Women's Diet Mistakes

Women's diet mistakes bring them down, but there are a few really biggies in the struggle for weight control! It is a healthy diet habit to understand these problem areas, slowly tackle them, and develop lifestyle solutions that will work to control them! It is not an all or nothing process, but a slow and steady one!

Women's Diet Mistakes by Healthy Diet Habits

The Main Diet Mistakes are:

1. Lack of Planning:

Lack of Planning: Women take on the world and try to get it all done with no plan. We know that it is not possible, but we do it anyway. The result is a stressed life! We see our out of control habits, but do not plan, set goals, brainstorm solutions, or try to fix our habits. Let’s be realistic, most of us do not plan!

• Have you noticed that there are certain eating habits like night time eating that you have not dealt with?

• Do you notice that certain triggers always lead you to overeating?

• Have you noticed that you rarely eat vegetables?

• Have you noticed that you eat out at lunch every day?

If you notice unhealthy diet mistakes, but fail to plan changes, you might need to work on planning and also stress. Planning will allow you to concentrate on what is important to you! 

2. Not Getting Your Thoughts Under Control:

Not getting your thoughts under control: Most of us experience sabotaging thoughts that cause unhealthy eating habits. We also practice all or nothing thinking and negative self talk that brings us down, and dooms us to failure before we even start to make changes.

• Do you think you are either a success or a failure?

• Do you ever think you can’t waste food?

• Do you ever think that if no one sees you eating that it doesn’t count?

• Do you ever think it is okay to eat because you are stressed out?

If you have these thoughts, you may need to work on Thoughts, Food Thinking Mistakes and Food Thinking Solutions! 

3. Mindless Eating

Mindless Eating: Women are great at mindless eating. We eat all day long, but have limited recall of what actually crossed our lips. We hate food to go to waste, or we just do not notice that we are doing it. This is unconscious eating, but unfortunately those calories add up!

• Have you tasted food when you are cooking?

• Have you eaten off of your families’ plates when cleaning up?

• Have you eaten a few bites while fixing lunches?

• Have you grabbed the cookies while watching television?

• Have you grabbed candy from your office mates’ desk while passing?

If you have, you might need to work on mindless eating and develop healthy meal planning that is mindful, because every bite that you eat counts! 

4. Emotional Eating

Emotional Eating: As women, we can each write a book on emotional eating! It is just what we do and is a huge diet mistake. We just don’t know how to control it. Food offers us comfort, and just makes us feel great when we are hurting for any reason!

• Do you eat when you are worried, upset, stressed, anxious, or really for any emotion?

• Do you use food to avoid uncomfortable feelings?

• Do you eat when you are bored?

• Do you eat the entire bag of cookies or gallon of ice cream?

If you do, welcome to the world of being a woman!!! We all do it! There is great hope when you understand Emotional Eating, Identifying Feelings, Ending Emotional Eating and what good Emotional Health is! 

5. Carbohydrate Feasting

Balboa Bars - Ice Cream Bars covered in Chocolate and then coated with your own toppings.

Carbohydrate Feasting: This is also a huge diet mistake for women and if we are honest, carbohydrates are our go to friends when life gets tough! Chocolate, cookies, candy, ice cream, and just out of control carbohydrates, most of them refined! Those are the best!

• Are your favorite meals and snacks carbohydrates?

• Are most of the foods you enjoy processed?

• Do you experience food cravings constantly?

• Do you love sugary or snack foods like chips?

If you do, then you may need to understand Healthy Eating, Healthy Grains, the Half Plate Rule, Sugar, Food Cravings, and the Food Guidelines. 

6. Thinking of Others Before YOU!

Thinking of others before you: As women we are masters of putting others needs before our own!

• Do you give in to your husband and kids and friends without speaking up?

• Do you purchase and cook meals that please your family, even though they may not be the healthiest meals?

• Do you purchase junk foods that your kids request, only to eat it yourself?

• Do you visit fast food restaurants that your kids beg for?

If you do, you might need to work on stealthy healthy home cooking, rather than fast food, healthy snack foods, setting goals that work for you by developing your own food policies that your family knows and supports! 

7. Portion Distortion

Portion Distortion: Most women do not understand proper portions. Supersized servings seem normal. Cookbook recipes serve bigger portions, and the average person expects large portions or feels cheated.

• Do you eat Costco bagels?

• Do you divide Costco pies into eights and who doesn’t?

• Do you eat Costco muffins, or a muffin that size? Are they a muffin or a small cake?

• Do your order a kid’s meal?

If you did not guess that the kid’s meal is the only choice that is a proper portion, then you might suffer from portion distortion. You might need to work on Portion Distortion and Portion Control and check out My Plate Guidelines! 

8. Not Eating Enough Fruits and Veggies

Not Eating Enough Fruits and Veggies: Women rarely eat enough fruits and vegetables, but most of the time, believe that they do! Huge diet mistake!

• Do you fill your plate half full of fruits and vegetables at every meal?

• Do you fill up on salads, soups, stir fries, and look for every opportunity to sneak in more veggies?

• Is your refrigerator jammed full of multiple types of fruits and veggies?

• Are fruits and veggies your go to snack of choice?

If you don’t know if you eat enough fruits and veggies, you may need to Journal and fill out a Journal Evaluation Worksheet. It would be helpful to learn about Vegetable Guidelines and Fruit Guidelines. This is a habit that will greatly help with weight control! 

Women's Diet Mistakes by Healthy Diet Habits

There are many unhealthy diet mistakes that bring us down, and these are just some of the top habits that hinder women. It is a healthy diet habit to evaluate your habits and make improvements. Simple lifestyle solutions can help you to keep your weight under control!