There are common mistakes
people make when they diet and start an exercise program.
1) Not eating breakfast
Many would-be dieters fail
because they skip breakfast thinking they'll lose more weight. WRONG! By not
eating breakfast and not kick-starting your metabolism your body will go into
fat-storing mode – you'll actually stay fat. Skipping breakfast will leave you
feeling sluggish and you may be tempted to snack on the wrong foods.
Even if you're a morning
runner, give yourself an extra 30 minutes to digest some fruit juice or a
smoothie. Breaking your fast is a MUST!
2) Drinking hidden calories
Following on from the
previous section, fruit juice and smoothies are a great part of anyone's diet
regardless of whether you're trying to lose weight. The mistake is not paying
attention to the calories in them and when we're talking drinks it somehow
becomes easy to not count the calories in them. Be aware of your calorie intake
from fluids.
Watching out for hidden
calories also applies to sports drinks. That's not to say they don't have their
place. They're a hidden danger though if you're trying to lose weight. They
tend to be high in carbohydrates in the form of simple sugars and if you get
too much of that, it'll be stored as fat. As someone who is trying to lose
weight through running, sports drinks are best avoided.
3) Watching TV while eating / distractions
This may seem a strange
thing to include in this list but eating while you're watching television is a
sure-fire way to eat too much. If you're distracted while eating you're much
more likely to eat too much. Give the TV a break and give your attention to
fuelling your body in the right way. The same applies to sitting in front of
the computer.
4) Being overly restrictive
Depending on where you are
now you may have to make some changes to your diet. Making sensible changes is
fine, however, if you're too strict you may trip yourself up. Eat well most of
the time and you can still treat yourself to some dark chocolate or other
indulgence. The key is moderation. If you try to follow that rule, you'll
achieve your weight loss goal and still be able to exercise effectively meaning
you'll feel amazing!
5) Low-fat foods
Low fat foods may have
their place however you do need to be smart and read the labels. Low-fat foods
may well be low in fat but they can be high in calories due to added sugar used
to improve taste. Use low-fat alternatives by all means but don't make them the
mainstay of your diet. Look for real food instead.
6) Over-snacking
Your snacks are there to
stop you from feeling hungry between meals and they're a perfectly acceptable
part of a diet. However, the fact you have identified something as a 'snack'
does not mean it comes without a cost. If you're using nuts as a snack, that's
fine but measure them out. If you're having potato chips put some in a bowl so
that you don't eat the whole bag.
7) Eating too much after you run
This tends to be more of a
problem after your long run or a higher intensity workout. Because your
metabolism gets a real boost, you tend to feel quite hungry. This doesn't
always happen right away. You may be like a lot of people who need a while for
everything to settle and then you end up eating for more than you need. The
answer is to eat a small amount once your stomach is sufficiently settled and
then eat appropriately.
8) Processed foods
Processed foods and
convenience foods tend to be high in fat, sugar and salt. They can also include
trans-fats. Fast foods in particular can be high in trans-fats. Other things to
watch for a processed or ready-made foods such as such as frozen waffles, microwave popcorn and muffins.