Posted Friday, January 20, 2012 by Anita Rivas,

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A majority of us start off the New Year with that tired “I need to lose weight” resolution. However, as the year progresses we tend to fall back into our old habits of over indulgence by over-eating and over-drinking. It’s true: a glass of red wine with dinner, or even a square piece of dark chocolate can be beneficial to ones health–but the portion is just that. A single glass of red wine and a single square piece of dark chocolate, NOT the entire box or full bottle of wine.

However, before you start restricting yourself or even resort to logical extremes by counting every calorie, fat, gram, etc.: take a look at what the experts have to say about “The 5 Don’ts That Destroy your Diet.”

1) Nibbles and Noshes:

Meal mistakes can begin before your entrée arrives, and they are especially troublesome for a hungry palate. Kick out the 4 digit calorie tidbits like fried cheese, meat fingers, and piled on high nachos. Instead, look for a light soup or salad to take the edge off your hunger and not saturate your taste buds with grease and salt.    

 2) Stacked, Packed and Ready to Attack:

Melted meals or stuffed sides take you way out of the calorie world. Dense and concentrated, a one meal splurge will leave you with a hard to recover rehab for the rest of the week. Instead, go for meals that are jammed with high volume, high fiber (like veggies), and are based on lean proteins( like fish or chicken.) Not only will you feel full and satisfied, but you will still be on your mark.   

 3) Heavy Munchie Suicide:

Crunchy cravings lead to sticks and chips that blow your hips. Between meal-time bridge the hunger gap until the next sit down by munching on raw veggies with low-fat dressing.

4) Lethal Liquids and the Beverage Blues:

Cozy coffees and fabulous frappes lead to liver clogging. Instead, go for the royal flush with pure water and any number of infused ingredients such as: citrus or berry juice for added flavor. Herbs like mint and ginger refresh and tone your system and are calorie free!

 5) Sweet Emotion:

No matter how full you feel your brain will override this when sweets are in the picture. Try to work with nature and finish your meal with fruit or a small piece of chocolate for a pick-me-up with health benefits.

Keep a food diary. Remember that it’s okay if you eat poorly during one of your meals, by that I mean having something deep fried or having that slice of tiramisu from your favorite Italian restaurant–because every meal is another opportunity to get it right.

Here’s to Happy Eating!

The 5 Don’ts That Destroy Your Diet” by Nicolette M. Pace MS, RD, CDE, CDN, CFCS – president and founder of www.nutrisource.org.