A lot of people believe that when they go on a diet, it simply means they should eat less and try to exercise more.  However, there are a lot more things to pay attention to when dieting. It is important that you not only set a realistic weight goal, but also to ensure that you are not just cutting down on food but that you are making informed food choices. The following are the common diet mistakes people make and how you can avoid them:

1. Unrealistic Goals

A lot of people, when they are preparing their diet plans for weight loss set realistic goals for themselves because they did not talk to a dietitian before starting out. For example, setting out with the intention of losing 10 pounds in the first two days of dieting is setting up for failure. If you are not sure what a healthy diet plan should be, talk to a dietitian. Sometimes, you might even miss your weight goal for a particular period. That is better than perceiving your diet as a failure and then giving up and allowing the shed weight to come back.

2. Restricting Yourself Too Much

Many dieters think that a healthy weight loss diet means that you have to deprive yourself of all the foods you love eating. Even though you might have to give one or two foods up, you will only become discouraged if you keep thinking that you will never eat your favourite foods again. Dietitians understand what foods are unhealthy and which are not. So, consult yours for a healthy food plan.

3. Eliminating Carbohydrates

When a lot of people set up their diet recipes, they try to cut carbohydrates out of their diets. While this is beneficial, it is important to keep in mind that carbohydrates are a major macronutrient and one of your body’s primary source of energy. Carbohydrates provide the body with important vitamins, minerals and fibre. The key to creating the correct carbohydrate regime for a healthy plan is to find the right carbohydrates to include in your diet plans

4. Not Eating Your Snacks

Again to the uninformed dieter, snacks are obstacles to achieving a healthy diet plan. However, dietitians recommend that a good nutrition diet should include nutritious snacks. Eating snacks throughout the day helps to control your hunger, and consequently, helps you lose weight. A lot of dieters need to eat every three to four hours, or else they become hungry and that pushes them to overeat. Dividing your calories into three meals and two or three snacks, instead of just three meals, can keep you filled for the day and your diet plans more effective.

5. Skipping Meals

This is one of the errors that a lot of people make while they are trying to get a healthy diet plan they can use. They believe that the more meals you skip, the more effective your weight loss diet is. While this seems like a quick way to cut down your calories, what will happen is that you will get famished and overeat to compensate. Research has shown that dieters who eat breakfast every morning and follow a regular meal schedule are more likely to maintain a healthy weight loss diet.

6. Forgetting Drinks Contain Calories Too

On the surface, drinks are harmless. However, research has shown that they have many calories in them. According to weight loss recommendations, sweetened beverages are the greatest contributor of sugar in the diet, and by consuming a lot of beverages, you are unknowingly piling on the calories. It is important to keep track of the calories you are consuming in your coffee, tea or juice and try to choose low-calorie options. You can satisfy your thirst with water flavoured mint or lemon slices, or choose 100% pure fruit juice to reduce the added sugars and calories that you will otherwise find in the drinks.

7. Confusing Thirst with Hunger

Sometimes during the diet regime, it feels like you are hungry when you are in fact only thirsty. Most dieters cannot tell the difference and this causes them to overeat, thereby ruining their diet plan. Knowing the difference between how it feels to be hungry and how it feels to be thirsty can help you control your diet, and allow you to avoid eating more than your body otherwise requires. Do not be tempted to reach for whatever food is in sight at the first sign of hunger. What you might need might be water, not food.