Nothing can be more daunting than embarking on a diet. Losing weight is by no means an easy endeavour, although following a healthy diet that restricts the number of calories you consume is one of the best ways to starting losing weight – cutting around 500 calories from your diet each day could result in 1 pound lost each week (depending on your body type, current weight, metabolism etc.).
There are many things you can do to make your diet more manageable, so the longer you can stick to it the more weight you can expect to lose. At the same time, there are also various things that can done that will have a negative impact on your diet, so it’s all about finding the right balance!
Here’s some important do’s and don’ts of dieting that are worth remembering!
Dos
Count All Your Calories
Count every single calorie you consume by keeping a food diary or downloading a handy app on your phone that can track everything for you. When on a diet, you will need to reduce your calorie intake, and this will help you keep on top of things and know how much you can and can’t eat on any given day.
Drink Lots of Water
Water should be your best friend when dieting, and not just because it’s incredibly healthy for you! For one, we tend to retain water weight when we aren’t drinking enough, so it could help in that regard, but it’s main benefit is allowing you to feel less hungry (a lot of the time we mistake thirst for hunger!)
Focus on Nutrition
Restricting calories is important for weight loss, but what you are allowed to actually eat is so much more important. A healthy diet with balanced nutritional intake helps to satisfy your hunger and give more energy, which is a big help for sticking your diet and feeling healthy. Look to consume carbs, protein, and fat rather focusing solely on counting calories.
Don’ts
Drink Diet Soda Thinking it’s a Good Alternative
Soda is your worst nightmare when on a diet. It provides empty calories, meaning you will be using valuable calories without gaining any nutrition. Don’t think that diet soda is any better either, as the natural sweeteners could actually fool our bodies into thinking we are consuming sugar, resulting in more cravings for more sugar. Stick to the water!
Rush Your Meals
Being on a diet will understandably lead to some periods when you a really hungry. Next thing you know, you are wolfing down that meal you have been waiting for all day, but this could be hindering you. This is because it takes our body time to realise we are full, meaning you could overeat when you don’t need to. Slow things down by taking more bites and pauses during your meals.
Skip a Meal
Now some people may think that because you need to reduce your calorie intake, you might as well skip a meal here or there to help shave off the number of calories you are eating each day. This is a terrible idea, as you will only feel lethargic and hungrier due to the missing nutrition. This is the perfect recipe for turning to snacks and unhealthy meals in moments of weakness, ruining the hard work of your diet!
