While attempting a diet, many people will work hard to change their lifestyles for a couple weeks before succumbing to frustration from a lack of results. During these two weeks, dieters often make many mistakes because they do not have the right information. Dieters often fail on their diet plans because they equate a gluten-free diet with lower calories, eat too much or the wrong kinds of fruit, turn to protein bars for energy, and consume too much fruit juice. Instead of making these mistakes, dieters should have the right information to make the best diet choices.

Recently, many people without gluten allergies have turned to gluten-free products in an attempt to lose weight because they equate gluten-free diets with lower calories. According to television personality Dr. Oz, people should avoid gluten-free diets unless they have a gluten problem. To make gluten-free products, producers have changed and processed the original composition of the food to remove the gluten, but they have often replaced it with higher-calorie components such as sugar. Often, the gluten-free options have more calories than their original forms. Dr. Oz encourages people to embrace whole grains especially if they do not have a problem. For sufferers of gluten allergies, he still recommends other forms of whole grains, such as quinoa, amaranth, teff, and buckwheat. Nature has packed these items with healthy nutrients, and they do not require the extra processing that makes gluten-free products unhealthy.

While on a diet, many people will consume too much fruit or the wrong kinds of fruit. While most fruits do have a low glycemic index, which means that the combination of fiber and sugar make them an excellent choice for weight loss, some fruits have a high glycemic index and make weight loss difficult. Rather than eating melons, pineapple, or dried fruits, Dr. Oz encourages people to stick to apples, pears and bananas. By eating the right types of fruit, dieters can help themselves achieve weight-loss goals.

In addition to these previous mistakes, many people will turn to protein bars as a source of energy. Dr. Oz explains that Americans get plenty of protein in their diets, so he discourages them from eating protein bars, which often experience lots of processing and contain too much sugar. He still suggests that people eat plenty of protein because it slows down appetite, but he recommends black beans because of their combination of fiber and protein. Instead of potato chips, for example, a dieter should check out a product like Beanitos to replace their unhealthy snack choices.

Finally, many dieters make a mistake by consuming too much fruit juice. As a replacement for soda, fruit juice certainly has so many nutrients and definitely represents a healthier choice. Yet, it does have some of the same problems as does soda when it comes to affecting a person’s weight loss strategy. Fruit juices have tons of calories and sugar, which make them a healthy choice up to about 8 ounces per day. Instead of fruit juice, Dr. Oz encourages people to drink tea, including teas made from other parts of the tea plant. He explains that people can infuse these teas with fruits, such as lemons and oranges. He also explains that water represents the best choice for dieters.

Dieters often make these mistakes and cannot achieve their weight-loss goals. With the right knowledge, people can make better decisions and help avoid the pitfalls of trying to lose weight.