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If you are having a hard time managing your weight while practicing a healthy diet and exercise routine, taking a closer look at your routine might be the answer. Specifically, there are a few common diet mistakes you might be making that may not even seem like mistakes at the time.
With that in mind, keep reading for the worst diet mistakes you can make this summer.
Skipping Breakfast
Although you might be tempted to skip breakfast while trying to lose weight, it's not the best idea.
Healthline explains, "Breakfast eaters tend to be healthier and leaner than breakfast skippers. This may be due to the fact that breakfast eaters have other healthy lifestyle habits."
Plus, eating a filling, protein-rich breakfast can keep you from getting hungry and snacking later in the day. For some breakfast inspiration, check here.
Drinking Your Calories
Susan Besser, M.D., a primary care physician with Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, explains to NBC News, "One reason liquid calories sabotage weight loss is all in the name: calories."
She continues, "Persons who use liquids instead of food in a diet often think they are making healthy choices or lower calorie choices. But that isn’t necessarily so."
Some drinks--even ones that are considered healthy--are surprisingly high in calories. For example, eating fruit is better than consuming a fruit juice (and won't make you feel as full). "The juicing processes lead to lower contents of beneficial phytochemicals and dietary fiber. In addition, juice fluids are absorbed more rapidly and lead to more dramatic changes after eating in blood sugar and insulin levels than solid whole fruits," explains Dr. Qi Sun, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Not Drinking Enough Water
If you are not drinking enough water, your body is more likely to retain the water you are drinking, leading to water weight.
With that in mind, if you feel bloated or unable to lose weight, make sure you're drinking enough water. According to MayoClinic, "The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men. About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women."
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Although this mistake is not strictly diet-related, it is a huge component of sustainable weight loss. When trying to lose weight, it's crucial to make sure that you are getting enough sleep.
According to Byrdie, "Not getting enough sleep has been repeatedly scientifically linked to a significant increase in weight. In one instance, a study published in the journal Sleep found that women who slept less than six hours a night were more prone to weight gain, by a factor of 11 pounds, than women who slept at least seven hours each night."
