5 Diet Rules You SHOULD Break

5 Diet Rules You SHOULD Break

Rule: Weigh yourself to track your progress.
Break it: Muscle is denser than fat… in other words, it weighs more but is much smaller in size. The scale takes into account not just your fat and muscle, but your organs, bones, and other tissues, as well as water. Water is effected by a variety of factors, including what you eat. So for example if you had a particularly high sodium or high carb meal, your body is more likely to be retaining water. Measure your progress other ways, such as how you feel, how your clothes fit, and how you look in pictures.

Rule: No carbs!
Break it: Our body’s preferred source of energy is carbohydrates. Rather than consuming simple carbs though, stick to healthy, wholesome complex carbs for sustained energy. The carbs digest slower, giving our bodies more energy over an extended period of time and do not spike insulin the way simple carbs do. Fruits such as apples, pears and berries, vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and asparagus, and starchier carbs like yams, sweet potatoes, brown rice, old-fashioned oats and Ezekiel bread are all great options.

Rule: Avoid snacking at all costs.
Break it: Consuming a source of lean protein, paired with a complex carb or healthy fat every few hours not only keeps your metabolism burning, it keeps insulin levels stable which is key to fat loss and a lean, healthy body. Some good snacks to consider would be: nonfat, plain Greek yogurt with some berries or some almonds and a protein shake.

Rule: Never eat junk food, ever!
Break it: Once a week, it’s a good idea to have a cheat meal. Not only does it keep you sound mentally, but it gives your metabolism a little boost when you’ve been dieting all week. Choose something you love and have a reasonable portion of whatever that food is.

Rule: Go low-fat to cut down on calories.
Break it: Remember just because something is high in calories does not mean it is bad for you (just as things that are low in calories are not always good for you!) Your body actually needs fats to lose fat. The trick is to choose healthy fats, not the bad ones! You can find healthy fats in things like avocado, olive oil, flaxseed oil, ground flaxseed, almonds, cashews, natural peanut butter, natural almond butter and other natural nut butters. Avoid trans fats commonly found in packed, processed junk food! Keep in mind also, that when companies create “low-fat” foods, they have to make up for the taste somehow, so they tend to add chemicals and sugar to make up for it… which makes it even worse than it probably originally was!