We all want diet tricks that are easy to implement and can help us to lose weight faster, but many strategies actually work against the best efforts of those who use them.

1. Going without breakfast

In one nutritional study, mice were divided into two groups. One had to eat its food at one time and went without meals for the remainder of the day. The other group was able to eat whenever they wanted.

Initially the restricted diet mice were fed less, and they did lose weight. However, when they were bumped up to the same amount of food, the researchers noticed the negative impact of the plan. The mice started to weigh more. Plus, a hormonal reaction to the binging and fasting caused growth in visceral fat – the fat that encases the internal organs and is associated with higher incidence of life-threatening diseases.

Typically, when you wake up, your liver emits a small quantity of glucose, explained the lead author of the study, Martha Belury, PhD. Eating breakfast then helps to keep everything in balance. “You have a meal, and insulin levels go up in response, and then your liver stops producing glucose because your organs have it from the food,” she said. “In these mice, their livers couldn’t stop.”

2. Diet soda

Many people think that diet soda is a good way to achieve their weight-loss goals. Actually, though, numerous studies have shown that drinking diet soda makes it likelier that you will become obese.

Scientists disagree about why the artificial sweeteners might cause obesity. One theory is that the body is used to getting energy when it experiences a sweet taste. When no energy is received from diet soda, the body may become confused by the lack of energy and more driven to consume junk food.

3. Fat-free items

Foods that are low or free of fat are not necessarily good when it comes to sugar. In fact, food manufacturers frequently increase sugar content to make up for the blandness of a product that doesn’t have that rich fat flavor in it.

In one weight-loss study, participants either ate whole-fat or low-fat dairy throughout the day. Over the course of the day, those on the whole-fat diet consumed less carbs than did the low-fat participants.

“Fat is satisfying,” explains nutritionist Angela Ginn-Meadow. “People aren’t successful at maintaining low-fat diets because they’re hungry.”

Rather than avoiding fat, get as much fat content as you can from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat sources, such as avocados, olive oil, and fish.

Achieve your weight loss goals

You may have seen one of the many headlines that only 5% of people who try to lose weight are able to successfully do so long-term. That’s not quite accurate, actually. According to analysis form the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 20% of people succeed at long-term weight loss that involves reducing weight by 10% for a year.

In other words, it’s completely possible to succeed at weight loss, but many people don’t succeed because they don’t have access to the best tools and strategies.

That’s where Atlanta Medical Clinic comes in. >>> Lose up to 30 pounds in 30 days