Ways You Didn't Know You Were Sabotaging Your Diet Gallery

If you've been trying to lose weight recently or started a new health kick, you might think you know what you're doing with food and exercise. You've read all about it online, you know how many calories are in a cookie, and you're amped for your new and healthy life. But maybe, after trying your diet for a couple of weeks, you've run into a few unexpected snafus.

Maybe you caved and indulged in a couple more desserts than you wanted to. Why can't you stick to the plan? Maybe you're feeling exhausted all the time and you don't know why. What's your diet missing? There could be something about the foods you're eating that isn't leaving you feeling your best.

But people often don't realize that some of these dilemmas are caused by their own dietary choices. And while everyone's bodies and needs are inherently different, there are some pitfalls common for many dieters to fall into.

To help you avoid these mistakes, here are some unexpected ways you might not have realized you were sabotaging your diet — and what you should do instead.

You might think skipping breakfast will save you calories in the long run, but it's not that simple. Science has shown that breakfast serves the purpose of jump-starting your metabolism after you've been fasting overnight. People who skip breakfast have been linked in studies to an increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic disorders. Yikes. If you want to make a better choice in the morning, you might want to try one of these energizing breakfast options.

Resisting a craving is like pulling back a rubber band — it's going to bounce back. And the more force you use to resist, the farther it's going to travel once you let go. What could have been a simple indulgence in some cake on a coworker's birthday could turn into a full-force sweets binge at the end of the day.

Your goal in trying to eat healthier shouldn't be solely focused on trying to eat fewer calories. That's a slippery slope — and one that throws actual nutrition to the wayside. Calories say little about the nutritional value of a food. Plus, reduced-calorie products are often overly processed and contain additional ingredients such as chemicals, emulsifiers, and sweeteners to compensate.

Just because these drinks have zero calories doesn't mean you can drink them all day, every day — not without consequences, at least. The chemicals and sodium contained in these carbonated beverages can take their toll. In addition to dehydrating you and potentially causing breakouts, diet soda can affect your mood, your workouts, and even your heart health.

Eating a gluten-free diet is not the same thing as eating a healthy diet. Gluten is a protein found in many nutritious foods including whole-wheat bread and oatmeal. These foods provide fiber and other nutrients that people who eat a gluten-free diet need to obtain from elsewhere. There are a lot of myths roaming around about gluten and whether or not it's bad for you. Make sure that if you're omitting gluten, you're doing it for a good reason (such as an intolerance or allergy to the protein) and not because you've been fooled by misleading food labels.

People want what they can't have — it's just psychology. As soon as you tell yourself you can't have that piece of chocolate, side of fries, or whatever else is tempting your cravings, you're going to want it just that much more.