Over a lifetime of struggling to lose weight and keep it off, I feel like I’ve made every diet mistake in the book. Luckily, I’ve figured out from talking to my peers that many of us have fallen into the same traps. We can’t expect ourselves to be perfect, but by becoming aware of some of the most common diet mistakes, we may be able steer clear of them.

Depending on diet alone

As I lose weight, my body needs fewer calories to maintain my weight. That means I have to keep eating less and less. Working out burns extra calories and increases my metabolism, meaning I can still eat a reasonable amount of food and lose weight.

Following Fad Diets

Like most dieters, I have been tempted by fad after fad. Countless studies, however, have shown that in the long term, fad diets just don’t work.  We like them because they offer quick results, but those results are nearly impossible to maintain. 

  Starving yourself

 This was one of my favorite quick fixes.  If I couldn’t win against food, I was going to give it up altogether.  Bad idea.  Not eating causes your body to protect itself by practically shutting off your metabolism.  Weight loss actually gets harder.  Even skipping a meal or two is a bad idea because it usually leads to overindulgence later in the day or the week.  

Eliminating entire food groups

I’ve had people tell me to never eat sugar, caffeine, fat, bread, milk, meat, and even carrots.  What a little research has shown me, however, is that no food group should be completely eliminated.  Our bodies perform and develop best when we eat complex and highly varied diets.  Eating an assortment of foods also reduces the likelihood that you will feel deprived. 

 Only eating prepackaged diet food 

There are a lot of diets out there that offer perfect portions of food in ready-to-go packages.  While these are great to have in your diet arsenal, depending on them can lead to regaining weight down the line.  When I have followed diets like these, I lose weight quickly as long as I only eat foods offered by the program.  The problem is that eventually, I get bored and want to go back to eating real food.  Unfortunately though, the program hasn’t taught me how to do that. Learn to eat a healthy diet based on real foods you can enjoy for the rest of your life.      I have stopped trying to be perfect.  I have grown more from all my mistakes than I ever have from my triumphs.  I just use what I learn whether from victory or failure to getting just a little bit closer to the person I know I can be.