Most weight loss or fitness journeys involve some dieting, whether that’s just eating more healthy food, using a meal plan or trying out intermittent fasting. Though it can be challenging to stay consistent enough with your diet, it’s a challenge that’s worth it to not just see the weight go away but go away forever!

Have you set any goals on your weight loss or dieting journey? Have you imagined what you want to feel like when you reach your goal? If so, read on and make sure you’re not making any mistakes that could be destroying that dream. The dieting mistakes you’re probably making (especially if you’re starting out) are most likely because you’re missing out on some of the foundational principles of healthy dieting for your lifestyle.

5. Drinking sugary liquids.

Many people cut out soda to reduce the sugar in their diet and cut down on weight. This is a great thing to do, but it will not work if you replace soda with another beverage. Though 100% fruit juice is a much healthier option than Coke, it’s still packed with natural sugars, and too much of it or other added sweeteners will do just as much damage to your weight loss journey at the end of the day.

The best thing to do is take the natural juices or natural sweeteners a little at a time. Overdoing it is just as bad as the sugar you’re trying to avoid. The most important thing is to remember to stay hydrated with the drink that will never fail you: water.

4. Too much or too little exercise

When you’re losing weight, you’re essentially losing muscle and fat. Without exercise, dieting will lead to losing more muscle than necessary and dropping your metabolism and on the flip side, doing too much exercise while dieting often leads to stress. And for most people, stress is a reason to overeat and ultimately ruin the diet.

A great option is just in the middle. Experiment and find out what your exercise sweet spot is, whether that’s 20 minutes, 45 minutes or an hour. However you choose to exercise, make sure that you are feeling good instead of spent out. Doing just the right amount of exercise will prevent your metabolism from slowing and ultimately increase your fat loss.

3. Choosing a diet that doesn’t fit your lifestyle

There’s no point in picking a diet that isn’t aligned with your daily life. A diet isn’t just about what you eat and how much you exercise. It should also consider certain factors of your life such as age, sleep, occupation, current health status and medications and so on.

There’s no diet that will absolutely work for everyone, so to know if a diet plan is right for you, speak to your doctor or consult a medical professional.

2. Constantly weighing yourself

Anyone eager to lose weight is sure to step on a scale now and then to check the progress of their fitness journey. However, if you’re stepping on the scale every day, you might feel like you’re not making any progress at all.

This can be very frustrating when you are doing everything else right. For this reason, you must remember that the scale only measures weight change. It doesn’t take into account whether that weight is influenced by muscle gain, water retention or hormonal changes.

An alternative is using a measuring tape or taking pictures of yourself every month or so to really notice any differences.

1. Buying low-fat products

Though low-fat foods are marketed as healthier options, this is often not the case.

Because of the fat that has been significantly reduced in these food products, two things happen. Firstly, it becomes unappetizing, and this loss of taste is made up for by adding sugars to it. Secondly, the absence of fat means that you won’t be satiated after eating, and you’ll likely have to eat more to make up for it.

So why not skip the low-fat foods altogether? Opt for healthier options like whole foods, minimally processed foods, fruits and vegetables.