Are you struggling to lose weight? You’re not alone. Even if you’re vigilant about sticking to a weight loss routine, tracking your calories, and getting enough exercise, it can be hard to stay on track. And even if you do succeed in losing weight, you’re at a disadvantage. Research shows that: The majority of people who lose weight It usually cannot be maintained for more than a year, due to a phenomenon called “weight cycling.”
But there is good news. Weight does not determine healthIf weight loss is frustrating and feeling futile, give up and focus on the next thing. Other aspects of health Instead, if you’re serious about your weight loss goal, you should try a new approach, like finding the best time of day to exercise.
You should also consider the pitfalls to avoid to increase your chances of success. do not have things to do.
You are thinking short term
While all of the above are harsh truths in some way, they are also some of the hardest to accept (and change). If you approach weight loss with a short-term attitude, you may never get anywhere except on the yo-yo dieting train.
Without a long-term approach to weight loss, you may lose 10 or more pounds in two weeks, then realize the diet isn’t for you and put the weight back on. This is true for many dieters, including those with ketogenic or other diets. Ancientor Fad diets Diets that promise rapid weight loss. In reality, for most people, All Food Groups In the long run, even small snacks can have a huge impact.
To successfully lose weight and keep it off, it’s important to understand that fad diets, excessive exercise, and detoxes usually don’t work. They only last as long as your willpower allows, which probably shouldn’t last more than two weeks to two months.
Despite what the health industry would have you believe, there are no quick fixes, miracle cures, or magic pills when it comes to weight loss. Weight loss requires commitment to a plan that supports long-term healthy habits.
of General Recommendations for Weight Loss Weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week, but if you are very overweight, your initial weight loss may be greater, but then it slows to the recommended 1 to 2 pounds per week. Research shows that this Effective methods Lose weight Excessive loss of fluid and muscle tissue –and Avoid rebound.
Overcoming an “all or nothing” mindset will promote long-term weight loss.
You Practice “All or Nothing” Thinking
Many people who struggle with short-term thinking also struggle with all-or-nothing thinking. I started my health and fitness journey with this mindset. I cut it all out. processed food: no breadNo pasta, no milk, cheese There were no individually packaged snacks either. I basically had chicken, veggies, Berry.
This was great, but then it wasn’t and I ended up buying as many chocolates and Goldfish as I could hold in both hands at CVS. After that I ate as much as my body could physically tolerate because I had “messed” with my diet. “Why not? I’ve already messed it up.”
You then regret the snack and go back to your restrictive diet the next day. A destructive cycle I hate that it has to happen, but I do it all the time with my personal training clients. An all-or-nothing mindset, not to mention the shame and guilt around food, can keep you stuck in a lose-gain-lose cycle.
This all-or-nothing concept also applies to fitness. The most effective workouts to get in shape in the shortest time If you’re not feeling any strength or power gains from moving side to side, you may be overdoing it. Paradoxically, cutting back may be the solution. Improve your fitness (And play the long game).
Having a supportive community, both in real life and online, can help keep you motivated to lose weight and get healthier.
Lack of support system
Having supportive friends, family and loved ones is essential to any successful weight loss effort. If you asked my past personal training clients the most common reason they can’t stick to a healthy diet, I would say “prejudice.”
Yes, it may sound silly, but you can really get made fun of for eating healthy, especially in places where food is an integral part of the culture. Growing up in South Louisiana near New Orleans, I experienced this a lot when I decided to change my eating habits.
At family gatherings and social occasions, I’d get comments like, “Is that all you’re eating?”, “Are you not having dessert?”, or the sarcastic “Next time, let’s have a salad potluck.”
It’s no fun to be mocked and ridiculed, especially for something you care about, like your health. So it’s very easy to fall into the trap of eating and drinking for your social life. That’s why a strong support system is so important for long-term weight loss. Without one, the weight loss journey can be lonely and scary.
If you currently feel like you lack a support system, try talking openly about it with your friends, family, and partner, making it clear that they don’t have to change their diet if they don’t want to, but that you don’t want them to ridicule or belittle your efforts because your health is very important to you.
If your real-life support system doesn’t work for you, turn to online communities that promote both health and body positivity. Flex and Flow on Instagram, Health at Every Size And that Intuitive Eating CommunityThese communities emphasize health without emphasizing weight. Focusing on health outcomes helps because it’s easier to reach a happy weight. Reddit also has great forums (translation:) where you’ll find lots of real weight loss stories.
While exercise is an important part of an overall healthy lifestyle, losing weight through exercise alone is difficult.
I think exercise will solve everything
If you’re even remotely familiar with the health and wellness industry, you know the adage, “Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.” Even if your goals don’t include ripped abs, this adage still holds true: You can’t compensate for an unhealthy diet with exercise.
Exercise should be part of a holistic approach to weight loss because: Proven to help with weight loss (Needless to say, Other Health Benefits) But losing weight through exercise alone is hard. Many people overestimate the number of calories they burn through exercise, but it’s usually much less than you think, and much less than the calories your body burns at rest during the day to maintain your current body shape.
For example, a man weighing 154 pounds Consume less than 450 calories The calories burned during an intense hour-long weightlifting workout can easily go to waste if you don’t pay attention to your diet. The exact number of calories burned during exercise depends on your current weight, the intensity of your workout, the length of your workout, your age, and other factors. Body composition.
Additionally, if you focus solely on exercise, you may get caught in a destructive cycle of exercising extra to burn off calories you feel you shouldn’t eat. Or, you may feel like you need to “earn” calories through exercise. Either way, this approach can lead to a poor relationship between food and exercise, causing your weight loss to stagnate.
Over the years logic People with a lot of muscle mass won’t gain weight even if they eat lots of high-calorie foods because muscle burns more calories at rest. Just because you can lose or keep weight off no matter what you eat doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins, and whole grains is best for sustainable weight loss and good health. Consistent exercise habitsOnce you reach your goal weight, you will experience sustained weight loss and weight maintenance.
Chronic stress and lack of sleep can impede weight loss progress.
Lack of sleep, stress, and overwork
Being chronically stressed makes it much harder to lose weight. lack of sleep Or maybe you’re working too much. This scenario may sound familiar to you.
- you Wake up motivated I’m ready to have a great day and I have plans for after work. Interval Run There’s a healthy, pre-prepared dinner waiting in the fridge.
- A few hours into your day, the lack of sleep hits you. You reach for it in the afternoon. coffee.
- By the time work is done, I’m too exhausted to go for a run, so I decide to skip it.
- You’re tired, a little stressed, or feeling blue, so you skip your healthy dinner and go to the drive-thru instead because you want comforting food.
It’s okay if this happens every once in a while (after all, everyone deserves a lazy night in every now and then), but if it happens all the time, weight loss can seem impossible.
The truth is, nutrition and exercise The only two components of a healthy life It can lead to weight loss. Nutrition and exercise are important, but focusing too much on them can cause you to overlook other factors that are just as important. sleep Stress management.
If you don’t, the supplements won’t work.
Relying too much on supplements
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the fat burner supplement The supplements in your medicine cabinet alone can’t do the work for you. While certain supplements may help you reach your weight loss goals, you’ll need to put in the effort to get the benefits they provide.
For example, if you drink a protein shake every morning, Helps you feel fuller It may help suppress your appetite throughout the day. Increasing your protein intake may help: Helps build muscle,this is Body Reconstruction.
Certain weight loss supplements include Evidence to support thisHowever, supplements like these are unproven in a way that no one would want to take. Eat fewer calories than you burn.
