The Biggest Diet Mistakes

Stop Making Diet Mistakes

The weight loss industry is rampant with rumors, fads, and false information. Things can get pretty confusing, even for people who are trying to stay on top of eating healthy and exercising pretty regularly.

So if you want to get things straight and start doing it right, listen up! I’m reviewing 10 of the biggest diet mistakes.

All of these diet mistakes are based on my experience as a health coach and personal trainer. Over the years, I’ve heard some pretty crazy ideas from clients, and I’ve been surprised more often than not by what people do to try to lose weight.

Let’s get to it…

The 10 Biggest Diet Mistakes to Correct Today

Diet Mistake #1: Liquid Calories – I see this time and time again with all the new fads that come out there on different juices and even drinks like Coconut water.  The truth is that there are added calories and over time these add up and because it’s liquid it’s easy to overdo it and not be as mindful as you are with food.  The BIGGEST time I particularly see this is with coffee drinks like lattes and mochas, some of these go in excess of 300 calories and if you multiply that by 5 times a week that is like adding another full day worth of calories to your weekly caloric intake.  Be smart and aware about the calories in your drinks.

Diet Mistake #2: Eating Infrequently – Eating less obvious is another big dieting mistake, but contrary to your intuition, eating less often is not going to help you out. In fact, not eating often enough can put your metabolism into hibernation mode, and that means burning less fat and fewer calories. Instead, eat more often, 6 smaller meals a day being ideal.

Diet Mistake #3: Restricting Calories – Calorie restricting can work for some people with extreme weight loss goals, but for the average person, cutting down on calories too much is just another route to a slow metabolism. Worry more about eating foods that boost your metabolism. Read my article on 5 Foods that Speed Metabolism here.

Diet Mistake #4: Eating Only Healthy Food – Of course you want to eat healthy as much as possible, but all those “low-fat” and “fat-free” options often come with hidden ingredients like sugar and artificial sweeteners and flavors that actually make losing weight even harder.  Don’t go down this path, choose natural whole foods that have all the flavour, slow down and really savour it but just be smart about it and reward yourself after being super heaalthy for a full week at a time.

Diet Mistake #5: Drinking Alcohol – Unfortunately, alcohol is really high in calories, which makes it pretty deceiving and potentially disastrous for your weight loss goals. Reduce your alcohol consumption to 1 or 2 days a week, and go for lower-calorie beverages like vodka and gin.

Diet Mistake #6: Cutting Out Carbs – While it’s definitely true that reducing your carbohydrate intake can lead to significant fat loss results, cutting out carbs altogether is a big mistake. It’s not practical, and it’s actually not healthy for a number of reasons, especially when it comes to digestion and mental functioning. Instead, think about the types of carbs you eat, and go for healthy options only. Read my article on Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight for one approach to eating healthy carbs.

Diet Mistake #7: Skipping Breakfast – You’ve probably heard this one, but it’s important to get it straight. The morning is the most important time to boost your metabolism, because it’s pretty much been shut down all night. Eating breakfast will help you burn more fat all day long, but skipping breakfast will only make you store fat!

Diet Mistake #8: Cutting Out Fat – Removing fat from your diet seems like the most obvious strategy for losing weight, but it’s not quite that simple. You definitely want to eliminate bad fats like trans and saturated fats, but you can actually boost your metabolism by including more healthy fats like omega-3s. Read my article on Omega 3 Health Benefits here.

Diet Mistake #9: Thinking Only about Food – While a healthy diet is a big part of losing weight and burning fat, you should never be doing it without also increasing your exercise and improving your fitness. It’s important to think about balance when it comes to your health, so make sure you get moving.

Diet Mistake #10: Doing Everything at Once – This is probably the biggest diet mistake that people make, and it can really be disastrous. You can’t change everything about your diet all at once, and extreme strategies generally don’t last very long. You need to make changes gradually in order to allow your body to adjust. Read my article on How to Torch Belly Fat in 6 Weeks for a great 6-week strategic plan.

Have any questions or feedback about these diet mistakes? Please leave a comment below…