In jest and in earnest. Seven weight loss mistakes.

You vow to squeeze into your favorite but tight dress for your birthday, and once again you go on a diet. After your birthday, when the dress is removed and packed away in the closet, your weight, like a recurring nightmare, comes back on again. How do you break this vicious cycle? You may be making one of the seven common mistakes during weight loss.

So, let's break down exactly what actions are preventing you from always staying slim.

Mistake #1.

Having decided to lose weight and not to tempt yourself with food, you clean out your refrigerator. Now in your refrigerator it is time to hang a mouse, and you look at this, gradually become depressed and want to run to the store for a cake. That's right, your body reacts to the lack of food in the most ancient and effective way for survival - it tries to get food.

So don't tempt your instincts and keep your fridge full at all times. After all, the main thing is not how full the fridge is, but what its contents are. Replace cakes and other sweets with fruits and vegetables, fatty cutlets with nutritious fish, and so on. Now, opening the refrigerator, you do not fall into despondency and panic at the sight of empty shelves, and taking away something to eat, do not worry that it will add you a couple of extra centimeters on your waist.

Mistake #2.

This is serious! Your girlfriends and friends have no trouble determining that you're on a diet without even seeing what you're eating or what you're giving up. How? Simply, you change in character. You stop understanding jokes and begin to take offense at completely innocent comments. And you become too irritable in general. Such a harsh attitude, in the end, will exhaust your psyche, and the matter will end in shameful eating. The diet is over. Instead of being harsh, treat the diet not as a challenge, but as a game. Think of a fun role related to dieting (for example, that you want to play an elf in a new movie, I wonder what elves eat?).

Mistake #3

No indulgences! You decided to completely refuse sweet and fatty, categorically forbade yourself to even look in the direction of the confectionery department in the store. The result? About the same as the second mistake - your emotional exhaustion will make you sooner or later snapped. What to do? Undoubtedly, you need to limit the consumption of unhealthy products, but you can not completely refuse from delicious things. For example, you can afford tea and cake once a week.

Mistake #4

Mistake #5

There is no such thing as too much water! In many diets you have seen this recommendation: you should increase the amount of water you drink to 2-2.5 liters per day. When you learn about it, you immediately grab a glass and blow out the daily norm at once. The result of this approach, most likely, will be a deterioration in general health. The body is a complex thing, and dieting is stressful for it. And if you also sharply begin to pump it with fluid, it can simply revolt. Increase the amount of water you consume gradually over several days.

Mistake #6

In an effort to achieve quick results, you start taking diuretics. I do not argue, it is effective, but the effect is temporary, and the price is too high. Together with the fluid, you lose the microelements that your body needs to function properly. In fact, you disrupt your own metabolism. This is fraught with all sorts of complications, from muscle cramps to cardiovascular disease. You also increase cortisol levels, commonly known as the "stress hormone", which in turn hits your nervous system and burns up vitamin C, which your brain needs.

Mistake #7

"I swear that I will never..." This position echoes the categorical nature of the second and third mistakes. By putting your body on a diet, you give yourself a vow never to eat smoked or fatty foods. But any psychologist and just a smart person knows - the more forbidden something is, the more desirable it is. When the moment of breakdown will come - depends on your willpower, but it will definitely come. And behind it - the feeling of guilt for unfulfilled (and unfulfillable!) promises. How to be? Get rid of categorical formulations and the word "never". Instead of "I will never touch the buns" say to yourself "actually now I can not eat this bun, but tomorrow we'll see". And tomorrow you can tell yourself the same thing.

The decision to lose weight is quite a responsible one, and apart from choosing the right diet you also need to get the mental attitude right. And eliminating the root causes of this very excess weight. And this is a job for a professional psychologist, so do not hesitate to ask for help. Especially since there is a so-called "psychological diet" and its selection, as a rule, is individual and depends on you and your characteristics and features. A good practicing psychologist will have no problem developing such a diet for you. Perhaps together with the psychologist you will discover what mistakes you are making. And by getting rid of your mistakes, you will quickly achieve what you want!

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why shouldn't you completely empty your refrigerator when starting a diet?
   Completely eliminating all foods can cause stress and depression. Instead, it is recommended to replace unhealthy foods with healthy ones to avoid feelings of deprivation.
2. How to avoid irritability while dieting?
   Too strict an approach can lead to emotional exhaustion. It is better to treat dieting as a game or an experiment, which will help to maintain a positive attitude.
3. Is it possible to completely give up sweets and fatty foods?
   A categorical refusal can lead to breakdowns. It is more reasonable to limit the consumption of unhealthy foods, allowing yourself small portions from time to time.
4. How often should you weigh yourself when losing weight?
   Frequent weighing can be stressful due to natural weight fluctuations. It is recommended to weigh yourself 1-2 times a week in the morning on an empty stomach for an objective assessment of progress.
5. What is the right way to increase your water intake while dieting?
   A sudden increase in water intake may cause discomfort. It is better to gradually increase the amount of water you drink over several days.