Weight Loss: 5 Dinner Mistakes You Should Avoid To Ensure Healthy Weight Loss

Weight loss is not a cakewalk. What you eat, your lifestyle, sleep-wake cycle, everything comes in radar when you are looking for sustainable weight loss. A lot has been spoken about breakfast; the dos and don'ts one should ensure for weight loss, but not much has been spoken about the good practices one should ensure during dinner. What should you eat and avoid, what is the ideal time, how much should you eat are common questions that must have occurred to you once.

Here are some common dinner mistakes you should avoid to ensure healthy weight loss.

1. Ditch heavy dinner: It is advisable to go light during dinner. As the day progresses, our metabolism gets sluggish. Consultant Nutritionist Dr. Rupali Datta says that a light and early dinner helps in digestion and anything that is good for digestion facilitates weight loss. Also, if you eat early, there is a longer duration of overnight fast, which helps in increasing fat loss. You can opt for light, low-calorie options such as salads, soups or grilled vegetables.

2. Cut back on salt: Eating excessively salty food especially during night or late evenings increases chances of water retention. Therefore, it is advisable to limit sodium intake for your dinner.

3. Go for clear soups over creamy ones: Clear soups are a better bet for weight loss as compared to the cream-based ones. According to Dr. Shikha Sharma's book, '101 Weight Loss Tips', "Clear vegetable/chicken soup and green salad with vinegar or olive oil dressing or a dip made with hung yogurt are healthy and low-fat appetisers." 

4. Limit intake of sour foods: Dr. Shikha Sharma's book '101 Weight Loss Tips' writes, "Sour foods like vinegar, sambhar, kadhi, hot and sour soup taken at night cause water retention." Include foods that have a balance of flavours and are not too sour or salty. 

5. Watch the size of your plate: If the size of your plate is large, your brain tricks you into believing that you have not had enough food, since your food is scattered all across. Take smaller plates, this prevents you from the illusion that you have eaten less, and you would eat the portion that is suited for you.

Keep note of these tips and tricks and boost your weight loss journey.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.