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It seems that when it comes to dieting, there are a few mistakes with lasting implications that are repeatedly made by people hoping to lead a healthier lifestyle. Hopefully by reading about these mistakes here you will learn to recognize them in advance and avoid them while striving for your own weight loss goals.

The first and most common mistake made when starting a new weight loss plan is not setting a goal. While you do not want to set a goal that will be impossible to achieve, you should also avoid setting a goal that is too small or not setting a goal at all. In fact, it is perfectly acceptable to set multiple goals. An initial goal of ten percent is a common practice among successful dieters. Making your goals known by your friends and loved ones will help to keep you motivated and on track for success.

The second most common dieting mistake is also the one that probably leads to the most failures. That would be having an all or nothing attitude. These are the people that rid there home of all temptation. They embark on a diet that is nearly impossible to maintain and the moment that they stray from their self imposed guidelines they believe that all is lost.

While this may work for some in the short term, they have set themselves up for long term failure, frustration and ill will towards all things ‘diet’. Remember, the long term goal of any diet is to lose weight. There are many ways in which this can be accomplished that do not involve starving yourself or punishing yourself in the process.

This brings us to the next big dieting mistake, depriving yourself of the comfort foods and other foods that you enjoy. When done in moderation, there should be no food that is off limits. Satisfy your hunger with fruits and vegetables but don’t be afraid to indulge occasionally just for the sake of your sanity. Remember, the first bite of chocolate tastes the same as the tenth bite…so just take one bite! There is no law that says that you cannot enjoy eating while on a diet. The problem lies in enjoying too much of the wrong foods.

Another common error is limiting yourself to only a handful of items that you eat on a daily basis. Although humans by nature crave structure and routine in our lives, we do enjoy having variety in our daily menu. Be sure that your diet allows you to enjoy a variety of foods to help prevent boredom and ensure continued success.

The final mistake which is made far too often is throwing in the towel. There will be weeks that you do not lose weight. There will probably even be weeks that you gain a pound or two. Even those that have achieved monumental success in their weight loss goals have had these set backs, the key is that they did not give up. They got past those road bumps, reevaluated their goals and got back on track. Do not let the set backs defeat your personal desire to become healthier.

Instead, you must learn to overcome those set backs and move on. Learn from your mistakes as much as you would from your successes and you will be well on your way to the healthier person that you strive to be. Whether your goal is 10 pounds or 100 pounds, your dedication and determination will be the driving factor that determines your success on the road to a healthier you. You will learn that a healthy you has healthy eating habits that don’t involve starving yourself or binging on things that are not healthy for you. Learn to enjoy your food in moderation and you will be well on your way to the success you seek.

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