Losing Weight Means Curbing Lifestyle Habits
A Few Drinks or a Trip to the Bread Store Can Ruin a Diet Plan
May 12, 2009
Dieters work hard to lose weight by counting calories and incorporating a daily exercise routine into busy schedules. Why then, do so many people fail at dieting? Changing a lifestyle is not easy, and even after modifications to daily living routines are established, it's tough to stay on the right track. Dining out with friends, partying on the weekends, and eating to find comfort are but a few excuses dieters use to rationalize unhealthy eating habits.
Ten Pitfalls that Can Ruin a Diet Plan
- Unhealthy weekend eating habits. The big game can cost more than losing a bet if calorie-laden snacks are on hand.
- Eating to reward, celebrate, or comfort. Find an eating alternative to rejoicing over that big promotion. Recognizing the source of emotional eating is half the battle.
- Not properly measuring food amounts. It's easy to stop measuring if one has been doing it for months, but slacking off leads to bigger and bigger amounts.
- Binging after exercise. It pays to keep high-calorie sports drinks, sweets, and high fat foods out of the house; these are too tempting after a workout. Drink water, instead.
- Dining with friends who are not dieting. One does not have to follow the crowd, but if it's too tempting to indulge, then get together when no food is in the plans.
- Drinking alcohol, especially on the weekends. eHow Web site member, Cateline, in the online article, "How to Avoid Diet Pitfalls by Kate Johns" (2009) says, "Ask for a diet soda with your alcohol drink. Try a super light beer, and a no-calorie iced tea or lemonade drink."
- Eating on the run. Grabbing something easy and fattening because one is in a hurry can be remedied by keeping low-calorie foods on hand and ready to go.
- Buying from discount bread stores. While it may be hard to refuse a good bargain, buying donuts or coffeecake at a huge discount will add pounds in the end.
- Dropping the diet while on vacation. One does not have to feel deprived; just consume reasonable amounts, stay focused on the long-term results, and feel proud at the end of the trip.
- Eating out of the bag or box. The March 2009 edition of All You magazine, (unknown author), includes the article, "Stop Diet Slipups" and adds, "It's easy to operate on autopilot – repeatedly going from hand to mouth – when you munch straight from the package. With this kind of mindless noshing, you can quickly lose track of how much you've swallowed."
Attitude and Dieting
Attitude plays a major role in dieting. Anyone who's made more than a single attempt to lose weight knows the old saying, "If at first you don't succeed, then try, try again." One of the biggest mistakes dieters make is giving up after backsliding a few times.
Dieting is tough, there's no denying how hard it is to lose weight. Food is available at every turn, and trying to resist unhealthy food choices wears on the mind as much as the body. Rationalizing is a dieter's enemy, causing one to believe he or she "deserves" an occasional break from all the calorie-counting and denial. Worse yet is the vacation from dieting while one is on vacation. Dieters who stay focused have a better chance of surviving months of dieting, as compared to the dieter who gives up too easily. Avoiding the pitfalls is one more step to diet success.
Dieters lose weight by counting calories, exercising, and paying close attention to foods consumed on a daily basis. By recognizing common mistakes, such as eating out of box, binging after exercise, or eating because of emotional reasons, dieters can avoid the pitfalls and maintain a steady weight loss. Attitude and knowledge are powerful tools to dieters; a healthy determination can far outweigh the strongest cravings. All one needs is to plan ahead and keep a healthy goal in mind.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
