Trying to lose weight can be frustrating, especially if you are giving it your best but the scales don’t show.

Don’t let this discourage you. Instead take this opportunity to improve your lifestyle and change your eating habits for a healthier life.

Dietitian Dr. Ghina Farouk sheds light on the most common diet mistakes people make and how to design an effective weight loss program.

“If you are eating less and consuming healthy foods but you are not losing weight then there is a problem with your diet,” she said. “I highly recommend everyone to visit a dietitian and a nutritionist before making any change to their daily diet plans, whether they want to lose weight or gain weight,” she said.

One of the biggest problems with diet, according to Dr. Farouk is eating fake foods. “Canned foods and pre-packed weight loss products such as shakes, soups and bars might sound convenient and easy but they might not be helping in your weight loss plan in the long run,” she said. “Your body will not feel satisfied or full after eating any of these foods because they are processed. There are healthier choices such as fresh foods and home cooked meals that will provide your body with fiber and vitamins, which are needed to keep you full and energized,” she added.

One of the biggest mistakes people on a diet make is getting more gym time and less bedtime. “Yes you need to go to the gym and be active, you need to burn that fat and sweat it out but you also need to relax and get enough sleep,” said Dr. Farouk. “Sleeping less than five hours a night can slow down your metabolism and change your hormones, this will affect your weight-loss efforts,” she added.

“Sleeping less will also make you tired during the day and this will lead you to eat more. Recent study shows that people who are sleep-deprived consume around 500 extra calories a day,” said Dr. Farouk.

Exercising too much will eventually burn your fat but it might also backfire. “Many think that if they spend more time at the gym, they will lose more weight in a shorter time. This is not true because your body will be exhausted and you will be frustrated,” said Dr. Farouk. “Your diet and energy should be divided into 80 percent nutrition and only 20 percent exercise. You only need to go to the gym every other day or five times a week and not more because you need your muscles and body to rest and focus on gaining energy and nutrition,” she added.

When you’re on a diet, you are likely to head to the salad bar than to the main course items. This might be wrong. “Salads have zero carbohydrates, which you need to control your hunger hormones, you should change and tweak your diet with a healthy soup or a sandwich every once in a while,” said Dr. Farouk. “Add lentil, brown rice and quinoa to your greens. Also, it is important to never add any kind of cheese and remember to ask for your salad dressing on the side and control the quantity,” she added.

Control the portion even if you choose a healthier choice. “Change your white bread to whole wheat, butter to olive oil, chips to nuts and sugary juices to fresh juices. Always bear in mind you shouldn’t use a lot to justify the healthy factor,” said the dietitian. “And remember that even though they are a healthy choice, they are not low in calories and going overboard in consuming them is as unhealthy as eating high-calorie food,” she added.

Another major mistake is eating dinner early, mostly before 6 p.m. and drinking only water for the rest of the night. “This is one of the common mistakes and people eat early and sleep late. You should have dinner only three hours before you go to bed and not more. This will allow your body to process the food easier and faster when you are awake,” said Dr. Farouk. “Not eating for long will make you tired and your body will demand fuel and will lead you to midnight binging. Make your own schedule of eating, sleeping and exercising and make sure to stick to it. Remember if you eat early, you sleep early,” she added.

Skipping meals and snacks is another mistake, according to Dr. Farouk. “To keep our metabolism at its peak, you need to eat every three to four hours. You need to eat more often in small portions, make sure these small portions are healthy and fat-free,” she said. “You need to eat around five meals a day, three basic which include breakfast, lunch and dinner, then you need to snack between them, it could be a fruit, a vegetable or yogurt,” she added.

One last mistake is skipping breakfast and not drinking enough water. “You need to drink water to detox and get all the toxins out of your body and this will help you to sweat more at the gym,” said Dr. Farouk. “You should never, ever skip breakfast because this is the meal that will provide you with the needed energy to go through the day and for every cup of coffee or tea you have you should drink a glass of water,” she added.

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