Losing weight is important, not just because it makes you aesthetically appealing but also because it ensures a healthier life for you. Sadly, in an effort to achieve quick weight loss, a lot of people tend to go down the wrong road by making a few common mistakes and by believing ideas or suggestions that have no scientific proof. Do you recognize any of these mistakes?

Mistake #1: Eating three square meals a day

One of the cardinal rules of a weight loss diet is that you should only eat three meals a day. Is that what you've heard so often? The truth is that it doesn't really matter how many meals you have as long as you maintain your intake of calories.

In fact, fitness and nutrition experts recommend that you give up the traditional three meals a day concept and instead have 5-6 smaller meals spread throughout the day. This helps boost your body's metabolism and consequently lose weight.

Mistake #2: Avoid snacks between meals

Again, I repeat, calories are calories. It doesn't matter where you get them from. In order to get slim there is no need for you to starve yourself, if you are feeling hungry. I will point out here that the snacks should be low cal and healthy. You can't get away with bingeing on a box of donuts or a packet of chips. Choose healthier snacks such as fruits, low cal yogurt, raw and unsalted nuts, and boiled vegetables.

Mistake #3: Never have Desserts

Another big mistake! Deprivation is one of the main reasons why most diets fall on their face. When you begin depriving yourself little pleasures, you mentally starting losing the motivation for your weight loss diet and have trouble sustaining it over a prolonged period of time. Slimming does not mean that you have to torture yourself.

You are allowed the occasional treat as long as you don't end up overindulging yourself. You can make provision for one or two days in the week where you can have your favorite dessert. Additionally, you can use desserts as a reward if you've had a particularly good week and achieved the targeted weight loss.

Mistake #4: Eat all you want - Just Exercise regularly

This is probably among the most common mistakes people make, second to the "eat nothing & starve yourself to lose weight" philosophy which, by the way, is equally ridiculous. There has to be a balance between what you put into your body and how you burn the calories. You can't have a 6-course meal every two hours and expect to be able to burn it up by working out. Consider this - a slice of apple pie has 500 calories and to burn them you need to walk briskly for two hours. Keep that in mind the next time you tell

yourself, "It doesn't matter what I eat. I can work it off."

As you can see, these common mistakes can be quite counter-productive. If you want quick weight loss, go about it in an efficient and informed manner, not a silly one!

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