Are you struggling to perform your basic everyday tasks or just inherently feeling unhealthy? Then it’s time to hop on a healthy weight loss routine.
This pandemic and the new work from the home routine have added a few extra inches to the waistline for some of us. With the new sedentary lifestyle, sitting for long hours, attending online meetings, emotional eating leading to munch on our favourite snacks, our fitness levels have deteriorated.
But as they say, it is never too late to transform an unhealthy lifestyle into a healthy one. A little motivation, discipline and consistency can help you lose weight efficiently without much effort. We all know the basics of a weight loss plan that includes a cut down in calories, regular workouts, avoiding junk food, and so on. However, despite following a strict weight-loss diet, do you still find yourself struggling to lose weight?
If the answer is yes, you are making some weight loss mistakes hindering your progress. Unfortunately, these weight loss mistakes are so common that we do not even realise how they affect our fitness goals.
Weight loss is a journey that requires dedication and constant motivation. Diet is a major component of weight loss and plays an essential role in the overall effect. Proper food choices, along with conscious eating, can make your weight loss journey much more straightforward.
Eating less or not eating at all are common weight loss mistakes that make their weight loss journey even harder. However, continue reading this article to help shed those extra kilos quickly and see the number on the weighing scale go down.
10 Weight Loss Mistakes We All Make
Losing weight is not an easy task. Avoiding food or skipping meals does not aid in weight loss. Here is a list of some weight loss mistakes that you might be making unconsciously.
1. Skipping Breakfast for a Glass of Juice
If you restrict your breakfast to a glass of juice, you may become hungry and overeat later, according to researchers.
2. Skipping Meals
Research shows that most people who eat fewer than three meals usually end up consuming more calories throughout the day.
3. Too Much Protein
Dieters swear by protein. However, did you know that if you have too much protein, it gets stored as fat?
4. Giving Up Everything You Love
Completely giving up your favourite meals can make you hate dieting. Unfortunately, this is a common mistake made by dieters. After depriving yourself of everything you love, one tends to regress into unhealthy eating habits. Staying in moderation helps to reduce cravings.
5. Taking in Too Many Liquid Calories
Some dieters avoid certain solid food items to cut down on calories but see no harm in consuming unnecessary liquids such as alcohol, coffee, juice, tea, and sodas. All of these directly contribute to weight gain. Instead, replace these drinks with green smoothies or skimmed milk.
6. Rushing Through the Meal
Scarfing down your food is detrimental to losing weight. Instead, make sure you are correctly seated and relaxed while eating. Slowing down helps you to chew your food better and eat less than you would otherwise.
7. Adding Unhealthy Add-ons
You may be eating plenty of salads, but what is the point if you use high-fat dressings? Be conscious of the add-ons.
8. Going All Out On Cheat Days
You may reward yourself on cheat days, and rightly so, but beware of going overboard and ending up consuming thousands of calories.
9. Not Taking a Rest Day
Experts say that training too much can defeat the purpose of the exercise. Always take a one or two-day break from exercising.
10. Mindless Eating
Sometimes, you may find yourself unconsciously munching on food. When you eat binge-watching your favourite series or checking your email, it becomes an easy way to pack on the calories. Mindful eating is an expert-backed tip to lose weight.
Summary
To lose weight quickly, we often end up making a lot of mistakes that hamper our progress. Losing weight in an unhealthy manner can do more harm than good for your body. Eating healthy, getting enough sleep, proper hydration, and living a stress-free life also play a significant role in weight loss.
To begin with, you should always set realistic health goals for your body, keeping your age, fitness levels, and health in mind. To lose weight quickly, many people also opt for crash dieting. Though crash dieting helps you to lose weight quickly, it is incredibly harmful to your body in the long run. As soon as you stop your crash diet, you will gain double the weight you lost initially.
Weight loss is a gradual process that takes time. Compulsively weighing yourself can also lead to a lot of frustration. Remember that the numbers on the weighing scale are not the measure of your fitness level and can fluctuate due to various reasons such as menstrual cycle, gaining muscle mass, strength training. Therefore, stop weighing yourself every day and concentrate on leading a healthy life.
Another thing to keep in mind when you begin your weight loss journey is to make sure you do not compare yourself with other people. The one size fits all theory does not work in weight loss. Everyone has a different body type and health level. The same diet that works wonders for them might not work for you, and vice versa. It does not mean there is something wrong with you or your body. It just means that you need to eat what suits your body type better.
In the end, accept yourself and your body type and learn that your body is unique too, like you. It will help if you lose weight for the right reasons rather than societal pressure or to fit in a particular stereotypical image of a perfect body.
Lose weight for yourself and for your happiness. Your weight loss journey should aim to have a healthy body to support you in all your tasks. Eat well, exercise regularly, avoid weight loss mistakes, stay happy, and you will see your body transform within no time!
