As summer approaches, many people start making changes in their diet and lifestyle to reach certain health goals. However, there are some common pitfalls to watch out for when trying to reach your weight loss goals during this time.
Before jumping into any diet or weight loss program, there are some important factors to consider to make sure it’s safe, realistic, and healthy.
Vanessa Rissetto, Registered Dietitian, Co-Founder Culina healthshared the top diet mistakes people should avoid and how to achieve their goals healthily instead.
cut too many calories
The first question to ask yourself before changing your diet is, “Is this safe?” Rissetto told his TODAY in a segment that aired on April 20. If you’re cutting too many calories, you’re not.
Being too restrictive is not only dangerous, it’s not sustainable, and it’s a big reason people can’t stick to new diets.
“There are some things you can do in a day or two, but they really need fuel to function,” Reset said.
Instead of severely restricting calorie intake, Reset suggested using math to calculate how many calories your body actually needs.
“A lot of people try to cut calories and think, ‘My friend eats 1,000 calories a day, so should I.'”
As a general rule of thumb, she suggested dividing your weight by 2.2 and multiplying by 25. So, if her weight was 150 pounds, it would be 25 times her 68, and she would get 1700 calories a day to maintain her current weight, she explained. If weight loss is your goal and you decide to eat less than that, you should never go below 1300 calories per day.
not enough fiber or water
Fiber and hydration are important parts of any diet, but people often forget to pay attention to these two elements, says Rissette.
Digestion can be slowed down in hot summer days, says Lysette. Fiber and water can help aid digestion and speed things up.
How much water do you need? Because it’s easy to get dehydrated in the summer, Rissetto suggests drinking 90 fl oz of water each day, more than the standard recommended amount of eight glasses a day. .
“Dietary fiber also helps with weight management,” she adds, encouraging people to add more vegetables and fruits to their diet.
Avoid protein and fat
You need to eat protein and fat to fuel your body, so it’s important not to eat too little of these, says Rissetto. she added. Healthy fat sources include nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, and fatty fish, TODAY previously reported.
Your daily protein intake is about 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, according to Resett. So a person weighing 150 pounds or he 68 kilograms needs about 68-82 grams per day. “For reference, 4 ounces of chicken she has 31 grams of protein,” she added.
cut carbs
Rissetto said another mistake people make is omitting entire food groups: carbohydrates. Low-carb or no-carb diets for weight loss have come and gone in popularity for a long time, as TODAY previously reported.
“Carbs aren’t bad. They’re our primary source of energy and we need them for fuel,” she added. People are often scared of carbs because they don’t really know, she said.
“It’s not necessarily bread and cookies,” she explained. Not all carbs are created equal, and healthier options include whole grains like quinoa, starchy vegetables like broccoli, or legumes like lentils. increase.
spend a lot of money on trendy diets and cleansing
“When you think about these fads like juice cleanses, you have to buy the whole system, which can cost you hundreds of dollars a month. Expensive cleanses and fad diets are often not sustainable.” , she added, was a waste of money.
“Ask yourself… can you reach your goals without blowing up your pockets?” Rissetto added that experts can also help understand how to make sustainable and affordable changes. “Most of us (nutritionists) have insurance, and the cost is probably out-of-pocket,” she added.
be unrealistic
It’s important to make sure any changes are realistic for your lifestyle, Reset stressed. If eating out and trying new restaurants is a big part of your life, choose a healthier diet that will keep you going.
“Think about what your limits are and what your life is like,” said Resett, adding that the best way to incorporate dietary changes into your routine is to make it work for your lifestyle. For example, if you are a parent who is busy cooking for your family, you may not want to choose meals that require separate meals, she added.
