3 Most Common Things People Get Wrong About Diets and Weight Loss

If there’s one universal truth about weight loss, it’s that there are ​a lot​ of different diets out there. And since there is no singular approach that works for everyone, trial and error is inevitable which can lead to frustration.

“When diets ‘fail,’ people tend to turn on themselves as they start to feel inadequate or see themselves as the failure, despite starting something that was inevitable to fail,” says Andreas Michaelides, PhD, chief of psychology and head of coaching at Noom. “People can be very hard on themselves when this happens, berating their failures, and feel guilty when they fall back into old habits.”

To avoid this, it’s important to find a plan that makes you feel empowered and educates you on the most effective weight-loss methods. While there is no one ​right​ way to lose weight, there are a few wrong (either unsafe or ineffective) ways to go about weight loss. Here are break downs of three common misconceptions.

Misconception 1: Weight Loss Is a Linear Process

Even if you’re sticking to diets religiously, weight loss is likely not occur consistently. Plateaus are completely normal and frustrating, but they do not mean you are doing anything wrong or not making progress. Plateaus are multi-faceted and can be dependent on numerous factors, so the key here is to hold strong and focus on the non-scale victories you are achieving, like having more energy or feeling more confident in your favorite pair of jeans.”

Misconception 2: Fad Diets Work

Despite the widespread trend, we know it can be dangerous to cut out certain food groups. It is actually more important to focus on portion size rather than depriving yourself of a specific food or food group.

Beside not being sustainable long term, restrictive diets for weight loss can be damaging both physically and psychologically. Individuals considering are encouraged to make small changes over time equipping them to learn how to deal with setbacks.

Misconception 3: Weight Loss Should Happen Quickly

Chances are, the weight you’d like to lose didn’t appear overnight so as losing it won’t happen overnight either. We encourage individuals to focus on their holistic health, and celebrate small victories off the scale as well as on.

Making thoughtful, attainable goals and thinking of each goal as a small building block, over time all your small successes can lead to big changes.

Though extreme diets might result in faster short-term weight loss, that weight is often gained back just as quickly. The focus is on creating a lifestyle change, so while the results aren’t overnight, they are much more likely to stick. And that should be the ultimate goal.

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