When it comes to losing weight, people are usually willing to try anything. If something sounds quick and easy it seems like the perfect solution. Some try to adopt habits which they believe are healthy ways to cut calories. In order to lose weight and keep it off, here are a few ways to avoid falling for common diet misconceptions.
Fad/Crash Diets
Removing a food group or sticking to only a few food items in your diet is a quick way to reduce the number of calories you intake a day. You might be impressed when you see pounds come off and think this is the secret solution. Problem is consuming very little calories slows down your metabolism trying to make your body function on what you're providing it. When you decide you have reached your goal and begin to eat normally, you quickly gain back the weight you just so proudly lost. Having a well balanced diet by providing your body the calories and nutrients it needs gets you closer to a healthy body weight you can maintain.
Skipping Breakfast
Skipping a meal may initially seem like a good idea since you're removing a chunk of calories from your daily intake, but this could lead to consuming a greater amount of calories throughout the day. If you miss out on breakfast, you will probably feel extremely hungry the rest of the day leading you to continually snack. Since you opted out of a full meal, it may seem like having a doughnut or an extra-large portion for lunch is alright, but this can add up. Instead of skipping breakfast, have something with high protein and fiber like oatmeal with peanut butter and fruit. This will keep you satisfied for hours minimizing the possibility of consuming an excess intake of calories.
Snacking
Although
snacking between meals is an excellent way to keep up metabolism, sometimes it can get out of control. Having large, high calorie or extremely frequent snacking between meals can actually add on calories. Many individuals forget how much they snack and ignore the calories that come along with it. Adding all the snacking with large meals can rack up a surplus of calories in a day. Keep snacks in mind. Having protein rich snacks between meals can hold off hunger longer and lead to eating smaller meals in general.
Low-Fat
Just because something says low-fat does not mean you can have unlimited amounts and not have to worry about consequences.
Low-fat does not equal low-calories. Take a look at the amount of carbs and sugars on the nutritional facts label. Even if you are not directly consuming fat, major nutrients consumed in excess can be converted into fat by the body.
Liquids
When thinking of cutting down on intake and calories most of us immediately think of food. We seem to overlook the calories included in liquids. Drinks like fruit juices and alcoholic mixes tend to have a ton of sugar in them. Even though they bring in a large amount of calories, our bodies aren't completely satisfied with them which usually leads us to eat sometime soon after. One tip when trying to drop a few pounds is remembering to drink water frequently. Water is necessary for body processes and can slow down metabolism when you dehydrate yourself. Stay hydrated!
Calcium
Calcium is essential for the body and some research shows a possible link to weight loss. Instead of cutting out calcium filled foods from your diet because of some fat that comes along with it, try fat free versions. This way, you still get the benefits of the mineral with minimal set back.
Expectations
Don't weight yourself every day!
This can lower your motivation for no reason. Healthy weight loss is about a pound or two per week which might not be noticeable every day. Not seeing a drastic change when stepping on the scale all the time might bring you down. Weight can also fluctuate from day to day so waiting a week to weigh yourself can give you the encouragement to keep on track. Set an attainable goal for the long run and take small steps to achieve it.
Exercise
Aside from going hand in hand with a diet change in order to lose weight, exercise is crucial for maintaining a healthy life.
If going to the gym seems like a drag, pick up an activity that catches your interest. Ask a friend to take walks with you or join a group that does outdoor activities. This makes exercise something fun you can look forward to and doing it with a friend gives you that extra push when you need it.
Diet Mistakes Slideshow
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