[x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0 0px 0 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_text]Dieting can be very confusing and frustrating with a lot of mixed signals and conflicting information in the media. Today I’m going to be talking about 4 of the most common dieting mistakes that I hear about from clients.

1 – Crash dieting

The Main reason for crash dieting is lack of patience and the need for fast results. The trouble with losing weight too fast is not only will you lose body fat but also lean muscle. Resulting in a poor body composition and a slower not faster metabolism. A common mistake I come across with people who crash diet is the rebound effect it has. This is where they will put most if not all the weight and fat lost back on after finishing a diet. Dieting should be done steadily and over a longer period of time if we want to avoid burning into muscle and having a weight gain rebound effect in the long run. Simply creating small calorific deficits each week through lowering your daily calorie intake and Increasing exercise frequency and intensity can help.

2 – Over or underestimating calorie intake

There’s no way of knowing exactly what your macros are (nutrients that make up your daily calorie intake, such as fats, protein, carbohydrates) unless you are prepared to weigh out all your food. This is something I do on a daily basis, but for most of you who are very busy and limited for time this may not be practical, so a general rule for you could be to use fist sized portions. ie chicken breast or green veg the size of your palm. Also learning to not leave the table full!! It’s always good to leave room for a little more. The body will have a much easier time digesting food if you don’t overload it in one hit.

3 – Thinking that exercise allows you to eat more

“I don’t like dieting so I’ll just exercise more”. Ever heard the expression “you can’t outrun a bad diet?” Well it’s true, sure adding exercise into your week will create calorie deficits but only if we keep our diet in check. It’s a lot easier and quicker to put calories into our bodies through food then it is to burn it off through exercise. Use exercise to help burn fat, don’t let it be a reason to let your diet slip.

4 – Cutting out whole food groups such as carbohydrates

There are literally hundreds of diets out there and choosing one to suit you is very personal. There’s no ‘one size fits all diet’. However one point in my opinion that should always prevail is common sense. Therefore in my opinion cutting out entire food groups is extreme and can be very damaging for our health. The most common one I hear from clients is to totally cut out carbs. Yes cutting back on carbs can be an effective way of losing weight if tapered down safely.

However, carbs also help us perform better athletically, meaning that if you can train with greater intensity you can achieve better results. They also help us sleep better, improve mood, reduce stress and help to recover us quicker from workouts.

I hope I broke a few myths and misconceptions people traditionally do wrong with their diet. Remember always keep the word “sensible” in the back of your mind.[/x_text][/x_column][/x_row][/x_section]