5 Common Mistakes a Person on a Diet Does

5 Common Mistakes a Person on a Diet Does

Going on a diet is one of the popular solutions to staying in shape. However, there are a lot of mistakes and assumptions that have been linked to dieting. If you’re ever planning to go an any sort of diet, remember that not all you read, see, or hear is true; in the same way that not all diet regimens are safe and effective. Whichever diet you choose, avoid some of the common mistakes a person usually does when he/ she is on a diet, such as:

Diet Mistake # 1: Depriving yourself of your favourite food

This is a common mistake for a lot of people who go on a diet. Stopping yourself from eating your favourite foods only results in anxiety, which could in fact affect your metabolism and how your body responds to your current diet. It’s alright to give in to your cravings from time to time. This is why there are so-called “cheat days” for many types of diet regimens.

Allowing yourself to enjoy the occassional treat can also enhance your motivation to stick to your diet the remaining days of the week. If you love burgers and indulge on one for lunch, you’ll probably feel full after finishing the meal. The next meal, you’re more likely to be happy just to eat a little from the contentment of having allowed yourself to indulge on a heavy meal.

Diet Mistake # 2: Crash dieting

It’s good that you are willing to go on a diet, but crash dieting is an entirely different story. This usually happens to people who want to lose some pounds instantly, such as when there’s a special event that’s coming up and they want to look slim, sexy, and dashing on their outfit. It probably works for the short term but it has adverse effects on your body in the long term. Crash diets can even leave your body unable to lose weight.

The truth in crash dieting is it that even if it’s an effective way to get rid of excess fats, you also lose lean muscle and tissue. You’ll also likely gain more weight after the crash diet because your body will just need fewer calories than it previously did. Losing weight the healthy way, on the other hand, has a long term effect because it only burns off fat while slowing down your metabolic rate.

Diet Mistake # 3: Eating your meals too fast

It’s been proven that chewing on your food slowly can help you lose weight. Rapid eating results in improper digestion, which leads to a feeling of bloatedness.

To help lose weight, teach yourself to eat slowly and savour your food. This lets the body send signals to the brain that you are already full before you cross the threshold of overeating, as your digestive system is slowly but properly breaking down the food you ate.

Diet Mistake # 4: Skipping meals

Do you eat breakfast every day? Another common misconception about dieting is you can lose weight by skipping meals. But the fact is, not eating at all weakens your body’s immune system in the long run and can actually lead to tendencies to overeat. What you need to do is to eat when you're hungry. Don’t eat too much though—just the right amount to ease your hunger will do.

Three meals a day is ideal. You can eat more than three times a day if you’re following a diet that promotes light meals and healthy snacks. It’s always a good idea to start your day with a healthy and heavy breakfast that contains both protein and fibre, to help boost metabolism. You may eat a heavy breakfast, semi-heavy lunch meal, and light meal for supper.

Diet Mistake # 5: Relying on diet pills

Beware of using pills and supplements that promise to help you lose weight. Majority of diet pills in the market come with negative side effects, such as insomnia, headaches, restlessness, diarrhoea, dry mouth, cramps, and other intestinal problems. There are also serious and fatal side effects from taking unsafe diet pills. For instance, you may experience tightness in the chest, dizziness, heart arrhythmias, palpitations, confusion, congestive heart failure, and even stroke. There have been reported cases of diet pill users experiencing convulsions, renal failure, primary pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failure—and worst—death.

If you must take diet pills, but are yet unsure of the effects, you should probably get the best medical insurance that fits your budget—if you haven’t got any yet. Remember, dieting is made to help lose a few pounds, not money spent on medical bills. Be mindful of your health and see to it that you don’t mindlessly just follow the newest diet fad.