even lead to some health issues. Always make sure to take in a variety of different meals over the week and month, and stick to your diet and/or workout program and you’ll do just fine.
Don’t weigh-in too often
Even though checking your weight on a regular basis has proven to slightly better weight-loss because of the improved determination fueled by constant, smaller results, one mustn’t overdo it. Also, Liz Weinandy, RD, of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center says:
Hormonal fluctuations can cause water retention, making it harder to get an accurate reading, plus, weight is more likely to be an emotional issue for women. Someone who gets a bad reading can think, ‘What’s the use of trying?’
Don’t think physical work is the only thing that works
You will hear a lot of people say that the key to losing pounds is simply moving more and eating less. While there’s some truth in that (it’s the basic description of a diet), you have to realize that losing weight depends much more on a good diet than working out. Dr. Craig Primack, an obesity medicine specialist at the Scottsdale Weight Loss Center in Arizona, even states that the ratio is about 80 percent to 20 percent.
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