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Diet Challenges

Whether you are trying to lose weight or just want to maintain your current weight, daily life can present many challenges and temptations. Here are some of the most common challenges of dieting, as well as some suggestions on how to overcome these obstacles to keep your diet on track.

Diet Temptations
A diet temptation exists when a particular behavior, such as a craving for sweets, deters dieters from sticking to their diets and exercise regimens. Here are some common diet dangers and challenges of dieting to watch for and avoid:

• Dangers of Low-Carb Diets: When first started, low-carb diets cause carbohydrate withdrawal, making dieters feel sluggish and suffer from headaches and nausea. To prevent this, eat every few hours to keep your body fueled.
  
  In addition, low-carb diets get old fast when dieters get tired of their high-fat, high-protein options (meats, eggs, cheeses, etc.). To avoid getting burned out on such foods, get creative by trying different varieties of old favorites by adding veggies and flavorful cheeses to omelets and quiches or new spices to an unusual salad.
  
  
• Dangers of Low-Calorie Diets: Dieters can take low-calorie diets too far by drastically reducing their caloric intake. To ensure you eat enough, cut back your regular eating by 500 calories per day without dipping below a 1,200 calories per day total. This will give your body enough fuel to burn calories without causing you to starve and then binge from ravenous hunger.
  
  Low-fat diets are also dangerous because when you eat less fat, you feel less full. To keep hunger away, try introducing healthy fats (such as olive oil) to your diet or eating foods that are high in fiber (like vegetables and whole grains). These foods will help you to feel fuller longer.
  
  
• Dangers of Skipping Meals: Depriving yourself of a meal is a big no-no. When dieters skip meals, their bodies go into starvation mode, lowering their metabolisms and sometimes causing them to suffer from hunger pains. Again, the danger here is that you are starving your body of much-needed fuel and nutrients, which can lead to a binge down the line.
  
  
• Challenges of Diet Plateaus: You’ve been eating better, exercising more and yet the pounds won’t come off. At this point, you can decrease your calorie intake, but only do so slightly, lowering it to a safe level. However, the better choice is to change your exercise routine. Add more weights to your strength routine, try a different type of cardio exercise or increase your exercise frequency or intensity. Also, watch your salt intake, drink more water and try to be patient. These extra measures will eventually stimulate your body back into weight-loss mode.
  
  
• Dangers of Meal-Replacement Plans: While meal-replacement plans provide short-term weight loss solutions and are typically nutritious, they create an entirely different type of dieting challenge: chewing withdrawal.
  
  If you've ever tried the two-milkshakes-a-day plan, you know exactly what chewing withdrawal means: We miss food. We miss its flavor, its texture and the satisfaction of actually chewing food. To solve this dilemma, add raw vegetables as snacks. You’ll enjoy the crunch, as well as the extra nutrients.
  
  
• Challenges of Eating Out: Going out to eat can be disastrous to any serious dieter, but it doesn’t have to be if you plan ahead. When choosing the restaurant, select a location that will offer enough variety for the whole family to enjoy. However, be certain that it will have food that you, the dieter, can sink your teeth into without breaking your diet.
  
  Craving a good salad or a low-fat stir-fry? Choose accordingly and remember to ask for sauces on the side. Be sure to remain conscious of portion sizes when dining out. Restaurants often give you enough food for two, so ask to have half of your meal boxed up even before it hits the table or share an entree with a friend.

Holidays and Dieting Challenges
The holidays can be an especially difficult time for dieters, as they now have even more tempting treats to avoid. To avoid the temptation to overindulge, try these strategies:

• Choose your beverages carefully.
• Focus on maintaining your weight, not losing weight.
• Get some form of exercise every day.
• Snack on healthy foods before attending holiday parties. 
• When cooking for the holidays, reduce fat in your recipes.

Above all else, keep a healthy perspective. One bad food day won't sabotage your goals. If you fall off your diet plan temporarily, get right back on it!