Trying to lose weight can be a nightmare, especially with so many tips & tricks present on the internet.
It can get frustrating sometimes, even with all the effort and time you are putting into achieving your goal, you are not seeing the result you had hoped for.
There can be 2 reasons for this:
First would be that the advice you are following is old-fashioned, that has little to no science backing it.
The second which is the most common with people is that whatever you are implementing is correct however, you are doing things that are detrimental when trying to lose weight.
Here Is The List Of 7 Things You Should Avoid When Trying To Lose Weight:
- Sugary Beverages
- Not Consuming Enough Protein
- Not Working Out
- Following A Unsustainable Plan
- Underestimating Your Calories
- Not Getting Enough Sleep
- Stressing Over Scale
1. Sugary Beverages
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
People have the misconception that all of the calories come from the food they eat. Even though for the most part this is true, you would be surprised how big of an impact sugary drinks can have on your weight gain.
A great example of this is your fruit juices which are meant to be a healthier alternative to your sodas ~ this might not be so correct.
If we look into orange juice, just one cup (227 ml) is 110 calories with 20g of sugar. As someday you might even drink more than one cup, you can see how quickly it can all add up.
Since they are high in sugar it is easily digested. This means that your blood sugar spikes up rapidly and crashes down just as fast. Due to the sudden changes in a short span, your energy level drops, making you feel hungry.
A better option is to eat real fruits. Not only are they lower in calories & sugar, but they also contain fiber which slows down your digestion ~ preventing the sugar spike and making you feel fuller for longer.
2. Not Consuming Enough Protein
You might have the misconception that eating a sufficient amount of protein is only essential for building muscle.
However, it can have several other benefits for your weight loss journey:
- Reduce your hunger: Protein suppresses your mu-opioid receptors~ informing your brain that you are full. This makes you naturally want to consume less food.
- Increased metabolic rate: A portion of the calories from the food you eat are used for digestion also known as food thermic. The body burns higher energy digesting protein, allowing you to cut extra calories throughout the day.
- Retain Muscles: When losing weight, you get a mixture of fat & muscle loss. A decrease in muscle mass can reduce your metabolic rate, which can result in hundreds fewer calories being burnt up every day.
Reduce cravings: Protein keeps you fuller for longer, keeping your hunger hormones in check. Not getting those sudden urges to eat can save you from consuming unnecessary calories.
With its important value for weight loss, try to maintain high-protein food with every meal.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, don’t worry there are numerous great alternatives to meat that you can add to your diet:
- Tofu
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Peanuts
- Seeds
3. Not Working Out
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
When trying to lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit, meaning the number of calories that you consume should be less than the amount you are burning.
Just changing your diet can do so much, you require some form of physical activity to get to a caloric deficit in a healthy manner.
Another advantage is it minimizes the loss of lean muscle mass. Cutting down weight results in the loss of muscles as well which you don’t want.
The magic of having lean muscle mass is it increases the total calories being burned when just resting (resting metabolic rate). This makes it easy to get rid of fat and keep them off.
One thing you need to make sure of is not to overwork your muscles. Working out to get rid of calories is good however, you need to listen to your body also.
Over-fatiguing your muscles can lead to muscle loss or in the worst-case scenario it can cause injuries.
If you are a beginner, take it slow and gradually increase your workload from there.
4. Following An Unsustainable Plan
Having the motivation to get on the weight loss journey is amazing. With that being said people go to extreme lengths to achieve their goals.
A common method is starving themselves while thinking this is an effective route. Even though it might have some effect for a few days, you will go into starvation mode soon after. During this your body tries to retain all the energy, resulting in fewer calories being burnt.
The biggest problem is the health complication that starts arising resulting from malnourishment such as:
- Bloating
- Always feeling cold
- Reduced immune system
- Weak bone
- Gallstones
- Premature aging
You would not be able to keep this kind of harsh method for too long. So make sure the plan you are making is something you can stick to that provides both weight loss and health benefits.
5. Underestimating Your Calories
With so many foods available, It is very easy to overeat. You might get surprised by the number of calories you are accumulating each day.
Getting in the correct macronutrients, in other words, your fats, carbohydrate, protein, and fiber ~ are key for healthy weight loss.
An easy solution to this is tracking everything you eat. This will help keep a record of the nutrient value & calories that the food contained. In the long term, you can use the data to get a precise diagnosis of what had worked and take responsibility for any slip-ups.
A study showed that people who tracked their food constantly had a steady weight loss and lost significantly more weight compared to people who only tracked once in a while.
There are plenty of free apps you can download for this such as myfitnesspal.
It is a nuisance to track your meal but if you are trying to lose weight then this will provide a great amount of value.
6. Not Getting Enough Sleep
Lack of quality sleep can lead to weight gain and obesity. The reasons associated with this are:
Increase in appetite- Your body will naturally ask for extra food to compensate for the lack of energy due to sleep deprivation.
No energy: Feeling sleepy all day can sweep away your motivation for any physical activity you had planned and convince you to sit around all day.
Bad decision on foods: Your willpower for sticking to your diet can be swayed by tiredness and the increase in appetite for junk foods.
Slowing of fat burning: Research showed that lack of sleep hinders your body’s ability to turn fat into energy, causing you to retain extra baggage of fat.
On average a healthy amount of sleep you should be aiming to get is 7-9 hours.
7. Stressing Over Scale
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It’s normal to focus on the scale as everyone wants to see progress. The weight you lose initially can happen quite fast as you are only cutting down water weight but it can then suddenly come to a halt.
Even after sticking to your diet & workout, not seeing the scale move can leave you with a frustrating feeling. But, you have to remember there are many variables involved that can impact your weight, which the number on the scale does not show.
What could be happening is you could be building lean muscles and burning your fat at the same time. So essentially you are swapping one for another, balancing out your weight.
Your weight can alter from day to day basis due to water retention caused by hormone imbalances or the amount of salt you had.
Due to all these factors using a smart scale is a much better option to provide a clearer picture of your progression.
As you can track metrics such as your fat%, muscle% and body water composition, allowing you to get a pinpoint on how much fat is lost and how much muscle is being put on.
If you don’t have access to a smart scale then you can try out the jeans test.
Pay attention to how your jeans are fitting you. If they are feeling looser than before, you know you are progressing.
If you stick to making healthy life choices then the weight loss will follow naturally, don’t stress over the scale.
Final Take
It is crucial to have a combination of both exercise and a healthy diet to promote steady weight loss.
Rather than looking for shortcuts, you should aim for implementing a routine that can be turned into a lifestyle.
This will not only keep the weight off for good but you will enjoy the overall process.
Hey, my name is Kevin and I am all about spreading positive information about living a healthy life. Leading a healthy life does not need to be complicated, there are plenty of easy methods that fit everyone. I share health & fitness topics over on my website raikevin.com~ feel free to check them out.