When people embrace exercise and diet for the sake of losing weight, they tend to think that ‘magic’ will happen.
It sounds great in theory, but it takes more effort to lose weight and longer period than this simple combination.
Even when you have good intentions while commencing, it is easy to trip along the way with common diet mistakes and not being vigilant in your efforts.
Experts postulate that even when you are on a diet, you might be taking a lot of calories than you think.
There is a gap between what we know we ought to do in order to lose weight, and what we really do while trying to diet.
Here are reasons your weight loss could be stuck.
You are not keeping track of what you are eating
Awareness is extremely vital if you are seeking to lose weight.
Many people do not have an idea of how much they are actually eating.
Research shows that keeping track of the diet helps with weight loss.
Individuals that take pictures of their meals or use food diaries consistently tend to lose more weight compared to those people who don’t.
Racing to the finish
You won’t get any reward for consuming your meal in record time unless you are participating in a hot dog eating contest.
Hectic schedules have led many people to adopt the unhealthy habit of eating rapidly.
You don’t drink water
Drinking water on a regular basis can help with weight loss besides keeping you hydrated.
Drinking water before a meal will help encourage portion control.
Eating foods containing a lot of water (like veggies and fruits) helps you fill up faster, hence making you to eat less.
A small study showed that drinking cool water helps speed up metabolism and also discourage cravings for sugary drinks like juice and soda.
This gives you a reason to stay hydrated.
You think you are eating healthy, but you aren’t.
Does your diet contain a large amount of “products”? Either low-carb or not, you fancy eating real food.
Plates of pure fiber in the shape of noodles, flagons of diet soda, and loaves of 1g carb “bread” don’t make up a desirable eating plan.
You are just developing an addiction and consuming empty calories. Disregard the labels and check for what you believe to be true. This isn’t food, and you should not be eating it. It is way more than just low-carb.
You are adding muscle.
It’s advisable that you don’t get hung up on the scales so much. They are useful; don’t get me wrong, but they don’t tell the whole story, like say whether or not you are adding lean mass.
The PB might trigger fat loss, but it can also promote muscle gain and improved bone density.
If you are feeling somewhat good but can’t see any improvements registering on the scale’s measurements, most likely there is development of extra muscle and stronger bones attained from resistance training.
You will not realize this by merely viewing the bathroom scale. If you need objective records regarding your progress, get a body fat percentage test or try to measure your waist.
You only do cardio
If you stick on the treadmill and never lift a pound, you are missing out on one of the most imperative pieces of the fitness puzzle.
Weight training not only prevents injury by strengthening the joints, but it helps increase metabolic rate and build muscle mass too.
Increased metabolism helps you to keep burning calories long after you have slipped off your sneakers.
Skipping meals
Research indicates that breakfast skippers tend to weigh more than breakfast eaters.
People have a misconception that skipping breakfast or any other meal helps save calories.
The fact is that most individuals who eat fewer than three meals typically end up consuming more calories in the course of the day.
You over-eat healthy foods
Nuts, whole wheat pasta, avocados, dark chocolate and olive oil are all natural and healthy, but this does not mean they are void of calories.
You ought to watch how much you consume of this good stuff.
For instance, avocado avails a ton of health benefits, but the entire fruit contains over 200 calories.
You are not sleeping well
Good sleep is among the important things to consider for your mental and physical health, as well as your weight.
Poor sleep is among the biggest risk factors for obesity. Children and Adults with poor sleep have an 89% and 55% greater risk of becoming obese, respectively.
You are drinking too much alcohol
Do you like alcohol?
Do you want to lose weight?
Then you ought to stick with spirits (like vodka, whiskey) that are mixed with a non-caloric beverage.
Wine, beer and other sugary alcoholic beverages are very rich in calories.
Keep in mind that alcohol itself has around 7 calories per gram. This is quite high.
That being said, research on alcohol and weight loss provides mixed results. Moderate drinking tends to be fine, while heavy drinking is associated with weight gain.
You do not eat breakfast
Skipping breakfast might seem like a favorable way to save calories.
However, your body will in fact hold on to fat since it thinks that it is being starved.
You should remember that individuals who eat breakfast lose more weight.
As a result, you should ensure that you take breakfast every morning to kick-start your metabolism.
Do not just take anything; include fiber to fill you up for hours and protein to give you sustainable energy.
You still drink soda
Soda provides the body with ZERO nutritional benefits.
Drinking the beverage tends to sabotage your weight-loss goals regardless of whether you are only drinking diet soda.
Studies show that people who drink two or more diet sodas a day have waistlines that are 500 percent larger compared to nondrinkers.
You are low on willpower.
Willpower is just like a muscle; it should be used or it will waste away.
You ought to provide fuel for your will. Ensure you go for a walk if you cannot gather the will for the gym.
Note that willpower, or lack of it, might be an indicator of your body’s needs. The moment you feel that you cannot gather the will for the gym there is a probability that your body needs to recover.
If this is the case, overtraining might be a bigger danger than lack of will.
Your expectations are unrealistic
Weight loss is a slower process than most individuals want.
Although it might be possible to lose weight fast when commencing, very few people have the ability to continue losing weight at a rate of more than one or two pounds per week.
Many people have unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved through exercise and healthy diet.
The fact is, not everyone will look like a bodybuilder or fitness model. Most photos you view in magazines are often enhanced by use of Photoshop. Literally, most of these people don’t look like this.
If you have actually lost some considerable weight and you are feeling good about yourself, but the scale does not seem to budge any further, you should perhaps accept your body the way it is.
Your weight might reach a healthy set point where the body feels comfortable. Attempting to go beyond this might not be worth the effort, and might even be impossible for you to actualize.
