Five Diet Myths that Sabotage Your Diet

Diet is definitely a four-letter word. Although some nutritional experts suggest we need to say, "I'm not dieting, I'm changing my lifestyle," the fact is that many people do diet periodically. As one's weight climbs and/or health problems develop, changing eating habits seems to be the best way to go.

No matter how firmly people try to stick to their diets, something seems to occur that causes them to fall off the wagon and eat something unhealthy. But, is that so bad? To follow are some diet myths that might sabotage your diet.

Diet Myth #1--Don't eat between meals. The fact is that many experts stress you must not let yourself feel hungry for long. They suggest that you eat every 3 or 4 hours to keep down the hunger monster. If you eat small portions of healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables, between meals, you are less likely to develop that gargantuan appetite that drives you to eat everything that isn't nailed down.

Diet Myth #2--You cannot eat certain foods if they have too many fats and calories. Some successful dieters have discovered that taking a ½ or even a ¼ portion of foods they really like (occasionally) may satisfy their cravings for those dishes. If you apply this strategy, you might find that having just a few bites of something will help you not feel so deprived like you would if you banished that food from your diet.

Diet Myth #3--Don't include any fat in your diet. The fact is that your body requires some fat each day. Fat contributes flavor to foods and helps you have feelings of fullness. Plus, many foods that include fat don't have much sugar in them, which is a good thing.

Diet Myth #4--Diet foods don't taste good. This myth has caused the demise of many diets. If the only foods you include in a diet are foods you don't like, then you are doomed to fail at trying to lose weight. Consider expanding your repertoire of "diet foods." Experiment with fruits or vegetables you haven't tried before. It's wise to simply recognize that some foods are healthier for your body than others. Re-try vegetables you didn't like when you were 5 years old. Who knows, you might enjoy them now.

Diet Myth #5 --Try to lose as much weight as quickly as you can. Who doesn't want to lose quickly? Although this statement may sound good to you, believing it may not bring the results you want. Those who lose weight too quickly tend to gain it back just as quickly, especially if they revert back to unhealthy eating behaviors. Plus, if you are trying to lose pounds fast, you are most likely not eating enough food. And not eating enough equals ravenous hunger for most dieters. And you know what happens when you are ravenously hungry-you won't be able to stick with your diet program. It's best to take a moderate approach to how much you want to lose in a particularly period of time.

In summary, abandoning these diet myths and throwing out the "d" word are probably the most effective approaches to losing weight. Ask yourself what changes you can truly commit to on a daily basis and then put them into action. Start slowly with one or maybe two behaviors you will work on. Re-commit every morning to your new behaviors. And finally, avoid falling into the trap of letting these five diet myths sabotage your diet.