Losing weight is certainly not an easy thing, but it’s also not rocket science either. Whether you’re trying to exercise more, experimenting with a new diet or simply lowering your calorie intake, you need to remember that shedding pounds is process. A process, which takes time, dedication and a lot of hard work, but ultimately pay off in ways you wouldn’t even imagine. Although not all weight loss plans work perfectly for everyone, there are some common mistakes which people need to avoid at all costs.
Trying to Eat Less
People seem to misunderstand how their bodies actually work. Lowering your calorie intake all of a sudden does not explain to the body that you’re trying to get slimmer. Instead, our bodies interpret this simply as a shortage of food, triggering a protection mechanism which not only aims to keep the existing fat deposits intact, but also leads to lower muscle mass, as muscles are far easier to break down than fat. This may lead to some serious health problems, such as eating disorders and osteoporosis.
Avoiding Fat
Our bodies need fat. It is used to operate different metabolic processes, it maintains cell health, promotes optimal heart, nerves and brain function and aids in the absorption of specific antioxidants and nutrients. A diet low in fat pushes the body into an energy reserving, fat depositing state, which can be detrimental to your weight loss efforts.
Wrong Exercises
Although exercising is a vital part of losing weight, most people think that this is especially true when it comes to cardio exercises. What they don’t realize is that our bodies are made to adapt even to the harshest of conditions. This means that you will get used to running every day and burn fewer calories. But the more you run, the greater the calorie intake needs to be in order to support the activity. You will start eating more and in turn, shedding fewer pounds.
Opt out for resistance training instead of constantly doing cardio. It will encourage the body to burn more calories and promote muscle and bone growth. Not only that, but calories will continue to be burned even after exercising, due to higher oxygen consumption after the exercise.
Trusting Food Labels
Marketing companies often times use terms such as organic, low-fat, low-sugar or whole grain on their labels. This is a conscious effort to convince the public that their product is better than the competitors and as such, can lead to a healthier lifestyle and weight loss. This is simply not true, as most of that food is packed-full with sugar, additives, and artificial ingredients, all of which do quite the opposite of what is claimed.
Fad Diets
Atkins, paleo, no carbs, no-fat, gluten free. These are just some of the names for diets which claim to promote significant weight loss, when in fact, they are not. Losing weight is not a matter of restricting a certain type of food, but rather a process which takes determination, patience, and a balanced diet, which does not exclude but rations what you eat. Instead of relying on a fad diets, try consulting with a dietitian, as they can make a dietary plan customized to your personal preferences.
There are numerous diets that claim to help burn fat fast or shed pounds in a matter of days. But this is not the case, as losing weight can only be achieved with some patience, effort and an overall change in in lifestyle. Instead of repeating the same mistakes everyone is making, try to learn from them and incorporate that knowledge into your everyday life. You’d be surprised to know how much a proper diet, a few days a week in the gym and a good sleep cycle can help you slim down and look the way you always wanted.