Summary: Avoid these 6 mistakes that might be stopping you from losing weight.
- Not having a clear plan.
Changing the way you eat can be overwhelming, especially since food is such an intricate part of our daily lives. Start with small action steps, and once you’ve formed those into habits, start adding more. This will create a sustainable change in lifestyle, rather than a quick fix.
- Cutting out entire food groups.
When you cut out an entire food group without the help of a registered dietician or nutritionist, you often end up with an unbalanced diet and nutrient deficiencies. Additionally, it’s often not sustainable for most people.
- Not eating enough calories.
A lot of people think of food as merely calories in and calories out; a numbers game. But if you’re eating too few calories, especially for a longer period of time, your body realizes it’s starving and starts to slow down your metabolism. You need a strong metabolism and nutrients to stay healthy, so don’t focus on numbers. Pay attention to portion sizes and eating the right foods.
- Taking the weekend off.
Many people work really hard throughout the week to be absolutely perfect with their diet, and then believe it is okay to eat whatever they want over the weekend. Doing this can completely undo all the hard work you put in during the week. Focus on being balanced all seven days of the week and allowing a treat here or there instead of taking the entire weekend off.
- Not drinking enough water.
As someone who loves water and drinks plenty throughout the day, I’ve never understood people who don’t drink any all day, but I know it’s incredibly common. Drinking more water is one of the easiest ways you can become healthier and lose weight, especially if you’re replacing calorie and sugar filled beverages.
- Cutting out healthy fats.
Fats contain a lot more calories than other foods, but they are so important for our bodies’ function. In addition, healthy fats help with satiety and keep you from eating more in the long run, so be sure to have a little bit of healthy fat at every meal.