Even though
there is so much information available about weight loss, the same diet
mistakes are being made over and over every day. We are not talking here about
little slipups where you ate a slice of pie that was not on the plan, but big
mistakes that lead to failure to lose the weight that you want to lose.
Understanding these errors can help you develop the attitude that will lead to
permanent weight loss for you.
1. The All
Or Nothing Attitude
All or
nothing dieters will often pick out a complicated diet that is almost
impossible for them to maintain. Before beginning, they will search the kitchen
for anything that does not fit the plan and throw it in the garbage. They are
planning to be the perfect dieter, and so they will be, for one day, three
days, seven days or even a couple of weeks. Then, inevitably, something happens
that means they cannot keep to the diet one time. Immediately the whole thing
is ruined in their eyes and the diet is over. They go to the store and buy all
the things that went into the garbage last week and proceed to gain back all
the weight that they lost, as fast as possible.
If you are
this kind of dieter you need to ask yourself some tough questions. Do you
really want to lose weight permanently, or just lose a few pounds so that you
can enjoy putting them back on again? The way forward is to make small changes
to what you eat so that you have a slow but steady weight loss.
2. The
Attitude of Sacrifice
Another
common mistake is to view your diet as a period of sacrifice. You do not allow
yourself the foods that you enjoy most while you are on your way to your target
weight. You may have a great diet plan and be very successful in losing weight,
but what happens when you reach your goal? You have not learnt to eat 'bad
foods' in moderation so as soon as you start, you are likely to go out of
control. It is better to include a little of everything in your diet and learn
to enjoy it in small quantities. Yes, even chocolate!
3. Goal Failure
Setting
achievable goals is vital in any weight loss plan. Goals should be clear,
realistic and set out in writing. While you probably do have an ideal weight in
your mind, unless you are only very slightly overweight it is probably too
distant to be useful. A more useful goal would be to lose two pounds per week
for the first five weeks and then one pound per week after that. Some weeks you
will lose more and some less, some weeks you may even gain, but if you track
your progress on a graph you will see that ups and downs are natural and do not
stop you progressing steadily toward your major goal.
If you have
been making these mistakes, do not worry. The most important point in dieting
as in so many other things is to move on. Learn from your failures as well as
your success and do not use a mistake as an excuse for giving up. The only way
to achieve your goal permanently is to make a commitment to become a healthier
person. Remember that eating normally includes eating more some days and less
others. Learn to enjoy food in moderation and you have every chance of avoiding
these bad diet mistakes.