5 Worst diet mistakes smart women make

Are you on a goal to lose weight? Here are the most often-committed diet faux pas to avoid ...

1 Eating six mini 'meals' everyday


The idea might be to put a little something in the stomach to cut down hunger, but this is where the trap is. Frequent meals that stop you from bingeing are supposed to be smaller, but women often turn these into regular dining portions, that can go upto 400 calories each. A big no-no!
How to fix it : Make a list or diary chart that tracks what you should eat and simply stick to that.


2 Overdressing the salad


Ok, so you're staring at a plate of healthy dark greens, but now stop at that. More often than ever most people dress their simple plate of salad with everything from heavy barbecue and mayonnaise sauces to cheese sprinkles, chunks of red meat and loads of salt. You eventually end up with loads of fat and nothing healthy!
How to fix it : If the salad looks dull, try and spruce it up with bright peppers. Very slight use of low-fat dressing might work as they have less salt and sugar. A balsamic vinegar dressing is a good idea too.

3 Too many nutrition fixes


These are not as safe as they are made out to be. Several trainers and nutritionists advise staying away from 'instant fuel' energy bars and protein shakes as they masquerade as giving an instant boost, while actually also having concentrated levels of sugar and carbs. In fact, these are also not considered to be meal supplements.
How to fix it : Go for natural foods like almonds, carrot sticks, oranges for vitamin C and other fruits to satiate hunger and give the right energy.


4 Having diet drinks


They might sound like the answer to your fitness regime, but it's not so. Research points out that diet beverages will not do much for weight loss. We may feel we are saving on calories but experts believe these drinks may actually create hunger cravings for more junk food. A study has also found that too many diet sodas a week can lead to obesity, stroke and heart problems too.
How to fix it : Replace these drinks with green tea that is rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients and that aids immunity. You can also have a vegetable juice or a cold glass of low-fat milk.


5 Setting unrealistic goals:

Most people want to lose that weight fast and can even try extreme diets that do more harm than anything else. Remember losing weight takes an effort so set yourself a plan that you can achieve.
How to fix it : Give yourself time without doing things like weighing yourself often and tray and eat things that fall into your food parameter.