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" As soon as January hits, the majority of us want to curl up in a ball in complete denial that we&amp;#039;ve gained over half a stone from copious amounts of\u00A0mince pies and endless turkey dinners. Failing that, there&amp;#039;s always the option of\u00A0throwing out the old scales in a desperate hope the new ones will tell us something marginally more convincing.\u00A0 But if \u00A0\u2014 like us\u00A0\u2014\u00A0you&amp;#039;re your own worst enemy when it comes to dieting, we reveal the most common diet mistakes\u00A0(that we&amp;#039;re all guilty of making)\u00A0that can throw your diet plans into total disarray.\u00A0 Whether you&amp;#039;re a slave to the scales or a sucker for the sweet stuff, here are the dreaded\u00A0diet mistakes to avoid if you&amp;#039;re aiming to lose the excess turkey trimmings this January! 1. Setting yourself unobtainable goals\u00A0  Telling yourself you&amp;#039;re going to the gym five times a week or cutting out carbs completely will only set yourself up for failure, because when something inevitably does crop up or you find yourself tucking into a towering ham and cheese sandwich, you&amp;#039;ll beat yourself up about not sticking to your original plan. Instead, start by setting yourself small targets. Aim to lose one or two pounds per week, or stick to a specific calorie count that won&amp;#039;t leave you too hungry \u2013 that way you&amp;#039;ll stop yourself reaching for the biscuit tin during your mid-afternoon hunger slump!\u00A0 Another handy trick: instead of telling yourself &amp;#039;Lose weight&amp;#039;, try telling yourself to &amp;#039;eat a healthy, balanced diet&amp;#039;, &amp;#039;exercise more&amp;#039; or &amp;#039;stick to one piece of chocolate&amp;#039; instead. These are positive goals that you&amp;#039;ll want to stick to. The same applies to your fitness regime. Don&amp;#039;t over do it. Set yourself realistic targets that you know you can conquer\u00A0\u2013 and fit into your schedule \u2013 that way you can always increase your\u00A0exercise frequency\u00A0when\u00A0you feel you are able. 2. \u00A0Skipping meals\u00A0  \u2028Scrimping on breakfast or skipping lunch won&amp;#039;t do your body any favours, and will make you hungrier too, so try to eat a balance of healthier meals that will fill you up instead, that way you&amp;#039;ll feel satisfied and less likely to snack on sugary or fatty treats when the hunger pangs hit. Fill up on a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs or an\u00A0omelette, to keep your body fully fuelled for the day ahead.\u00A0 3. Eating salads  Whilst eating salads can be a healthy meal option, when dieting it&amp;#039;s best to give your body all the nutrients it needs, especially if you&amp;#039;re exercising regularly. If you starve your body of essential nutrients you&amp;#039;re more likely to feel hungrier and risk falling at the first hurdle.\u00A0 Instead, try a balanced diet full of protein and fibre to keep you full. Add meats, fish,\u00A0vegetables and pulses to your leaves to bulk out your\u00A0salad.\u00A0Lowering carbs always helps if you want to shed a few pounds, but you don&amp;#039;t have to cut them out altogether. Opt for high-fibre, unprocessed carbs like quinoa, brown rice or buckwheat noodles instead. 4. Being a slave to the scales  There are\u00A0really no benefits to\u00A0weighing yourself on a daily basis. Your weight can fluctuate so much when you&amp;#039;re dieting, so you could lose a little one day then gain a few pounds the next. To avoid any disappointment, weigh yourself weekly instead. It takes time to reach your set diet goals, and if you do have a relapse, just try again the week after until you reach your aim. \u00A0 5. Eating diet meals\u00A0  Contrary to popular belief, diet meals can actually contain high levels of salt and sugar that can leave you feeling hungry after you&amp;#039;ve finished your meal. Try cooking from scratch instead, using fresh, healthy ingredients. That way you know what you&amp;#039;re putting into your meal and can control your salt and sugar intake. Foods like grilled fish, meats, vegetables and unprocessed carbohydrates such as sweet potato, brown rice and quinoa are all great diet-friendly foods to stock up on.\u00A0 6. Drinking booze\u00A0  You may think the odd glass of wine won&amp;#039;t make much difference, but when a large glass of your favourite vino can contain up to a shocking 280 calories \u2013 that&amp;#039;s more calories than a McDonalds cheeseburger \u2013 a glass or two every night can really pile up the calorie count. Try a few low-calorie wines instead or\u00A0diet-friendly cocktails\u00A0to keep your calorie count to a bare minimum. Adding soda water to your wine will make your glass last longer, so you&amp;#039;ll trick yourself into drinking less!\u00A0 7. Not snacking\u00A0  If you&amp;#039;re hungry, your body is telling you it needs to eat. But to avoid snacking on unhealthy nibbles like chocolate and crisps, stock up\u00A0your snack drawer with nuts, dried fruits and popcorn instead. This way you can satisfy your hunger cravings without piling on any excess pounds. 8. Avoiding fats\u2028  Ok, we&amp;#039;re not saying tuck into a cheeseburger and chips every night, but healthy fats such as oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocados and oils \u2013 including coconut and extra virgin olive oil \u2013 can actually help with weight loss and will also\u00A0keep your body healthy and fighting fit too. Just remember to eat in moderation, as eating too much \u2013 like anything \u2013 can cause you to gain weight.\u00A0 9. Sugar spikes  If you&amp;#039;re feeling a low mid-afternoon slump, your body may feel like it&amp;#039;s craving sugar to give it a boost of energy, but sugary drinks and snacks will spike insulin levels and cause your blood sugar to crash immediately afterwards. Fizzy drinks are culprits when it comes to gaining calories, so swap to fizzy water instead flavoured with natural fruits, and try to use healthier sweet alternatives like coconut, vanilla, honey and cinnamon to add an extra hint of natural sweetness.\u00A0 10. Flying solo  If no one else knows about your healthy living plan, it can be even harder to stick to \u2013 essentially you&amp;#039;re your own boss! If you want some support to help you stick to your diet and fitness\u00A0plan, tell your partner or a close friend, ask them to join in,\u00A0or even sign up to a charity sport event, this will push you and encourage you to succeed.\u00A0 More on prima.co.uk...Take these 10 diet shortcuts and shed a stoneTry the sugar-free diet and lose 10lb in one week! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.prima.co.uk/diet-and-health/diet-plans/a34843/10-mistakes-that-will-ruin-your-new-year-diet-plan/>