After talking to a diverse number of people, I have found a few basic issues they have in common. Here are 15 saboteurs that often stall the progress of “yo-yo diet and weight-cycling” victims.
1. Not exercising enough, if at all
You can only decrease calories so much. Your other alternative is to increase the number of calories you burn. Get moving more often.
2. Exercising, but not weight training
Weight training is critical to maintaining your muscle mass and tone. If you’re not weight training while trying to lose weight, you will lose muscle mass and tone and lower the rate at which you burn calories
3. Consuming more calories per day than you think
Some dieters exceed their calorie budget by over 500 calories per day! If you’re not sure, write down everything you eat and drink for a few days. Keeping an intake log and paying attention can help you be accountable and stay on track.
4. Consuming more fat than you think
Limiting non-healthy fat intake is important for everyone. Be mindful of the types of fat you consume, and try to avoid more than one high-fat splurge item in one day. Fat is calorie dense, and most kinds are nutritionally poor.
5. Wanting instant results
When instant results don’t happen, many people either give up or go on some crazy diet. You have to be resolved to the fact that permanent weight loss will happen slowly!
6. Skipping meals
Skipping meals is bad because it slows your metabolism, causing you to burn fewer calories in a day. Every four hours, refuel.
7. Consuming too many refined carbohydrates
These foods give you very few nutrients for the calorie content and are rapidly absorbed by the body. This rapid absorption spikes your blood sugar, which can cause a nasty rebound crash.
8. Consuming too few fruits and vegetables
Neglecting this part of your diet causes a lack of vital nutrients. The body is designed to utilize all the food groups for optimum performance. Fruits and vegetables provide needed dietary fiber and fill you up naturally.
9. Not wanting to give up or limit alcohol
Alcohol is a triple whammy—it stimulates your appetite, slows your metabolism, and is loaded with calories! Alcohol also lowers your inhibitions, a situation that can lead you to make poor choices.
10. Consuming too many highly processed foods or foods containing artificial additives and preservatives
Additives and preservatives are found in most boxed or canned items. This is how nonperishable foods are able to stay on the shelf without spoiling. The body doesn’t recognize these altered substances readily, and as a result you may not get the fullness signal sent to your brain.
11. Consuming too many artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners stimulate the pancreas to release insulin, just like sugar would.Insulin causes your body to store fat and prohibits your body from burning fat for fuel. Yet because artificial sweeteners are low in calories, they do not give your body the same sense of fullness it receives from real sugar.
12. Always eating until you are full
Aim to stop eating just before you’re full, and see how you feel thirty minutes later. Chances are good that you will feel satisfied by that time. It takes at least 20-30 minutes for your brain to get the fullness signal.
13. Not addressing carb sensitivity
People who are carbohydrate sensitive (CS) need to eat in a way that reduces cravings and creates feelings of fullness. If this is not done, the CS person will always struggle with excess weight. They need a protein to carb balance.
14. Hit and miss efforts and lack of consistent commitment
It is easier to eat what you feel like eating when you have time to eat it. But in order to feel good, have energy, and be healthy, you will need to plan and prepare. You can achieve your goals slowly through the moderate, gradual, and consistent changes. It is better to set the bar lower and actually stick to it.
15. Trying to reach an unrealistic goal
For success, evaluate and choose a realistic goal. Often, people meet those elusive goals only when they stop trying so hard to reach them. Pick a new realistic goal that allows you to have a lifestyle in which you can maintain it.
0 Comments