If you are wondering why you are gaining weight or maybe aren’t losing it like you might like, you could be making a mistake without even realizing it. Don’t panic, this article is going to cover 10 of the most common mistakes that people make who have those weight-loss goals in mind. Some of them are very common mistakes, while some of the others may be ones you have never thought of. Hopefully this article can make you more aware of different aspects of your nutrition plan as well as your lifestyle activities.
Let’s go ahead and dive right into the top10 nutrition mistakes that females make as it relates to their diet…
1. Trying to follow a strict diet for EVERY single meal.
Don’t try to fall into the “all or nothing” type of attitude when it comes to your diet. I have been fortunate to know many elite level athletes, and they do not eat clean for every single meal. In fact, they find about the right amount of cheat meals per week to add into their diet where it won’t hurt their performance. The key to having cheat meals is moderation! You can satisfy that craving every once in a while, but just don’t binge eat! Having a cheat meal one to two times per week is perfectly fine as long as it is in moderation!
2. Following a diet that calls for less than 1,000 calories per day.
I have seen many diets recently that call for less than 1,000 calories per day, and I am not a fan of a single one of them. Just to run all of your body’s normal daily processes you will require more than 1,000 calories. These types of diet will not only make you miserable from being hungry all day, but they aren’t healthy either. It is nearly impossible to get all of your daily vitamin and nutrient requirements with such low caloric intake!
3. Not taking a multivitamin.
Chances are that if you are reading this, you are either trying to maintain your weight or trying to lose a few pounds. Therefore, you are most likely restricting your calories. As mentioned above, this probably means you are not getting the recommended dosages of your vitamins and minerals with your reduced caloric intake. Taking a quality multivitamin can help you to make sure you are not deficient in any key areas.
4. Following generic diets from advertisements, magazines, etc.
The problem with a lot of these diets is that they do not take your individual needs into consideration. You must either equip yourself with the knowledge to choose and make a great diet or consult a nutritionist. Many of these diets can’t take into account your level of activity, sleep, work or any of the many other factors that can cause your diet to change.
5. Cutting out ALL carbohydrates or fats.
Too little of anything can be bad, just like too much of anything can be bad. You need all three major macronutrients for your body to run normally. You may be able to go without either one for a short amount of time, but doing it for a longer period of time can be very difficult. Following a low carbohydrate or low fat diet is completely fine! I say go for it. Your body may respond better to one or the other, so maybe even try both diets! Just don’t eliminate an entire area completely. Cutting weight doesn’t have to be THAT extreme; it just has to be smart.
6. Drinking too many meal replacement shakes.
Meal replacement shakes can be a great way to eat healthy while on the run. However, substituting too many shakes for meals can be a big negative. Most of them aren’t nearly as low calorie as you may think and they generally lack a lot of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Try to use them as a last resort option if you desperately need them.
7. Skipping breakfast entirely.
Don’t be one of those people who skip breakfast only to overeat at lunch. It might be the most common mistake I see people make. Skipping breakfast is the first bad decision, usually followed by another bad decision at lunch. For the last 2 hours at work until break time, you are probably only thinking about food and wishing you ate breakfast! This leads to an obsession over food and makes you want to eat anything you can get your hands on come lunch break. What that usually means is fast food or more food than you originally planned for! One bad decision can lead to another one. Keep yourself out of that mindset and at least grab a snack for breakfast.
8. Lying to your nutritionist.
This may be one that only hits a small portion of you out there. Do not lie to your nutritionist! They are only trying to help you. Help them help you. It’s just like they said in Jerry Maguire. It is one of the biggest mistakes people make in terms of holding themselves back. You will hire a nutritionist, only to lie to them about what you’ve been eating. You will have to face the truth either in the mirror, or to your nutritionist. You won’t like the results from either one of them. However, I would rather you tell your nutritionist the truth and have the mirror tell you great things than the other way around!
9. Binge eating 1-2x/week.
This may seem like an obvious one, but I know a lot of female clients I have had that completely leave out the fact that they binge eat 1-2x/week. It is usually because of a high stress day at work or in a relationship. They will completely throw out all their fitness and diet goals and just think about what will take their mind off the problem right NOW. Next time you find yourself in this position, just try to take a deep breath and get a quick workout in. That, or throw in a really good movie. Just try any alternative other than that quick binge eating session. Although it may be a short binge eating session, I have heard of people easily consuming 1,000 to 2,000 calories of junk food without even realizing it (candy, chips, soda, ice cream, etc).
10. Not planning meals ahead of time.
Convenience = fast food. When individuals are faced with a quick decision on what to eat, they usually choose the fastest option, which is fast food. Just don’t put yourself in this position! Plan out your meals ahead of time (at least the night before) and you won’t put yourself in this situation. If you know you are weak when in that position, limit the number of times you have to make the decision! Know your own strengths and weaknesses and design the best plan according to them. Instead of dwelling on your weaknesses, sometimes it is best just to work around them and to build on your strengths, especially if the weakness is not a huge deal. You can still reach most of your goals with some good strengths and general weaknesses.
Avoid these top 10 mistakes and you should have a much easier time achieving your goals!
Nuwanee Kirihennedige – Is a nutritionist and dietician that works with athletes and health minded individuals on sports performance and weight loss. Nuwanee currently is the nutritionist for the California Strength Academy in San Ramon California. Nuwanee can be reached at nuwanee@californiastrength.com.