“What is the most common mistake people make that causes them to fail at a “diet”? Jac, NY

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Diets are everywhere. They are on TV, they are in news ads, and they are even on social media. But what all of these diets are trying to accomplish is the same thing- they want you to follow a strict meal plan or guideline in order to lose as much weight as possible as fast as possible. Sure, it sounds great when they are showing success stories where a woman lost 80 pounds in 3 months. But what they don’t tell you is she gained it all back!

Diets are so tricky because you should NEVER restrict yourself from eating an entire food group or a list of certain things, especially the things you enjoy indulging in. No person on earth could restrict what they are eating forever and never “fail” at a diet. Diets set you up to fail because they are unrealistic. The most common mistake is restricting yourself too much of the things you love for too long because in the end you will eventually give in and instead of having 1 cookie you will have the whole box.

The way to diet correctly is having a calorie deficit and mindful eating. If you eat x amount of calories a day for your height and weight all you need to do is create a deficit to lose weight. If you create a deficit but remain a normal sense of logic that it is ok to fit that cookie into your calories for the day once in a while then you are much more likely to be successful and keep the weight off! Healthier choices and smart eating will ultimately help you reach your goal and STAY there! Isn’t that what we want? All the diets on the market offer the false promise that you can do their program and maintain your weight loss after reintroducing the foods you had denied yourself for so long. Do yourself a favor and do it the right way so you don’t have to keep dieting!

If this sounds like something you would be interested in but you need help with mindful eating and making healthier choices, we are always here for you!  Give our office a call to make a telehealth or in-person appointment.

You’ve got this! 

Miranda Lopez, Dietetic intern