Bella Adams
Just eat less and the pounds will fall off? Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work. This is often due to habits that destroy our success with losing weight. We show ten nasty diet mistakes – and how to avoid them.
Despite exercise and diet, not much happens on the scales – those who want to lose weight know the problem and know that it is not that easy to get rid of a few pounds.
But what are the reasons for this? The following top ten explains the most common diet mistakes – and how you can avoid them.
No one gets far with extremes
Some rely on more or less radical measures, such as crash diets, fasting cures or skipping dinner to lose weight.
But extremes will not get you where you want to go: as soon as you try to lose a lot of weight quickly, you put your body on alert – and it then holds on to its reserves.
If he gets larger amounts of food again after the diet, he begins to build up even more reserves in order to prepare for the next hunger stretch: the classic yo-yo effect.
Giving up too soon
Instead of radical measures, you should therefore change your diet in the long term. This means being patient and sticking with it even if the scales stand still for a long time.
In order for the fat deposits to melt, the metabolism must first adapt to the new situation.
Weight stagnation is completely normal. The period of time varies from person to person, but it usually does not last longer than a maximum of four weeks.
Measure success by weight
Another reason for weight stagnation can be the simultaneous loss of fat and build-up of muscle mass. A diet success is not always recognizable by the scales.
Instead, achievements might be measured by waist and hip measurements, so measure your waist regularly to see if you’re getting closer to your goal.
A direct photo comparison before and during your diet will also help you to visualize small successes.
Setting expectations too high
Don’t expect miracles! Anyone who avoids crash diets and changes their diet sustainably to avoid the yo-yo effect will lose weight more slowly.
Half a kilo a week is realistic and healthy. You can achieve this by eliminating around 500 calories from your diet every day.
Not eating enough
Undereating is another common dieting mistake. Because if you are always hungry, you are more likely to get food cravings.
Instead, you should rather plan three to five small meals throughout the day and satisfy your hunger with low-calorie foods that, thanks to fiber and proteins, keep you full for a long time.
This includes, for example, all types of vegetables, legumes such as chickpeas or lentils, nuts and fish.
Break between snacks
However, too many snacks are also counterproductive because they prevent fat burning from gaining momentum.
So always make sure to take longer breaks from eating of at least two to three hours.
Too many light products
On average, light products have about 30 percent fewer calories than the original. However, that doesn’t make them any healthier. Instead of fat, light products often contain artificial flavors, sugar and sweeteners.
The diet does not become healthier just because you replace the original products with the lighter version. There is a risk that you will eat more – since the products are so “light”.
So it is better to avoid diet products altogether. Instead, as part of a change in diet, you should increasingly use natural, unprocessed foods.
Also eat carbohydrates in the evening
Many people who want to lose weight do without carbohydrates in the evening to boost fat burning. In theory, that makes sense too. However, doing without also involves risks.
For example, a complete renunciation of carbohydrates can mess up the metabolism.
A recommendation from nutrition experts therefore states that you can do without carbohydrates three times a week in the evening. However, 50 percent of the diet should still consist of carbohydrates – preferably in the form of starchy vegetables, fruit and whole grain products.
Not sleeping enough
Another aspect that can thwart you when trying to lose weight is sleep. Those who are overtired and sleep too little often eat significantly more.
For this reason, you should always make sure you get enough sleep. It should be seven to eight hours a day to keep the stress level low.
Too little exercise
Eating less is not enough to lose weight. If you want to become slimmer in the long term, you also have to exercise regularly. Not exercising slows down your metabolism.
Thus, the pounds cannot tumble as desired. You should work up a sweat at least three times a week, preferably by alternating endurance and weight training.
