Diet Mistakes Part 1

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Diet Mistakes Part 1 Posted: 11 Apr 2012 01:20 PM PDT Diet Mistakes Part 1 Feel like you've hit another dieting plateau? Can't get the results you're looking for? You may be making a major diet mistake. In fact, there are a number of confusing facts, myths, and strange ideas floating around out there that can make your dieting efforts pretty frustrating. So I thought it was time to put these myths to rest! This is Part 1 of a 2 part series on the top 10 diet mistakes you may be making. Take a look, and consider your own dieting efforts. I'll also be offering up some simple solutions to get you back on track and in shape! Top Diet Mistakes & Simple Solutions Diet Mistake #1 – Waiting Too Long Between Meals A lot of people believe that starving themselves will actually contribute to weight loss, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Eating less often actually puts your body into survival mode and gets you storing more calories as fat. The solution? Eat more frequently than normal, aiming for at least 6 smaller meals throughout the day. Eating in this way actually keeps your metabolism revved up, which means you'll burn more calories and fat over the course of the day. Also aim for getting lots of protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied. A tasty protein shake like Gaspari Nutrition Myofusion or a protein bar like these Myoplex LIte Bars can be very effective. Diet Mistake #2 – Cutting Out All Sodium You've probably heard that sodium makes you retain water. And that's definitely true. A diet that is too high in sodium will lead to water retention, meaning you'll look less toned than you actually are. But cutting out too much sodium is actually a bad thing. Sodium is important for maintaining fluid balance in your body, and too little can also lead to water retention and affect muscle functioning. The solution? Aim for a moderate amount of sodium. Definitely avoid foods that are ridiculously high in salt, but you don't need to cut it out altogether. Diet Mistake #3 – Counting Calories. Period. Counting calories can definitely give you a good idea of how much you're eating in a day, but counting all calories equal is a bad idea. If your calories are coming from protein, fiber, and whole grains, for example, then you really don't have as much to worry about. If those calories are coming from sugar and fat, that's a big difference! The solution? Don't just count calories. Look at where those calories are coming from. You want very few calories coming from things like fat, sugar, and bad carbohydrates, and more coming from protein and fiber. Also pay attention to your ingredients! Diet Mistake #4 – Making Up for Lost Time We've all done it – we go on some terribly restrictive diet and as soon as it's over, we make up for lost time and completely overindulge. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make on any diet plan, and it basically makes for a lot of wasted time and effort. The solution? Don't go on the terribly restrictive diet in the first place! Allow yourself a little indulgence on a regular basis, and adopt a diet that can be permanently incorporated into your lifestyle. Diet Mistake #5 – Eating Bad Foods While Dieting This one may seem obvious, but we all do. A bit here, a bit there, and soon we find ourselves eating an entire cake! When you're adopting a new diet, you need to be serious about it or it's simply not going to work. All those extra bad calories add up over time, even if they come in bites. The solution? Give yourself one cheat meal a week. This will also help you curb cravings and avoid overindulging after your diet plan. One cheat meal is better than eating a few bad calories here and there, because they're harder to keep track of. To be continued…Stay tuned this week for Part 2 of the Top 10 Diet Mistakes!