The hard truth about weight loss can be a sobering reality at times. Only 5 out of every 100 people who start a diet ever follow through and achieve the desired results. When it comes to actually keeping that weight off…the probability of success becomes even less likely. Although this may be disheartening to face head-on, there is nothing to fear. Frankly, the reasons most individuals do not succeed when it comes to dieting are not unknown. Here are three serious problems to watch when dropping pounds. If they catch you unaware, you will be at danger of failing in your weight loss journey

Going Too Far

When it comes to losing weight, the name of the game is endurance. With that in mind, it is important to accept that however eager you might be to reach your weight loss goal, that motivation will wax and wane over time. Therefore, restricting your food consumption too extremely is a recipe for disaster. Crash dieting simply does not work, and you run the risk of sending your body into “starvation mode.” This is when your body slows the metabolism and your body begins to cling desperately to your fat stores rather than burn it. If your body feels like there is the danger of literal starvation, then your biology will respond accordingly. Moderate calorie restriction is better when it comes to your ability to stick to your healthy habits, and also supports your body in consistently dropping weight. Speaking of which…

Diet For Too Long

Cutting back calories severely for more than one week at a time is going to lead to problems. Your body is a living organism. After about seven days, the odds are it will realize you are eating at a caloric deficit and adjust your metabolism. This results in slower fat loss, and potentially a full-on plateau. Fat loss plateaus can be so frustrating that they dissuade people from sticking to great weight loss plans and give up prematurely. To avoid that situation, it is best to plan your dieting week by week. Research indicates that fat blasting hormones drop at about that point, so you need to give yourself the opportunity to re-set your metabolism from time to time.

Deny Yourself What You Love

Your diet needs to be built around more than just your dream body – it should be built into your reality. Ditch the crash diet mindset and settle in for the long haul. You should not be “dieting”…you have permanently changed your diet. That is all. And, as a result, you should make time to be strategic in how you fold into all the foods you do love. It’s unlikely (and likely really unnecessary) to write off your favorite treats for the rest of your life. So, instead of embracing shame, opt to be realistic and moderate in how you evolve your eating habits.

By Josh Bezoni