Almost everyone you meet would probably tell you that they wish they could lose a few pounds. But where most of us fail is that we can’t actually be bothered to create a consistent pattern of behavior that would allow us to achieve such goals.
And then if we even take some action, such as hitting the gym every single day, you might not get the chance to lose weight due to something else that you’re also doing. Let’s call these the “deadly sins” of weight loss, and explore 5 of them in further detail.
Which ones are you guilty of?
1. You Don’t Eat Enough
I know it seems to go against common logic, but eating less than you need to can actually make you gain weight! When your body suddenly stops getting enough food and nutrition, it gears itself up for a fight with malnutrition. Therefore, instead of using up the current fat in your body, it begins converting any food you do consume into fatty cells and storing it in your body.
The reduced food intake signals your body that there might be a time when there’s no food at all and might need to use up the stored fat. This why fad diets do not work and starving yourself to lose weight can actually have the opposite effect than what was intended!
2. You Overeat Healthy Food
Again, you might think that it’s safe to eat as much as possible because you’re eating healthy food. Because more healthy food means more nutrition right? Well, yes and no. While there’s no doubt that eating plenty of healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables is ideal, it also does not mean eating them in excess is somehow going to save you from ever going to the doctor.
In fact, anything in excess can turn into poison for your body. Moderation is key in everything you practice in life, and that’s including your diet.
3. You’re Distracted When You Eat
In this age of technology and screens, it can seem difficult to set apart some time for meals, three times a day, away from anything and everything that distracts you from the plate of food in front of you. But not only does this lead to lower satisfaction of the food you eat, it may also cause you to eat a lot more.
Research has proven that mindless eating (while staring at the TV, talking on the phone, etc.) can lead to weight gain as we tend to eat more and feel less full/satisfied with the meal. This might also lead to some unhealthy snacking in between, which, let’s face it, you’ll probably also do in front of a screen. The ideal scenario would be to sit down with your food without any distractions and focus on it solely.
4. You Overcompensate For Workouts
After a hard day’s work at the gym where you huffed and puffed and sweated until your clothes were soaked, you can feel a little proud of yourself. You might even feel like you deserve a little treat, surely a cold soda and a few slices of pizza aren’t going to hurt after you put so much effort into losing those calories?
That’s where you’re wrong! Most of us are guilty of eating more than we burned off at the gym, which means that you’re going to end up with more calories than you started with! And let’s not forget that we only went to the gym to get rid of those calories that we’d already consumed. The truth is that even an hour on the treadmill is probably not enough to cover the damages of a fast food binge session.
5. You Don’t Know Why You Want To Lose Weight
As with any action, decision, or change we make in our lives, we need to have a clear direction from the get-go. Similarly, mindlessly trying to lose weight by cutting a few snacks here and there or walking a few extra steps on your morning commute is not going to get you to your end goal.
Stop and think. Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to lead a healthier lifestyle, to reduce your risk of hereditary diseases like diabetes, or maybe to set the right example for your kids? Knowing your motivations will help your actions. You also need to set a goal, and work towards it, whether it be cutting junk food from your life, losing a specific amount of weight, or kicking that nasty problem that has arisen from being overweight. Once you’ve got those sorted, you’ll have lost weight before you know it!
