Whether you are looking to lose five pounds or twenty pounds, finding a strategy that actually helps you do so can be difficult. In fact, some of the most commonly used plans include ideas that simply don’t lead to weight loss. Keep reading to gain insight into dieting strategies that may actually lead to weight gain rather than weight loss.

Taking a Cheat Day

One of the most popular strategies in dieting involves the inclusion of a single “cheat day.” The idea is to give people the motivation to stick to a restrictive food plan because the dieters can look forward to a day of eating whatever they want. Unfortunately, cheat days often lead to weight gain that takes additional days to lose.

Eating Numerous Small Meals Instead of Three Large Ones

Trying to avoid feeling hungry is important while attempting to lose weight.  After all, having your stomach growl with hunger pangs isn’t a pleasant feeling. It can also lead to overeating. While dieting, you may be tempted to eat small snacks frequently with hopes of not feeling hungry at all. Unfortunately, this strategy often causes people to eat a greater number of calories than they would otherwise.

Choosing Non-fat, Non-GMO, and Organic Foods

Many people choose non-fat, non-GMO, and organic foods in an effort to eat healthy meals. However, you won’t lose weight just because you are choosing these options. You must either eat fewer calories or burn more calories in the course of a day to lose weight. Just because a food is non-fat, non-GMO, or organic doesn’t mean that you don’t need to limit how much of it you eat.

Avoiding Carbohydrates

Unless you have a medical reason to avoid eating carbohydrates, you may not benefit from doing so. Minimizing the number of calories you eat each day is actually more important than simply restricting the number of carbohydrates you eat. While some diet plans do restrict carbohydrates, this strategy isn’t actually necessary if you want to lose weight.

Before starting a dieting regimen, take the time to think about the best strategies for your scenario. Create a plan that makes sense in achieving weight loss. Avoid following fads unless you’ve read evidence that they actually work. You should keep in mind that a combined effort involving dieting and exercise often leads to successful results in weight loss. More importantly, the best diet is the one that you can follow consistently.