Already have an account?
Get back to the
Diet

7 Common Dieting Mistakes to Avoid If You’re Trying to Get Healthy

If you’ve been trying to shrink you waistline and are not seeing any results, you could be ruining your own dieting success without even realizing it. Check out our list of common diet mistakes you could be making.

1. You’ve gone fat-free.

Cutting fat out of your diet might save you calories, but it won’t help you lose weight long-term. “For any diet to work and be sustainable, you’ve got to feel satisfied with what you eat,” says nutritionist Max Tomlinson. “Fat is not only filling, [but] it’s also essential for slowing the release of sugar into your blood and the transit of food through your gut — this nips cravings in the bud, and helps you feel fuller for longer.”  Avoid butter and cheese, but make sure you eat “good” fats. You’ll feel better for it.  

2. You’re not eating enough.

The less you eat, the more weight you’ll lose right? Wrong! Your body is designed to do all it can to stay alive, so if it senses you’re hungry and food is scarce, it will store fat for future use. “You might initially lose weight on a low-calorie diet, but it’s not sustainable. You can’t stay that hungry for long, and you’ll end up slipping back to your old calorie intake,” warns Zoe Harcombe, obesity researcher and author of Stop Counting Calories and Start Losing Weight ($14.95, Amazon).

“Following a low-calorie diet also slows your metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories), so when you go back to eating normally, you’ll pile weight on faster because your body is determined to hang on to fuel in case of another famine.” 

If you want to count calories aim for around 2,000 a day (the amount needed by the average woman; most of us eat more than this) and do a resistance workout three times a week to build muscle and boost your metabolism.

3. You’re getting more exercise but haven’t changed your diet.

Exercise only makes up 20 percent of your inch-loss equation, while what you eat accounts for 80 percent. Though exercise improves your health and speeds up your metabolism if you build your muscle strength, if you don’t tweak your diet at the same time you’re unlikely to lose weight. “If your average workout burns 400 calories and you do this three times a week, it’s not going to have the same effect as shaving 500 calories off your daily food intake,” says nutritionist Rob Hobson. “View exercise as the cherry on the cake for additional weight and fat loss, and make sure you’re eating a balanced diet.” 

4. You don’t listen to your body.

Are you a controlled eater or an intuitive one? Controlled eaters keep food diaries, watch what they eat, and keep track of their calories. Intuitive eaters listen to their body’s signals, eat when they’re hungry, and stop when they’re full. One study found that intuitive eaters are less likely to be overweight and are more able to maintain their weight loss because they spend less time thinking about food. Controlled eaters on the other hand are more likely to binge eat, give in to emotional eating, or just eat for the sake of it. 

5. You’re doing the wrong type of exercise.

“For weight loss your goals should be to build muscle and burn fat, says Tomlinson. “Muscle is the main fat-burning mechanism, so try to work in some resistance moves such as squats, lunges, and bicep curls using hand weights.”

“On top of that, to burn fat, you need to do a moderate intensity workout (like a brisk walk) that keeps your heart beating at 130 beats per minute. Higher than that will just burn off sugar and make you hungry.”

6. You’re relying on willpower alone.

You think you’re strong enough to resist, but willpower alone is not enough for long-term weight loss,” says Hobson. “Going it alone is tough, but research shows that support from others — such as dieting with friends or a weight-loss group — pays dividends.” Also try mindfulness techniques such as sitting down to eat, chewing food slowly, and putting your knife and fork down between mouthfuls.

7. You haven’t mastered your stress levels.

Stress has a massive impact on your weight, says Tomlinson. “It prevents you sleeping well, and research shows you could gain around 11 pounds after just three months of minor sleep deprivation.” Work some of these stress-busters into your day: walk or swim, spray a little relaxing magnesium oil on to your skin each evening, and dose up with a herbal tincture such as A Vogel’s Stress Relief Daytime ($22.38, Amazon).

This article was originally written by Karen Evennett. For more, check out our sister site, Yours.

More From FIRST

Ghee Is the Keto-Friendly Superfood That Burns Stubborn Belly Fat— And You Can Make It Yourself

The SlimFast Keto Plan Simplifies the Diet — And Makes It Much Tastier

How a Simple Dandelion Tea Could Help You Detox and Shed Stubborn Pounds

Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items. Use right arrow key to move into submenus. Use escape to exit the menu. Use up and down arrow keys to explore. Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.