151 intro if the pounds wont come off youre not alone according to a survey by marketdata enterprises the average american dieter makes four or five attempts to lose weight each year its a vicious cycle after a while you feel discouraged when you dont get results and that can wear away at your motivation says dawn jackson blatner rd author of the flexitarian diet these dieting upgrades should do the trick once and for all quicklist 1category 5 diet fails youre probably makingtitle diet fail 1 counting every single calorieurltext dont get us wrongplenty of research has shown that we routinely underestimate the number of calories in our food but when youre trying to lose weight diet quality matters more than calorie count a 2012 study in jama found that people on a lowcarb lowglycemic diet burned more calories than those who followed a lowfat highcarb diet foods that are high in carbs slow metabolic rates compared with diets higher in fat and protein says david ludwig md director of the new balance foundation obesity prevention center at boston childrens hospital whats more highglycemic foods sugar bread potatoes spike blood sugar and stimulate cravings diet redofocus on foods that are low in junky carbs and rich in protein just choose your protein carefully a 2015 study in the american journal of clinical nutrition found that folks who upped their intake of yogurt seafood skinless chicken and nuts lost the most weight those who increased their consumption of red and processed meat put on poundsparticularly when it was paired with highcarb foods but swapping the carbs for lowglycemic foods like veggies helped lower weight gain 24 food swaps that slash calories quicklist 2category 5 diet fails youre probably makingtitle diet fail 2 limiting yourself to mini mealsurltext youve heard it a million times small frequent meals help you lose weight by revving your metabolism and controlling your appetite but dividing a 1200calorieperday plan into six meals can leave you with a growling stomach and shortcircuit your diet you need protein fiber and carbs in each meal to feel full and its tough to get that in just 200 calories explains blatner in most cases people end up overeating at their small mealsits easy for a teaspoon of almond butter to unintentionally become three plus says blatner because youre faced with more food decisions youre constantly taxing your willpower diet redothink three solid meals a day youre a lot more likely to stick to a diet thats simpleplanning six healthy meals is overwhelming says blatner while youre at it frontload calories a 2013 study in obesity found that people who made breakfast their biggest meal were at least twice as likely to lose weight and trim their waistlines as those who saved calories for dinner quicklist 3category 5 diet fails youre probably makingtitle diet fail 3 always eating the same foodsurltextthis tip gained popularity after a 2011 study showed that women who ate mac and cheese daily for a week