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Do you watch your diet, choose light products, say “no” to sweets, yet you still can’t manage to lose any weight? Find out what the problem is, today!

The process of dieting can be very stressful and often results in causing frustration. You may think that you are doing everything right, but when it comes to dieting there are some basic mistakes that act as the ideal traps that prevent you from getting rid of extra pounds. At a first glance, the following 8 mistakes may seem too simplified for you, however if you pay more attention to these details, you will see faster results and the achievement of your final goal.

1. Skipping meals

Many times people will avoid breakfast or lunch, a midday snacks, or more than one meal in order to reduce the total calorie intake for that day. This technique however makes your body think that you are in conditions of starvation causing your metabolism to slow down. On the other hand, the digestion of the food you consumed requires energy, which means that the function in itself is yet another way to "burn” calories. The process of increasing the metabolism as a result of food digestion is known as thermogenesis and it is noted to increase the basic metabolism by 10%. By skipping a meal you may feel the need to consume greater amounts of food with your next meal, eventually leading you to consume more calories at the end of the day. By consuming only a couple of meals per day that are rich in calories you will be prompting your body to store fat more easily - and surely such a tactic will only contribute to weight gain.

2. Excluding certain food groups

You may be excluding bread, rice, pasta and cereals from your diet because you will have heard that they are good sources of carbohydrates and that they contribute to weight gain. Remember though that whole grain bread and raw foods are good sources of energy, B vitamins and fiber. It is important that each main meal containing at least one to two servings of grains or cereal. A serving corresponds to one slice of bread, 1/3 cup of brown rice or whole-wheat pasta, ¼ cup muesli cereal or ½ cup whole grain cereal.

3. Undefined target

It is important to put small achievable weight loss goals. A good rate can be 0.5 to 1 pound a week. To reach the desired weight you can put a small weight loss goal every week or two. Moreover, it is appropriate to weigh yourself once or twice a week, as fluctuations in your weight from day to day cannot be objective and instead may confuse you.

4. Is breakfast necessary?

There are two cases that do not help in weight loss. One is the complete lack of breakfast - it's now been proven that those who eat breakfast are more effective in regulating body weight. The second case is eating a breakfast that is not nutritious enough to give the body the boost it needs for a good start. Often, when you have weight loss on your mind, you may choose a snack that’s small and simple, like a biscuit or a cookie. This option means that you will have consumed a meal with an increased content of simple carbohydrates and you are very likely to feel hungry again after only a couple of hours. It's best if your breakfast includes some bread or whole grains and a protein source such as milk, eggs or a small piece of low fat cheese. Ideally, you can add a couple of fruit to your breakfast as well.