One of the biggest mistakes people make is not tracking their food intake. It’s easy to forget what we eat throughout the day but logging it in a food diary or app helps us become more mindful of our caloric intake and make sure we are eating enough nutritious foods. Keeping track of what we eat also gives us an idea of how many calories we’re consuming each day so that we can adjust as needed in order to reach our goals. Another mistake is skipping meals, especially breakfast. Skipping meals causes us to get overly hungry later on, leading to cravings for unhealthy snacks or excessive amounts of food at mealtime. It also slows down our metabolism since our bodies rely on steady energy from regular meals throughout the day in order to maintain their functions properly. Eating breakfast within an hour of waking up will help jumpstart your metabolism and keep hunger levels manageable for the rest of the day. In addition, relying too heavily on exercise alone is another mistake that many people make when trying to lose weight because it doesn’t create enough of a calorie deficit for significant results over time. Exercise should be part of a healthy lifestyle but it shouldn’t replace proper nutrition as the primary way to shed pounds because burning calories through physical activity takes up much more time than cutting back on calories consumed through dieting alone would take. Plus, focusing only on exercise increases stress levels, adds extra strain onto joints, bones, and muscles, and could even lead to injury if done improperly. Lastly, having unrealistic expectations regarding results is a big no-no when it comes to weight loss success. Losing large amounts of weight quickly may sound tempting but this approach usually leads nowhere due to not being sustainable long-term. Instead, focus on small attainable goals such as drinking eight glasses of water per day or eating five servings of fruits and veggies every week — both of which will contribute positively towards reaching your desired outcome slowly yet surely over time. Overall, understanding these common mistakes and avoiding them altogether will give you better chances at achieving your own personal ideal body weight safely and effectively with lasting results!