Dieting Mistakes

FACT: Most Dieters Fail
WHY? Because They Make Mistakes

Before beginning a diet or weight reduction program, read through these 9 diet mistakes and follow the suggestions given.

1. They Don't Have a Good Incentive to Lose Weight
2. They Don't Have a Weight Loss Target
3. They Don't Have the Patience to be Slim
4. They Don't Choose a Healthy diet plan
5. They Don't Follow Their diet plan Properly
6. They Allow Themselves to Go Hungry
7. They Do Not Plan For 'Bad Days'
8. They Don't Take Enough Exercise
9. They Are Not Prepared to Take Control

They Don't Have a Good Incentive to Lose Weight

Dieting means changing your eating habits. This won't be possible unless you have a good incentive. To find out if you have a good incentive, ask yourself this question:

How will you REALLY benefit from losing weight?

If you can't answer this question or if you're not sure, then you don't have a good enough incentive.

If so, don't bother dieting until you find one. Trying to lose weight without having a clear idea how it will benefit you, is a complete waste of time.

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They Don't Have a Weight Loss Target

We all perform better when we have a target to aim for. Why? Because it helps us to measure our progress and feel a sense of achievement when we succeed. Losing weight is no different. In order to do it successfully, we must have a specific target to aim for.

1. Set yourself a realistic weight target.
2. Set yourself a realistic amount of time to achieve it.

For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, aim to get down to 190 pounds. 
Allow yourself at least 5 weeks to achieve it. 
When you reach 190 pounds, aim for 180 pounds, and so on.

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They Don't Have the Patience to be Slim

Most dieters want to solve their weight problem IMMEDIATELY.
They start on Monday and if they haven't lost at least 5 pounds by Sunday night, they give up. An exaggeration? Perhaps. But you know what I mean.

That's why many dieters spend half their lives dieting.
They don't have the patience to lose weight.

If you want to lose weight, get real! No one solves a weight problem overnight.

As a general rule aim to lose about 2 pounds a week.
So if you want to lose 40 pounds, allow 20 weeks.

Too slow? That's too bad. You won't lose it any faster.

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They Don't Choose a Healthy diet plan

• Americans are estimated to spend $6 billion each year on weight loss products that are fraudulent or completely useless.
• In 1993 alone, the US government banned 110 ingredients in diet products because the manufacturers couldn't prove they worked.

No wonder so many people fail to lose weight.

Don't make the same mistake! Find a HEALTHY diet plan and ignore the rest.

Note:
In order to lose weight fast, your body needs to be working efficiently. This is not possible if your diet does not provide sufficient nutrition. Unhealthy diet habits make your body sluggish and make it less easy to lose weight.

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They Don't Follow Their diet plan Properly

Even if they choose a healthy diet plan, most dieters don't follow it properly. Why not? They get bored! Unfortunately, being seriously overweight is a lot more boring than dieting.

The Moral?
Don't spend half your life dieting.
If you start a healthy diet, follow it properly.
Do it once and do it properly.

This doesn't mean you have to be perfect all the time - no one is perfect.
But you won't succeed unless you take it seriously and make it a priority. 

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They Allow Themselves to Go Hungry

No matter what diet they choose, most dieters fall into the trap of allowing themselves to go hungry.

• What happens?
  • They get tired, irritable and unhappy.
• What happens then?
  • They reach for a nice fatty instant snack.

If you get hungry when you're dieting, then EAT.

It may slow down your weight loss a fraction, but at least it'll help you to stay on track.

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They Are Not Prepared For Bad Days

No matter what diet plan they follow, all dieters have 'bad days', or even 'bad weeks.' But some dieters give up as soon as they have them. They go out for an unplanned meal or have a binge, and then throw up their hands in despair and say to themselves: 'I'm a failure. I'll never lose weight.'

A better approach
When you have a 'bad day', go with the flow, enjoy the binge and when it's over go back on your diet.

The worst that will happen is that your weight loss will be slightly delayed.

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They Don't Take Enough Exercise

When we start a diet plan, our body notices immediately and starts to slow down in order to conserve energy. This causes our weight loss to slow down, too. The best answer to this problem is to boost our energy requirement by taking exercise.

Exercise burns calories, gives us more energy and helps us reduce our body fat percentage. Result? Weight loss is faster and easier.

You don't have to pretend to be an Olympic athlete or pump iron 24 hours a day. A regular 30 minutes of any moderate exercise (like walking) will do, but it must be regular: i.e. every day.

For more tips, see Exercise Tips

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They're Not Prepared to Take Control

Stress makes us eat.

For example: We get bored, angry or frustrated and WHOOPS! - there goes another cookie or candy bar.

When we start a diet plan, the stress is worse because we CAN'T get rid of it by eating this stuff. So the stress gets worse.

Solution? We need to take control. We need to sit down and work out a mini stress-management program which answers the following questions:

• What are the situations (or people) that cause us to eat junk?
  Anger, frustration, boredom etc.

• How can we deal with these situations without eating junk?
  Example: If you eat while driving, have less fattening nibbles at hand.
  Example: If your mother forces you to eat platefuls of fattening food each time you visit, fill up before you visit and decline her cooking.

• How can we avoid these situations altogether?
  Example: If we always eat junk in front of the TV, we must watch less!
  Example: If seeing Mr. X makes you eat junk and put on weight, consider avoiding him.

In a nutshell - TAKE CONTROL!! Don't allow people or situations to make you fat. Work out what to do BEFORE you start dieting. Don't wait until stress happens.

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