With misinformation flooding the internet, it’s tough to keep a tab on the right fitness advice. Combined with the urge to lose weight fast, It’s easy to fall for dieting mistakes
Mistakes that are making you fat, hindering your progress, and are actually the number one reason why you still can’t lose the last 10 lbs
So, without further due here are 7 common diet and lifestyle mistakes you may be making daily unknowingly
1. You Skip Meals
To lose weight, you need to reduce the number of calories you consume and maximize the calories you burn. But it doesn’t mean that you should start skipping meals to reduce your overall calorie intake
What you should do is consume foods that are rich in essential nutrients & fiber but low in calories
Moreover, skipping a meal will not result in the same health benefits as intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting involves eating during a specific time period
Skipping a meal or two is like punishing your body and depriving yourself of nutrients you need to function properly
Skipping your breakfast or lunch is the worst mistake you can commit while trying to lose weight. Here are a few reasons why
- It slows down your metabolism, making it harder for you to lose weight
- Over time your body will go into survival mode which can cause weight gain
- Your food craving will increase
- Skipping meals can make you feel tired all the time, and can also result in nutritional deficiencies
2. Lack of Protein & Fiber in Your Diet
You feel hungry all the time! Do you know why? Because your diet lacks enough protein and fiber
Consuming most of your calories from carbs and fat is not the best choice. Carbs, as well as fat, are far less satiable than protein
A combination of protein & fiber will make you feel fuller for a longer period of time. Moreover, protein takes more time to digest than carbs plus fiber is not digested at all. It just occupies a lot of space in your stomach making you feel full
Protein will also help in boosting your metabolism, maintaining your muscle mass, and reducing your appetite. All the more reason to add more protein & fiber to your diet
3. You Avoid Exercise
I know exercise suck! But it’s one of those things you just have to do. You don’t need to go all out. 30-60 minutes of daily workout is all you need if you want to lose weight or maintain your current weight
Yes, you can lose weight without exercise. But chances are you will gain the weight back again once you stop dieting
A study published in the Journal of Obesity even shows that women in the study group who exercised plus followed a diet lost 25% more weight than women who only dieted
Don’t set yourself up for failure by avoiding the most critical part of weight loss. Here’s a 9-minute morning workout you can perform before the shower to lose weight
4. You Have a Poor Sleep Cycle
If you think your weight is not affected by your sleep routine then think again. A study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion shows that people who have a strict sleep routine have a lower percentage of body fat than those who keep irregular sleep hour
Moreover, study even shows that
- Less than 6.5 hours of sleep and more than 8.5 hours of sleep results in higher body fat
- Going to bed and waking up at the same time is linked to a higher quality of sleep
All you have to do to avoid this simple mistake is go to bed at a fixed time and wake up at a fixed time
An irregular sleep cycle is the worst health mistake you can make. You are not just increasing your weight you are also increasing the chances of various health problems linked with your sleep cycle
5. You Let Cravings Take Over
Craving Unhealthy potentially diet ruining food while you are on a strict diet is a fact! You will experience cravings at some point. No matter what type of motivation you have
The thing that will make a difference is whether you give in or dominate, and most of the time you will give in. I know this because I have ruined my diet routine hundreds of times, if not thousands of times
The important part is getting back up. You will fail, you will lose, but in a way, you should never stop improving yourself. Even if it means avoiding one unhealthy meal and that’s what matters
Don’t beat yourself down if you can’t control your urge to eat something you shouldn’t but keep proper track of it
Every time you mess up your diet, and you keep a record of it Next time, you will have more motivation and grit to stick by your words
6. You Hop From Diet to Diet Too Many Times
I know you want to ensure that you are following the right one. But hopping from diet to diet is destroying your metabolism
There always will be a better diet and Yes, some diets will produce better results than other diets. For instance, You can expect to lose more weight on the keto diet than on the low-fat diet
Still, you should avoid trying all the latest fad diets and just stick to one
According to a survey, 10+ percent of women diet over five times within a year. Don’t you think this is a little too much?
Just pick one diet you think is going to work and follow it. Weight loss is about consistency. No matter how less flamboyant your diet is, it will work if you stick with it
In the last 3 years, I have only followed keto whenever I go off track. And If you are still searching for the right diet, You should give a shot to keto.
A Keto diet is a low carb diet with a moderate amount of protein. The diet works by depleting the body of its sugar reserves which result in the breakdown of fats for energy
Molecules called ketones are formed in the body as fuel
When the body burns fat, it results in weight loss. The Effectiveness of the keto diet has been proved in a lot of Studies
A study on the ketogenic diet even suggest that people who followed the keto diet lost 2.2 times more weight than people on a low-calorie and low-fat diet
This year (2020), I tried the keto diet & I managed to lose around 24.5 pounds in 47 days. So, I am quite sure of its effectiveness.
Moreover, Multiple studies and anecdotal evidence verify the effectiveness of a low-carb and ketogenic diet for fat loss, particularly in the abdominal section.
And yes, it will work perfectly for you even if you are over 40. On the flip side, You may be surprised to know that keto is considered one of the best diets for adults and seniors due to its unique health benefits.
However, keto is a restrictive diet, and to gain any potential benefits from keto, you have to enter ketosis & it’s hard to get into ketosis.
Here’s an article that can help you get into ketosis within the first 3 days & a list of foods you can consume while following the keto diet
Here’s an article on How to Start a Keto Diet? & a 10-Day Keto Diet Meal Plan you can use.
Still, the best & fastest way to lose weight with the keto diet is under the guidance of a nutritionist.
If you wish to follow the keto diet, I would recommend you to consult a nutritionist or If you are like me and consider visiting a nutritionist an unnecessary hassle then you can get a custom keto diet plan from here.
This diet plan will be tailored to your weight loss goals. Moreover, it will help you in avoiding nutrient deficiencies, maintaining ketosis & in preparing healthy meals.
This custom diet plan will also respect your food preferences and will be created based on the expertise of certified nutritionists, personal trainers, and chefs.
Remember, The Keto diet is a medical diet. Utilizing it for losing weight without the proper guidance of a health expert can lower your results.
7. Unrealistic Expectations
If you stay consistent, you will lose weight
But having high expectations is not going to get you anywhere. The only thing it is going to do is make you give up
You may think of it as being positive or using the law of attraction
However, This is not the right way to approach weight loss
Think of your diet, workout as something you do for improving yourself. Make hard work a way of life, a way to move forward
Moreover, don’t depend on results for motivation. Expect to lose if you are not working hard and constantly ask yourself how you can improve
You will not lose weight just because you want to, You will lose weight if you work hard enough. So, focus on hard work and have realistic expectations
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Rudra
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