During this past week, a dietitian on the American Dietetic Association’s Listserv asked other dietitians throughout the country what they considered to be the 10 biggest dieting mistakes.  The following article is a summary of the responses that have been posted.   

1)      Skipping breakfast

2)      Skipping other meals

3)      Eliminating ALL fat

4)      Overdoing it on “diet foods” – ie low fat ice cream, low carb cookies, energy bars, meal replacement shakes, etc.

5)      Not enough REAL foods – fruit, vegetables, lean meats, etc

6)      Not including healthy snacks

7)      No exercise

8)      Not enough calories

9)      Not enough water

10)  Too many calories from beverages 

“ I think the biggest mistake is the “all or nothing” mentality.  If they “mess up” or go off the diet a little, they think they have failed and give up all together.  Another big mistake is thinking that exercise alone will lead to the desired weight loss.  They exercise 3 days/week for 2-4 weeks and then give up and stop because the weight loss didn’t happen”. 

“A major diet mistake I see is when people boil nutrition down to only one or two key principles such as watching carbs or eating organic foods.  For example, if someone focuses only on carbs, they won’t get enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  And if they just lower fat, they will miss out on healthy fats from vegetable sources.  If sodium is their focus, they can still eat foods high in fat and sugar.  And even natural or organic ingredients can be full of saturated fat and calories.  People need to take the time to learn about all the layers of nutrition in order to be successful in meeting their goals”. 

“I always tell my patient to try and imagine never going off this plan.  It’s not going to be 3 months of changes then back to the same old routine.  I think when its phrased that way they begin to realize if what they are doing is too restrictive or unrealistic”. 

Through the use of the LEARN program for adult weight management or the Healthy N’ Fit program for children and teenagers, the dietitians at Hill Nutrition Associates, Inc., will help you learn how you can make minor lifestyle changes to enable you to eat healthier and enjoy a life with reduced risk of disease.  Check out our website at www.EatRightHNA.com or call 772-220-8058.