Don’t make these common diet mistakes

Let’s be real: dieting is hard. Eating less than what you’re used to is a difficult transition to make. Fewer food options may lead you to feel hungry and frustrated. Often, the hardest part of dieting is simply sticking to the plan. There are temptations all around us: the checkout aisles of grocery stores, homemade goods, or unexpected treats at work. You might fear judgement by others for turning down foods you used to eat, leading to feelings of guilt for eating healthy.

You might just feel totally overwhelmed by the prospect of all these “green” foods and the new mentality that comes with transforming your lifestyle. It’s possible you don’t feel like you fit into that lifestyle, and you don’t see how this change can be permanent. Or you might just feel lazy and you don’t feel like tracking your foods in Noom, or don’t want to adhere to mostly “green” foods.

We hear you. Getting into a healthy lifestyle is a challenge! And as with most challenges, you’ll probably find yourself coming up with any number of excuses to avoid putting in the work. While a few slip-ups now and then are ok, the more excuses you make, the more you delay your own progress. The list below contains some of the most common diet mistakes that create obstacles to your goal. Read on to stay smart with Noom and get the most out of your experience:

1. Being dishonest. Are you really following your plan? It’s easy to let a small handful of chips or a spontaneous cookie go un-tracked (and that’s not always bad), but it does add up. Take a serious look at your intake: is your Noom log totally honest, or are you consistently lacking some items? Are you being more lenient on weekends and holidays? Try to be critical, and if you see some gaps, think about why you’re missing those items and how you can incorporate them into your diet.

2. Inconsistency The reason consistency is so encouraged in the world of weight-loss is because it’s proven to work: studies show that consistency in diet and exercise is key not just to weight loss, but also for weight maintenance after shedding pounds. Change happens gradually, so if you stick to a plan, chances are you’ll start seeing the difference in a few months. Follow your weight graph to see how progress adds up!

3. Eating too little. When diets plateau, it is often seen as a simple fix to keep lowering calories until weight loss resumes. However, when your calories are so low that you’re not eating enough, your metabolism can actually slow down and your weight loss will stall. You can even gain weight as a result of your body going into starvation mode. So, how do you know when you’re eating enough? Noom calculates your optimal calorie budget and adjusts as you lose weight. Make sure to mix up what you’re eating incorporating green, yellow, and red foods.

4. Weighing yourself too often. Weight fluctuates every day. So when you wake up one morning and you weigh 4 pounds heavier than yesterday, does that mean you’ve gained 4 pounds? Nope! Those 4 pounds could be for any number of reasons: water retention OR dehydration, natural bloating (particularly during menstruation), diet composition (both carbs and salt can cause higher water retention), or intake fluctuations. In general, it’s best to weigh yourself in the morning (after using the restroom first) before eating. Use the same scale and try not to weigh yourself more than 2 or 3 times a week. The fluctuations from daily weighing will only mess with your head if you do it more frequently.

5. You’re not eating whole foods. It’s true that a calorie is a calorie but the quality of each calorie varies. If most of your calories come from pre-packaged or processed foods, chances are, you’re missing some necessary nutrients. Whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains all contain important vitamins and nutrients that help your body run smoothly. They also are proven to help you stay fuller for longer, while processed foods can run through your system much faster, making you hungrier more frequently. Try to maintain a balance between whole and processed foods for a solid diet that will help you lose weight sustainably.

Finding yourself guilty of some of these? Don’t worry! Own up to your shortcuts and recalibrate. How can you refocus yourself to get back on track? Look at your intake and habits and think about what you were doing when you were doing well. You’ll be back on track in no time!