Getting a healthy body through weight loss is great!  But what about all those rules you run into on lots of diets?

When you want to lose weight, their might be a number of rules you will want to follow in order to shed the pounds as quickly as possible That said, some rules just don’t work. No matter how great they sound or how many experts can show you the results following these rules will bring you, there are a number that should just be broken, at least some of the time. When you know which weight loss rules to break, you have a better chance of losing the weight you’d like to lose and keeping it off.

First, certain items used to “motivate” you simply won’t work. Although having a size 2 pair to jeans in your closet might seem like a good way to motivate yourself towards your weight loss goals, for most people this is just depressing and frustrating, especially if you’re a size 10 currently. Get rid of anything that does not fit. Also, stop weighing yourself every day. As you exercise, you’ll build muscle, which weighs much more than fat.

Another weight loss rule to break is the one that says you should cut out all of the junk food in your life. If you are currently drinking a six-pack every night or eating fast food every day, suddenly stopping this behavior won’t last long. When the cravings kick in, you’ll simply be too frustrated to continue with any diet. Instead, break this rule. Cut back on your calories and watch what you eat, but allow yourself to have sweets and other bad food a few times a week, gradually continuing to cut back until you don’t need those foods any longer.

Also, if a diet tells you to completely cut out one food group or another in general, break the rules. You need proteins, even if you are a vegetarian. You need carbohydrates, even if you do go on the Atkins diet. You even need fats, even if you are overweight. All the nutrients in your body have to work together on a daily basis to regulate your body’s function, and cutting out completely one link to that chain will ruin your entire health. Instead, learn which foods to eat in moderation and follow that rule instead.

Don’t be afraid to question weight loss rules that you come across. It is simply better to do that than to follow rules that you’re likely to break or that you don’t understand. Not all rules are good for your body, and that’s what weight loss should be—a healthy new lifestyle change. Talk to your doctor for more information on rules you should break.