Sheldon’s Corner: 14 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Losing Weight
You may be wondering why you are not losing your stubborn excess fat deposits and body weight even after following a strict diet and exercise regiment. It is possible your progress in losing fat is being hampered because of misguided or outdated advice.
Here are some of the major mistakes that prevent many people from losing excess fat pockets or weight despite their efforts to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle:
1: Focusing only on the weight scale
The weight scale is only an instrument to keep track of your weight change. Your body weight is influenced by various factors such as fluid fluctuations and the quantity of food present in your body. A rise in estrogen levels and hormonal variations in women could also lead to increase in water retention, which gets reflected on a weight scale. It is a prudent idea to measure your waistline with a tape measure on a monthly basis rather than focus only on a weight scale.
2: Frequent dieting
Excess of anything is bad – including dieting. In your desperation to acquire a slim figure and reduce body weight, if you try too many different diet plans or resort to frequent dieting, it might do more harm than good. According to some studies, about ten percent of women go on a diet on an average of five times a year. This could lead to serious fluctuations in the metabolism, and create resistance to weight loss.
3: Emotional factors
While many people fail to recognize this, emotional factors (don’t get emotional like that woman in that asinine mummy movie who chooses to attack the world – a Tom Cruise dud) will contribute to your weight gain or weight loss. A recent research study revealed that if an individual is constantly feeling frustrated or agonized over their fat body contours, it may only make them more susceptible to further weight gain.
4: Unbalanced calorie consumption
An increase in the intake of foods with high calorific value could result in excess body weight over a period of time. On the other hand, consuming fewer calories might lead to a reduction in your metabolic rate as well as your muscle mass instead of working to reduce your excess fat deposits. Therefore, a balanced calorie intake should be maintained while focusing on a steady fitness regimen.
5: Consuming sugary foods
Consuming sugary foods such as flavored yogurts, sodas, and beverages may adversely affect your body weight. Choose a teaspoon of honey or maple honey in the yogurt to enjoy a sweet treat. Replace sugary beverages with green tea variants or honey water to cut down on sugars.
6: Skipping breakfast
Skipping breakfast is one of the critical factors to induce weight gain. You have to make sure that you don’t skip breakfast because it is regarded as the most important meal of the day. A team of renowned researchers from Imperial College London discovered that when an individual skips breakfast, the brain would be in constant search for foods which are rich in calories to make up for the energy deficit. This is exactly what happens with people who skip vital meals and consume snacks later. It could lead to excess weight rather than weight loss and no one wants to end up looking like The Nutty Professor or a member of his massive family!
7: Consuming processed foods
Fat-free or diet goods are often regarded as salient options in achieving weight loss. One of the drawbacks with respect to processed foods is that they are brimmed with sugar. It could lead to hunger and ultimately you end up gorging on more. It is a wise idea to replace these processed foods with nutritious and high fiber foods.
8: Lack of proteins
Regular intake of high protein helps in reducing weight and appetite. You have to make sure that you include high-protein foods in your diet. Many studies have shown that higher protein diets, which contain 0.6 to 0.8 grams of protein, help in the improvement of BMI and your figure.
9: Consuming less fiber
Soluble fibers such as viscous fiber are very helpful in reducing the appetite by absorbing the water. It also helps in absorbing a lesser amount of calories from other foods. Therefore, increase the intake of fiber-rich foods in your diet.
10: Intake of ‘diet’ soft drinks
Diet soft drinks are regarded as one of the favorites of dieters. But a recent study conducted by the Purdue University demonstrated that those who rely on diet soft drinks may gain even more weight than those who consume regular soft drinks. Diet soft drinks contain the presence of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharine. These artificial sweeteners increase the level of hunger hormones such as insulin and leptin.
11: Lack of exercise
Exercise is regarded as one of the important aspects of weight loss. Performing regular exercises is crucial to staying physically fit. It also helps in burning excess calories which are present in your body. Lifting heavy weights and indulging in cardio are some of the effective methods to maintain your metabolism rate. However, remember that over-exercising is not recommended because it is more likely to slow down the production of adrenal hormones.
12: Lack of resistance training
Resistance training plays a pivotal role in weight loss. Numerous studies have shown that performing resistance training is one of the ideal and effective methods for boosting metabolic rate and enhancing the muscle mass. At the same time, it also helps in improving the overall body mass index and particularly helps reduce belly fat.
13: Not keeping track of your eating habits
Consuming nutritious foods helps in reducing your excess weight to a poignant extent. But even when you do that, your intake of calories may still be higher than what you normally require to lose weight. In addition to that, you may not be receiving an adequate amount of protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and fat to compensate for your weight loss efforts.
Keeping a constant track of your eating habits will allow you take control of your own health and fitness, and have a clear picture of the intake of calories and nutrients at any given point in time. A number of popular calorie tracking websites, apps, and gadgets are available, which can help you keep a daily track of your body weight, fitness, and health.
14: Drinking carbonated beverages
Carbonated drinks often contain a higher level of sugar content, which will over time affect your health and lead to weight gain. You should decrease the consumption of soft drinks and beverages, and find healthier replacements such as green tea.
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