Be wary of point systems
"This way of breaking food down into points may be helpful for some, but depending on which diet you're on, it could lead to missing out on essential nutrients — like calcium and B12 from dairy products," says registered dietitian Jess English, RD.
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Don't save all your calories for alcohol and treats
By saving your calories all for a treat, cheat, or binge day, English warns that you could be missing out on nutrients you actually need. Plus, she says that by doing so, you also run the risk of overriding your body's own hunger and fullness signals, which can lead to eating way more of these foods than you wanted to.
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Don't try to cut out ALL sugar
"Not only is it totally unnecessary to cut sugar from your diet completely, but it's also really hard," says English. Banning it altogether might increase your risk of bingeing on it later on — and she points out that by classifying it as a forbidden food, you might actually make yourself want it even more.
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Steer clear of detoxes
"If you see a diet plan that has 'detox' written on it, run," English advises. There is absolutely zero evidence to support any dietary manipulation actually 'detoxing' your body, as your liver, lungs, and kidneys are usually sorting this out for you, she explains. In fact, she says that most detoxes are just a period of enforced starvation, and that participants often end up gaining back whatever weight they might have lost in the long run.
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Don't juice cleanse
Similarly, you're probably going to want to skip out on juice cleanses."Any weight you lose is because you drastically cut your calorie intake for a time," said registered dietitian Lainey Younkin, MS, RD, LDN, founder of Lainey Younkin Nutrition. Plus, as she points out, juice doesn't actually "cleanse" anything — you're basically just drinking a bunch of sugar.
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