Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Weight Loss-10 Things to avoid "Like the plague"

10 Things to avoid "Like the plague" when trying to lose
weight

Dieting is not always easy. In fact, it can prove a tough
challenge for many people. So here’s a little guide to
avoiding things that could make you lose control and start
eating. Avoid them like plague if you wish to succeed.

1. Don’t rush into the toughest diet you can find.

This is a common mistake. Many people decide in a moment of
desperation to follow a super-strict diet and fail. Don’t
rush into a diet that may be too strict for you. If you
don’t have any dieting experience and are not 100 percent
sure you can stick with the diet, then choose something
else.

2. Don’t lose touch with reality.

You can’t realistically expect things to happen over night.
When choosing your goal, start small, but be prepared to go
far. If you hear someone saying that he lost a large number
of pounds in a short time, don’t make it your goal to match
his performance. Diet results are different from one person
to another.

3. Don’t go to the gym too often

Another common mistake is to use the enthusiasm of the first
days to hit the gym every day. This won’t help you at all.
Your body needs time to heal and expand the muscle mass
after each training session and going to the gym every day
interferes with this natural process. Besides, a week of
non-stop training could never offset ten or twenty years of
couch potato lifestyle.

4. Don’t get hard on calories.

We all know that cutting down on calories is one of the
building blocks of all diets, but you have to be careful
about it. Cut down on too many calories and your body will
start storing anything it possibly can. This is not a good
way to lose weight.

5. Don’t skip meals.

Some people think that skipping one or two meals could help
them lose weight faster. They don’t understand that dieting
is all about eating the right food and not starving
yourself.

6. Don’t check the bathroom scales everyday.

Everybody is eager to see the confirmation of his or her
efforts in the shape of lost pounds, but you should not let
this drive you to checking your weight everyday. The daily
fluctuations of your weight will soon have you depressed and
ready to quit dieting. And this is something you want to
avoid.

7. Don’t let emotions drive you.

Aside from the eagerness that drives people to check their
weight every day, there are other emotions that influence
dieting. If you know you’re used to reaching out for
ice-cream or snacks when you are bored, frustrated or angry,
then you should deal with these issues and not allow them to
come between you and your purpose.

8. Don’t refuse to seek help.

Not everyone was born with iron will and nerves of steel. If
you need advice or help, don’t hesitate to ask it from your
friends or from professionals. Don’t try to solve all
problems by yourself.

9. Don’t deny yourself your favourite foods.

Treats are a great way of raising your willpower and
determination. Diets are just food control methods, not
prisons. So what if you eat something forbidden once in a
while, especially if that food is a favourite of yours? If
such treats are not frequent, then they will make no
difference in the long run.

10. Don’t rely on your willpower alone

Use your head as well. If you wish to know how much you eat,
then write everything down and analyze the list for things
that should not be there. Sometimes hunger creeps up on you
and make you eat something you shouldn’t. Be honest with
yourself and keep a clear head.

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