Dieting is frustrating. No doubt about that. But many of
us are doing things that undermine our diet, sap our energy and ultimately lead
to abandoning the diet. Without realizing it, we are ensuring the failure of our diet. Here are five of the worst culprits:
Diet wrecker number 1: Going hungry most of the day. Many people try to lose weight by cutting out snacks and
sticking to only two meals a day. Sounds good, right? Wrong! By letting our
blood sugar dip, our hunger center springs into action, making us acutely aware
of how long it’s been since we last ate. Worse yet, our body becomes lethargic
and every muscle seems to have its own personal ache. A better strategy is to
eat small meals every few hours. That keeps your blood sugar even and avoids
dumping large amounts of insulin into your blood stream when that rare meal finally
hits.
Diet wrecker number 2: Skipping breakfast. Avoiding the
calories at breakfast inflicts a heavy toll. Your metabolism never really gets
started, so you don’t burn calories as fast as you should. Plus, breakfast is a
great time to get your daily dose of fiber. So get your day off to a good
start, you’ll be happier and healthier all day.
Diet wrecker number 3: Not enough carbohydrates. Yes,
there are dozens of low-carb or no-carb diets on the market. Unfortunately, our
bodies need carbohydrates for muscle development, energy production, and even
memory retention. When you don’t eat enough carbs your body makes up the
shortfall by consuming muscle. Not a good trade.
Diet wrecker number 4: Not enough beef. That’s right,
beef. Sure, you can get your iron requirements other ways, but most people don’t
pull it off. As a result, a lot of us walk around anemic. This leads to extreme
tiredness and mood swings, among other lovely side effects. You don't need a daily steak, but once a week is a good idea.
Diet wrecker number 5: Not enough green vegetables. Think
broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale. OK, you should add white veggies, too, as
long as they rhyme with ‘cauliflower.’ These veggies contain chemicals that are
critical to energy production, plus they augment your iron supply, as long as
you get enough vitamin C to process it.
Do you recognize any of these diet wreckers in your daily
life? A few small changes can make a world of difference!
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