For those striving to lose weight, it's easy to solely focus on all the practices that you have to incorporate into your daily life. However, keep in mind that there are also some habits or patterns which you should avoid as they could potentially derail all the progress and hard work put in. Several experts hash out commonplace missteps in weight loss journeys that can be detrimental to your progress.
Some people struggle with gaining mass while others find it tough getting rid of their excess weight reveals Daisean Brewster, CPT from Blink Fitness. Brewster elaborates "It's not unusual for individuals trying to shed a few pounds to find themselves stuck in a frustrating cycle of dieting,". If this is ringing true for you, its crucial then re-analyze and reconsider your particular strategy towards losing weight.
If one manages to successfully evade these common mistakes related with losing weight and adopt beneficial everyday behaviors instead, enhancing the efficiency of the efforts made for shedding off extra kilos becomes quite straightforward. Read on ahead if interested in learning more about avoiding these pitfalls tied up with losing weights; additionally check our article named ‘This Is the New 'Magic Number' of Days You Need Exercise To See Results' once done reading here.
Establishing Impractical Objectives
Creating unreachable targets for yourself only results in disappointment, increased stress levels and dissatisfaction. It can even diverge you completely away from your efforts to lose weight. Brewster emphasizes that "formulating pragmatic and achievable objectives is crucial for a successful transformation towards a healthy way of life". Hence, make sure to set goals you are able to realistically accomplish, remembering always to rejoice in every tiny accomplishment on this journey.
Inactivity and Health Consequences
The undeniable health advantages of consistent exercise are astonishing. Research indicates that being regularly active and maintaining an exemplary fitness level correlates with a reduced likelihood of early death from heart disease or other causes. Moreover, numerous studies confirm the essential role of exercise in weight loss efforts. Thus, it's evident that lack of physical activity - essentially leading a sedentary lifestyle - can prove detrimental to achieving desired results.
"Merely dietary changes won't lead to successful weight reduction," states Brewster. "Systematic physical activity is crucial for calorie combustion, developing muscles and enhancing overall wellness. It's important to add both aerobic workouts and strength exercises into your regimen."
Avoiding Meal Times
Contrary to common assumption, bypassing meal periods is the very action you should avoid if weight loss and physique enhancement are your goals. Brewster cautions that a widespread belief exists suggesting avoiding meals contributes to weight reduction; however, it can lead to harmful consequences. Forgoing meal times has potential yet often unconsidered downsides: one being that it tends to decrease your metabolic rate and another more worrying result--it encourages binge eating later in the day.
Expecting to shed pounds rapidly always seems enticing when you're looking to slim down, yet be wary of trendy diets. "Such fashionable diets frequently pledge rapid effects but usually lack scientific proof and are not sustainable," warns Brewster. "On the contrary, emphasize on implementing a well balanced and nutritious diet plan that is manageable for an extended period."
Total Removal of Specific Food Categories
Choosing to entirely avoid a particular type of food or specific ingredients in your diet like carbs, fat, sugar, or gluten, is a detrimental practice. This view aligns with the opinion of Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, Founder and Director at Real Nutrition. Based in New York City, this private organization focuses on helping clients achieve their health goals by guiding them towards optimal nutrition and overall wellness.
Shapiro informs us saying: "Such strategies are severe and usually untenable particularly when living with others or spending time around people who do not share similar dietary constraints". While you may initially observe some positive outcomes from such practices, maintaining them proves quite difficult over the long run. Additionally once you readopt these excluded diets into your eating habits any previously lost weight will likely return even more than before."
Typically, individuals aiming to lose weight resort to calorie and food reduction, being particularly stringent initially. Nonetheless, such practice isn't long-lasting and could lead to you consuming more calories over time and regaining all the lost weight.
According to Shapiro, "If a person employs drastic calorie limitations for weight loss, their metabolism naturally slows down as the body attempts to preserve mass. This causes a drop in one's metabolic rate; thereby necessitating fewer calories intake. Attaining a certain desirable weight becomes even harder when it comes maintaining it."
