Dieting isn’t easy and if you’ve ever tried to follow or stick to a diet, you know what a challenge it is to follow the rules. Many times dieters break the rules and make mistakes without even knowing it. If you’re thinking about pursuing the diet path to aid in weight loss or to improve your health overall, it helps to know what common mistakes are made so that you don’t fall prey to them yourself.

The first mistake the majority of all dieters make is setting unrealistic goals and not allowing enough time to see results. Saying you plan on getting a body like your favorite celebrity is much easier said than done. Completing a successful diet takes more than just finding the ideal body type or weight and then heading off to the races. Take into account your current weight, eating habits, and lifestyle and set your goals accordingly. Instead of trying to lose 50 pounds, start small by trying to lose 5 pounds. If you can barely meet that minimum requirement, it’s highly unlikely you’ll reach the extreme goal. When you’re realistic about your diet and dieting goals, the easier it will be to implement the necessary changes into your life.

Another mistake dieters make is sticking only to fat-free foods. Yes, these foods are great because they are fat-free but they shouldn’t be your sole source of nutrition. However, even though what you read on the label appears totally healthy, most of these foods compensate by including a lot of added sugar. This can result in consuming food items that contain more calories per serving than the non-fat version.

Starvation is often confused with dieting. This is one of the worst mistakes anyone following a diet can make. Starving punishes your body instead of helping it. Sure, you’ll notice weight loss but it’ll be a negative result, not a healthy one. Eventually, your body will start to draw energy from your muscles and tissues for sustenance, not to mention that once you start your regular eating habits, you’ll gain back all that weight and then some. Never turn to starvation as a means of dieting.

Many dieters fall prey to becoming obsessed with the number on the weigh scale. While it’s good to monitor your progress, it can also be harmful if you let the numbers dictate your diet and your life. It’s normal to gain weight or lose weight and for someone addicted to checking the numbers, such fluctuations can drive you crazy and possibly lead to poor dieting practices such as starvation. Instead, stick to checking the scale once or twice a week and write the numbers down. Keeping track this way is much more progressive and will really let you see a difference.

Salads for diets are a great idea, but many tend to stick to only salads. What’s so wrong with that? When you only allow yourself salad, you tend to be tempted to make your salad as unhealthy as possible by overloading it with tons of dressing, cheese, croutons and other goodies like bacon bits. While you are consuming lettuce, you’re also downing a whole lot of fatty ingredients.

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