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If you’re feeling insecure about your weight, you might be tempted to try restrictive dieting to slim down. However, extreme measures—like cutting out entire food groups—rarely do anything for longterm, sustainable weight loss. They’re much more likely to lead to an unhealthy relationship with food.
With that in mind, keep reading for the one mistake you should never make when it comes to dieting.
Cutting Out An Entire Food Group
There are plenty of trendy diets that suggest cutting out one food group or another. Although some sort of restrictions might be helpful if you're checking for food sensitivities, cutting out a whole food group is likely unnecessary. Plus, it may harm your relationship with food.
Sarah-Jane Bedwell, R.D., L.D.N., tells Self, "When people are trying to lose weight, they often cut out an entire food group, like carbs or meat, but this usually just results in an unbalanced diet and even deficiencies in certain nutrients."
She adds, "Plus, for most people, this is not sustainable for a lifetime—I always say if you couldn't do it for the rest of your life, it's a diet that's probably not going to work in the long run."
Instead, try to focus your diet on whole, unprocessed foods that you actually enjoy eating. Incorporate healthy doses of protein, fat, and carbs. According to U.S. Health News, the best diet for weight loss is actually a flexitarian diet, which encourages followers to eat more plant-based meals but still allows for eating meat. (AKA you're not completely axing any food group).
Plus, this can improve your health on a more holistic level. The article explains, "By eating more plants and less meat, it’s suggested that adherents to the diet will not only lose weight but can improve their overall health, lowering their rate of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and live longer as a result."
Willing to try it out? Keep reading for two of our favorite flexitarian recipes.
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
What You'll Need: extra virgin olive oil, sweet potato, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle Chile, salt, water, black beans, can of diced tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro
Full Recipe: Eating Well
The Ultimate Mediterranean Bowl
What You'll Need: falafel, parsley, tomato, red onion, lemon juice, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, tahini, hummus, pita
Full Recipe: Minimalist Baker
