3 Major Mistakes You Make Before Starting a Diet

Many people who start a diet (change their way of eating) are doomed to failure before they even get started. Most often this is due to a “negative diet mind-set” that they develop as they prepare to change their lifestyle habits. If you think this may apply to you, take a look at the three major mistakes that a negative diet mind-set often causes:

1) Binging before the diet.

Do you go on a binge before you start a diet, eating everything in sight that you know you won’t be able to eat for the next couple of months? This is a clear indication of an “all or nothing” approach to dieting that will only cause problems for you later.

See: A Secret The Diet Companies Don’t Want You to Know About

Developing a successful diet mind-set requires you to see each day as a series of choices, and commit to making wiser choices at every meal and snack – not just depriving yourself of all the foods you love until you lose weight. If you see a diet as a healthy lifestyle instead of a punishment, you can make room for some of your favorite foods without overindulging.

See: Healthy Eating Advantages — Why Should You Eat Healthy?

2) Quantity instead of quality.

Another major mistake that a negative diet mind-set creates is the tendency to watch your calorie intake like a hawk, but pay almost no attention the quality of foods you are eating. Watching calories is important, but it’s also very important to eat nutritious, healthy foods that will nourish your body and encourage weight loss. If you eat 1,400 calories worth of jelly beans every day, how healthy do you think you’ll be? You may lose weight but you’ll be sick and unhappy.

See: Quality vs. Quantity — Which One is Better for Fat Loss?

Developing a successful diet mind-set means changing your perception of “dieting” to mean not just calorie-counting, but eating more nutritious foods – while also allowing yourself a few small treats occasionally.

3) Seeing a diet as temporary.

Finally, a negative diet mind-set makes you see a diet as a temporary measure to reach your weight loss goal. When you do, you’ll immediately go back to your old eating habits and gain the weight back again. Needless to say, this is counterproductive.

A person with a successful diet mind-set sees a diet as a life-long healthy eating plan that will encourage a healthy weight permanently.

Starting a diet with a successful diet mind-set is a sure recipe for success. Anything less will only set you up for constant setbacks and eventual failure.

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