Overdoing Exercise
Going overboard with anything is usually harmful, and this rule even applies to positive practices. Consider physical activity as an example of this. Striving tirelessly to burn all the calories you take in can prove unsustainable.
Many individuals often tend to overestimate the number of calories they shed via workouts, leading them think they are allowed larger food portions than what's actually permissible," declares Shapiro. Additionally, rigorous exercise routines stimulate hunger pangs which makes maintaining a nutritious diet - required for weight reduction - increasingly challenging due their increased appetite levels. Once your stomach starts ruling your choices, that's when you're most likely to go off track from your diet regime altogether. To top it all off, if an injury strikes – maintaining a high level of exercise routine becomes impossible thus proving this approach unsustainable."
Neglecting Strength Training
While cardiovascular exercises are beneficial, a well-rounded workout routine needs to incorporate both cardio and strength training elements for effective weight loss. Ignoring weightlifting is among the gravest blunders you can make in your quest for shedding kilograms. This is because our muscle mass boosts metabolism, hence increasingly vital to safeguard or amplify it.
"During their endeavours to lose weight, most individuals undertake more cardio workouts rather than strength training," indicates Shapiro. "Such an approach often results in muscle wasting instead of development, leading to a slowdown in metabolism over time — this constrains the amount of calories consumed and complicates losing/maintaining lost weight. I would advise incorporating strength-training drills into your fitness regime at least twice weekly; this helps keep your muscles robust and metabolism active."
Consuming "Diet" Food
There exists a vast array of pre-packaged food items on the market today that claim to offer "low-carb", "healthy", or even "fat-free" benefits. However, according to Shapiro, more often than not these are mere advertising tactics that fail to meet their purported claims.
"These types of foods undergo extensive processing and usually consist of ingredients that lack health value, void essential nutrients, or possess artificial sweeteners harmful for your health which can trigger further cravings and result in weight gain," she explains. "Prioritize consuming whole foods initially and resort to these packaged commodities solely when required. Be sure to peruse nutrition labels as well as ingredient lists."
Inadequate Protein Consumption
Eating a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich foods and sufficient protein all contribute to a healthy diet that encourages weight loss. Prioritize lean proteins including fish, beef, chicken tofu, shellfish beans and eggs.
As Shapiro recommends when you're aiming for weight loss - "Consume one gram of protein per pound of your target body weight." As our bodies burn more energy digesting protein than other macronutrients it helps in preserving muscle mass while shedding excess weight. Not only does adequate protein intake keep us satiated longer but also prevents fluctuations in blood sugar levels which can trigger hunger and lead to overeating by maintaining high metabolism rates. Therefore its consumption will help control hunger pangs whilst preventing surges or drops in blood sugar that may result in excessive food intake.
The Importance of Paying Attention to Serving Sizes
Paying attention to serving sizes is crucial in weight loss and neglecting this factor can lead to undesirable changes in your body mass. Based on a 2004 research published in Obesity Research, it was observed that 38% of the obese participants who consistently controlled their meal portions for two years reduced more than 5% of their initial weight. In contrast, around 33% who didn't manage portions saw an increase equal or more than 5% from their initial weight.
Brewster states "Despite consuming healthy foods, if one ingests too many calories then it hampers weight loss". It's essential not only pay attention to serving sizes but also practice mindfulness while eating as this aids in preventing overconsumption.
Insufficient Sleep
Significant error in weight loss plans could be the lack of adequate rest. Though it may seem like resting doesn't directly contribute to your weight shedding goals, granting your body enough time for rejuvenation and recuperation is fundamentally crucial. Brewster clarifies that "Inadequate sleep can cause a disruption in hormones regulating hunger, leading to intensified food yearnings". He advocates aiming for seven to eight hours of sound sleep every night to back up your efforts towards losing weight.
