If weight loss is your goal and it’s going slow or not happening at all, even though you think you’ve done everything right, you may unwittingly be making diet mistakes that can halt or slow your progress. Some things may be old habits you never thought about much, like that spoonful or two of leftovers you eat instead of throwing away, or the portion size of your meals.
Watch out for “gimmick” food.
Some manufacturers tout their food as low-fat or no-fat to make you believe somehow that it’s healthier or better for weight loss. If you think that taking the fat out of food makes it lower in calories or more likely to help you lose weight, you’d be wrong. Studies show people consuming full-fat dairy lost more weight than those consuming low or no-fat dairy. The fat fills you and keeps you full longer. It’s also necessary to help burn fat. When manufacturers remove fat, it also affects the flavor and texture of the product. They replace it with sugar and chemicals to make it more palatable. It’s worse for weight loss.
Eating too few calories can slow your metabolism and make weight loss more difficult.
Sometimes, trying too hard or going to extremes to lose weight sabotages your efforts. You can slow weight loss by eating too few calories. First, find the number of calories necessary for maintenance for your ideal weight and consume that, or cut your calorie intake by 500 calories. Just cutting 500 calories daily can help you lose a pound a week. Be careful not to reduce your calorie intake too much. It causes your body to go into starvation mode and slows your metabolism.
Did you fail to include exercise in your weight loss plan?
If you want the best results from your dieting efforts, you need exercise, too. Exercise helps you burn extra calories and makes weight loss occur faster. It boosts your energy so you’re more active, burning even more calories. As you build muscle tissue, your body requires even more calories. Muscle tissue needs more calories to maintain than fat tissue does. Don’t just focus on endurance exercises like running. Endurance exercises burn many calories, but some come from lean muscle tissue. Strength-building creates more lean muscle tissue.
- Don’t forget to include quality protein in your diet. Eating fruits and vegetables is necessary to lose weight and be healthy, but you also need protein. Protein helps maintain muscle tissue.
- Don’t forget to include fiber in your diet. Too often, radical diets include nothing but liquids or only meat. You need fiber to be healthy, feel full, and reduce the calories absorbed in your intestines.
- Identify any emotions that cause you to eat more. Do you eat when you’re angry or bored? Does sadness cause you to seek comfort food? Find an alternative that helps you cope or a healthier option.
- Count your drink of choice as part of your calories. Cutting out a daily cola can help you lose an extra pound in a month. Drink water, unsweetened tea, or coffee. A large glass of cold water a half hour before a meal fills you, so you eat less.
For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness