5 Mistakes To Avoid When Planning A Diet

I believe I’m amongst millions of people who can honestly say that they’ve at least tried once or twice planning a diet. At one point or the other, we’ve tried them all. The low-carb diets, vegan diets, gluten-free diets, Mediterranean diets, special diets, you name it; But at the end of it all, we quit. Why? – Because planning a diet and sticking to it is just so difficult.  We don’t want to go through the hustle. It just isn’t easy. Somehow, we choose the easy way out.

After failing too many times in my attempts to lose weight and keep track of what I eat, I finally decided to turn things around. I took note of all the mistakes I made, came up with a better diet plan, and met my goals.

I’ve listed below all the mistakes that I made in the past. I am sticking to it and I hope it helps you as much as it is helping me.

MISTAKE #1 – OVER PLANNING.

You don’t want to over-plan your diet such that the whole process becomes a task. Just like any other activity which is worth doing, you have to try and enjoy it.  Overthinking about your plan, and spending too much time researching on it in an attempt to reach perfectionism will only make you miserable.

There are a thousand ways to a meal plan that you can make use of. For example, online services, such as plan cards, websites, and applications. They’ll help you create a weekly meal plan, a grocery list, and also educate you on how to meal-prep on time.

So, the first mistake I made was forgetting to pace myself as well as finding a system that works best for me.

MISTAKE # 2 – PLANNING TOO FANCY AND OVERLY AMBITIOUS MEALS.

You should try and avoid creating complicated meals that will leave a dent in your diet. Healthy eating is not meant to be expensive. There are so many simple nutritious meals one can incorporate into his or her diet plan. Avoid selecting overly ambitious recipes in your weekly plan. Save these for weekends when you have free time. Remember, you’re trying to create a plan that will not overwhelm you in the long run. Settle for ‘good enough’ instead of perfect because the only thing that matters at the beginning is consistency.

MISTAKE # 3 – NOT BEING TIME SENSITIVE TO WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT DO.

One of my biggest challenges with diet planning was not having enough time to follow the laid-out plan to the dot. In most cases, I’d find myself rushing just to make a quick fix so that I can sit down and rest my feet after a long busy day. The mistake I made was not looking at my calendar as I made a meal plan for each week.

So, as you’ll be planning your diet make sure to place the super quick meals on your busiest days. This way, you don’t have to compromise your diet plan. You’ll also avoid having to throw away expired food. A quick solution to this mistake is planning to eat leftovers. You can make more than you need a night before your busy day, and have left-overs. This will save you a lot of time in the kitchen and keep you from wasting.

 

MISTAKE #4 – ONLY PLANNING FOR DINNER.

Breakfast is be the most important meal of the day but how many people have the time to prepare a decent breakfast every day before work, school runs, and all the chaos of the day? I certainly struggle to catch a quick bite every given morning. I just can’t find enough time to make something I know I’ll enjoy. This has been one of my biggest mistakes in all my diet plans. A good plan should also include your breakfasts, lunches, and even snacks and desserts. If you skip breakfast and lunch, by the time you get home at 6 pm you’re so ‘hangry’. You’re most likely going to pass through a drive-thru or start nibbling on unhealthy snacks. This will kill your appetite and at the end of the day, you’re not going to stick with your diet as planned.

MISTAKE # 5 – REPEATING THE SAME FOODS TOO OFTEN.

So often we eat the same thing way too many times for so many reasons – it’s affordable, that’s what we think is healthy, it’s the easiest to make, or maybe because we just got in the habit of doing so. The whole idea of planning your meals is to avoid the monotony of having to eat the same thing over and over again. The solution to this mistake is to focus on variety rather than calories. Avoid being stung by the calories-count bug. Some people focus so much on keeping that calories count on track, such that they’re willing to chunk down ‘broccoli’ (my nightmare) down their throats every single mealtime. If you plan well your meals focusing on variety, you will still meet your nutritional needs without stressing about the calorie-count. You can pick a few recipes to incorporate into your plan. Add in some spices flavoring and always pack your pantry with a lot of healthy alternatives.

A perfectly planned weight loss diet should have a balance between restraining and pleasure. Restrain yourself from that toxic diet, but also give yourself time to enjoy what you love the most. The ultimate goal is to be able to make something easy, delicious, and mostly healthy, and enjoy a well-balanced diet.

The bottom line, diet planning takes practice. You’ll make a couple of mistakes before you fall into a steady routine. Don’t expect everything to go well for the first time. Just keep trying.