If I had a penny for every fad diet I’ve tried over the years… I’d have a few pounds…. But anyway, my point is that there’s so many ‘miracle cures’ that keep cropping up promising to make you drop a load of weight simply by doing one thing and they might work for a few weeks but then you put everything back on again! Here’s my top 10 common mistakes that people make with their diets when they’re trying to lose weight and some tips on how to avoid them.

1) Skip breakfast

‘oh, I don’t even get hungry until lunchtime’. That’s because your body is still fast asleep! Eat a protein-packed breakfast and you’ll find yourself waking up your fat-burning metabolism much quicker.

2) Eat only low-fat foods

‘It’s fine, it’s low-fat ice cream, there’s only 90 calories per serving’. Yes, and about 10g of sugar… Eat the full-fat version, it’s tastier and contains way less chemicals

3) Don’t eat carbs

‘Can I have the spaghetti Bolognese but without the spaghetti?’ What?! No, just no. Your body needs carbs for energy so unless you want to move like a slug, eat your carbs

4) Eat too little

‘I’ll just have half a sandwich, thanks’. No, no you won’t. If you want to burn fat then you need to eat to have enough energy and build muscles to burn that pesky fat

5) Drink ‘diet’ soda

‘Just a diet coke for me thanks’. Stay. Away. From. The Diet. Soda. Artificial sweeteners stimulate the ‘reward center’ in the brain and you’re more likely to eat sugary snacks after. And don’t get me started on all of the chemicals.

6) Put too many restrictions in place

‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly eat that, I’m gluten, dairy, carb, egg and meat free at the moment’. The more restrictions that you put in place the less sustainable your way of eating is. Plus, life is too short to never eat mac n cheese again. Just maybe don’t eat it everyday…

7) Cut out fat completely

‘Oooooo bacon! Let me just smell it though, it’s too fatty’. Really?! Humans need healthy fats to maintain skin, hair and insulate against the cold. Try and eat healthy fats like olive oil, avocados and raw nuts.

8) Not eating carbs in the evenings

‘Sorry, it’s 18:01, I couldn’t possibly eat that spoonful of rice’. Actually, as long as you’re eating nutritious food regularly throughout the day it doesn’t matter when you eat your carbs. Or your protein. Or anything else for that matter.

9) Not letting anything ‘naughty’ passed your lips

‘Fries?! Who put this fry on my plate?!’ One burger isn’t going to make you fat, just like one salad isn’t going to make you skinny. Practice moderation, it’s the best way.

10) A diet can make you lose 10lbs in 2 weeks

‘Right, I’m going away in 2 weeks, time for the bikini diet to lose 10lbs’. Sure, if you want to just cut off a limb. Any diet that promises this is likely to be unhealthy at best and harmful at worst. Plus, you’ll put everything back on afterwards. Aim for 1-2lbs each week to stay healthy and keep it sustainable