Weight-loss is not just about eating as little as we can, and spending as many hours in the gym. Keeping fit should be all about living a fit and healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life. Apart from just looking good for a special occasion, we really want to look great as long as we live, right? So, if you’re in the middle of a diet and feeling that it’s not effective, here’s six common dieting mistakes you’re probably making.
1. Skipping Meals
Skipping meals, especially breakfast is a big mistake when you’re trying to lose weight. Start the day, especially with a hearty and healthy breakfast as it’ll boost your metabolism. You’ll feel energized and you won’t leave you tempted to snack on something urgently, or have a larger lunch. Have three meals a day, or spread out five light meals daily. Remember, to feast like a king in the morning, have lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper for dinner.
2. Crash Diets
If you’re planning to lose weight for a special event that’s taking place in a week, many of us look to crash diets for a quick weight-shedding fix. And while it may work, it’s only a short-term fix but it will never hinder weight loss in the long term. It’ll also mean that you’ll be lacking in all the essential nutrients needed. The best way to lose weight is to adapt to a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and healthy eating, because losing weight for a long term effect burns off fat, whereas crash dieting also removes your muscle and tissue.
3. Not Exercising
The healthiest way to lose weight is to include exercise in your lifestyle. Exercise helps you burn calories, which also gives you the opportunity to eat the things you like while still losing weight. The key is to find a form of exercise you enjoy. If you’re always stressed and looking for something easy to relax to, try Yoga, or even dance classes.
4. Sugary Drinks
While we may regard that can of Diet Coke as ‘healthier’ than an actual can of regular Coke, it still contains a lot of sugar. Fizzy drinks, especially can contain up to 600 calories. For 600 calories, you can enjoy a healthy plate of salmon steak and veggies. If you’re craving something sweet, mix soda water with fresh juice, cordial or fruit nectar. It’ll satisfy your sweet tooth, without overloading on the sugar and calories.
5. Wrong Portions
We occasionally eat bigger portions than we really need. The whole concept of dining is to keep yourself fueled with enough food to keep you energized for at least 4 hours. Cut down on carbohydrates and stock up on proteins like fish and meat, and vegetables too.
6. Don’t Eat to Live. Live to Eat
Although, the philosophy in life is to eat to survive, it’s hard to live accordingly with so many delicious options for us to try. So, change your mindset about eating and enjoy yourself instead of having to refrain from eating.
If you’ve read Mirelle Guiliano’s French Women Don’t Get Fat, it shares some of the secrets of Frenchwomen, and how they’re able to stay so slim while enjoying all the cheese, butter, baguettes and wine. The trick is all about eating on good food of the best quality, to eat in small portions and to savor every bite. The philosophy is to eat slowly with all your senses, so you won’t have to refrain from any foods, count your calories or skipping meals. It’s all a matter of control.
