There are many mistakes we make when trying to lose weight, from trying to survive on fad diets to choosing the wrong types of exercise for our goals. Here are some of the most common mistakes that people fall foul to…and which you might well be making right now.
Relying on exercise
Although exercise is necessary for a healthy body and improved fitness, if you want to lose weight you can’t rely on physical activity alone. Studies suggest that when people exercise with no dietary changes whatsoever, the exercise does very little for impacting their weight. You may even gain weight due to overcompensating for their workout. If you want to shift the pounds, make sure you make some changes to your diet as well.
Going fat-free
If you’ve ever been on a diet, you’ll know how easy it is to fall into the trap of obsessively checking the fat and calorie content of all your food. However, just because a product is labelled as low fat, it doesn’t mean that it’s the healthiest alternative. Instead of trying to remove all fat from your diet, try to just lower your intake of saturated.
Switching to diet drinks
Dietary drinks fall into the same category as low fat foods – they aren’t necessarily healthy just because the sugar content is lower. Simply try not to consume as many of them, switching to water or natural juices to give you the sweet hit you’re craving.
Getting hung up on your body weight
It’s easy to become fixated on your weight when you’re on a diet, as it can seem as though the whole process is taking over every aspect of your life. It’s more important to be healthy and full of energy than simply thinner, so try to spend more time focusing on the positive effects of your lifestyle changes.
Being too restrictive
Overeating is bound to cause you to gain weight, but eating too little can also bring its fair share of problems. Starving yourself puts terrible strain on your organs, as well as causing fatigue and potentially leading to eating disorders.
Giving up at the first hurdle
Dieting is hard work and a long process, but if you give up at the first hurdle you will never see the rewards for your efforts. We’ve all given up a week into a diet, but if you persevere you will start to see the weight drop off, and a whole host of other health benefits as well.
Overestimating your self-control
In order to succeed at dieting, you need to amend your mind set to help you curb your cravings. Don’t give yourself unachievable goals though – this will only set you up to fail. Take it slow and you’ll find it easier to stick to.
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