Losing weight can be a relatively easy process – that is, of course, if you know what you’re doing. It can be challenging to do it on your own. It’s not about tracking the calories or breaking a sweat at the gym. It’s about listening to your body, recognizing what it needs and providing that in the right amount, at the right time. That’s really all there is to it.

We often emphasize that there isn’t just one fixed way to lose weight that fits everyone, and that’s simply because we are all different, including our tendencies to gain or lose weight, our body’s reaction to certain foods, our preferences, etc. There are, however, some universal dieting rules, and there are also universal dieting mistakes that we make because we’re so determined to lose weight as quickly as possible.

Often, we don’t realize that the little things we do every day can actually jeopardize our dieting efforts and prevent us from reaching our goals.

Here are 10 common dieting mistakes and how to avoid them:

Snacking Between Meals on a wrong kind of snacks

Wrong snacks can be a large source of additional and unnecessary calories. An innocent candy bar now and then can’t hurt anyone, right? Well, studies show that it actually can. It’s not only because of those extra calories in your day, but also because your body gets used to getting that ‘little something’ between meals. Your body is clever – it will quickly start expecting it.

The good news is, that depending on your diet plan, we may actually encourage you to snack between meals BUT on the right kinds of snacks (the kind of snacks that your body will get extra nutrients from)! The important thing is to be consistent with your meal plan. If you’re having trouble following it, try food journaling or have chopped raw vegetables in your fridge for a occasional (guilt-free) snack fest.

Irregular Meals

It’s not only snacking that trips us up – eating irregularly is also a problem. The problem with irregular meals is the jumping glucose level. These fluctuations can lead to energy deficiency, powerful cravings, sleepiness and weight gain. To avoid your glucose being ‘all over the place,’ have a meal plan with specific meal times to allow you to keep your glucose in check.   

Eating Out

Eating out is a great social experience. We don’t say not to EVER eat out. We say: be careful when you do. Most restaurants offer humongous portion sizes, and often use large amounts of fat, salt and sugar to enhance the flavor of the food. To not miss out on the social element, why not get together for a cookout? It’s cheaper, healthier, and let’s face it – much more fun.  

Eating Late

This is closely related to eating out. The modern lifestyle is often centered around work. Some people celebrate the end of another long day at work by going out with their friends in the evening and making up for missed meals during the day. Appetizers, main course and a dessert, plus a number of colorful drinks, can add up to more than a thousand calories. There is no way your body can burn it before you go to bed – especially since that kind of dinner makes you want to sleep. You’re much better off having the last meal at least 2 hours before you go to bed. This way you give your digestive system the time to work, and you sleep much better!

“All-or-Nothing” Approach

A healthy lifestyle is about balance. Unfortunately, we tend to take an “all-or-nothing” approach to losing weight. Overnight, we decide to completely change our eating habits, eliminating every single thing that may endanger our diet. But that’s really no way to live, and sooner or later, you will relapse. After a period of denying yourself everything you enjoy, your body and mind will team up against you to make up for lost time. Binging, eating out, forgetting all about your new healthy ways – this will not only get you right where you started, but may also result in additional pounds that weren’t there in the first place!

Go easy on yourself! Rome wasn’t built in a day. Get rid of one unhealthy habit and replace it with one new healthy habit per week. After a couple of months, you will see a huge difference in your lifestyle, and your health and appearance with reap the benefits.

About our Cary Weight Loss Center – A range of programs customized to your individual needs

Total HealthcareMD is not your typical weight loss clinic. We believe that everyone is unique, which is why they need their own customized weight loss plan. This is why we offer a range of different programs (see below for a list). These include:

Total HealthcareMD, with its weight loss clinic in Cary, is also proud to provide weight loss services to patients in Apex (Apex weight loss) and the surrounding area.

Make an appointment at our medical weight loss clinic in Cary and learn that losing weight can actually be an enjoyable and effortless process. With your good intentions, you risk nothing by consulting our dietitians, but the effects you can achieve will astonish you. Visit us today!