In the battle for weight loss, it can feel like you’re constantly playing defense. Even when you’ve got your best intentions in mind, everyday life and stressors from work, family, and friends often get in the way of your goals. It’s easy to fall into destructive habits like stress-eating or skipping meals as a way to cope with these external pressures. In fact, almost anyone trying to lose weight struggles with sabotaging their own efforts at some point. To lose weight and keep it off requires a combination of smart eating habits and an active lifestyle. While there are many different ways that you can sabotage your weight loss plan, the good news is that they are all preventable if you’re willing to put in the effort. Here are 7 ways you could be sabotaging your weight-loss goals.
How To Starve Yourself?
You Don’t Have a Realistic Plan
The most common mistake that people make when trying to lose weight is not having a realistic plan for what they can achieve in a given time frame. Living a healthy lifestyle is a lifelong commitment that requires you to make sustainable choices for the long term. People want to lose weight fast because they feel like they have to look perfect right now. No matter how hard you try, there’s no way to lose weight overnight. It can take several months to lose just a few pounds. It’s best to start with a modest goal based on the rate at which your body burns calories and the amount of weight that you can realistically expect to lose each week.
You Eat Too many Calories
Weight loss is a numbers game. You need to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. The trouble is that it’s not always easy to figure out how many calories you should be eating. For most people, counting calories works as a weight-loss strategy. The more you know about how many calories you’re consuming, the easier it will be to lose weight. The easiest way to calculate your calorie needs is to use an online calculator. You can also use an app like MyFitnessPal to log the calories in everything you eat. Tracking your calories will make it easier to lose weight if you are eating too many. At the same time, if you’re not consuming enough calories, you won’t have the energy that you need to be active.
You Overeat During Meals
Eating three balanced meals a day is the foundation of almost any good diet plan. If you’re trying to lose weight, you should avoid eating too many snacks between meals. If you feel hungry between meals, make sure it’s because you’ve actually worked off the calories that you’ve eaten. Many people who are trying to lose weight end up overeating during meals, often because they are eating out or eating too large a portion from a takeaway. It’s easy to underestimate the number of calories in a meal when you’re eating out. It’s also easy to eat too quickly without realizing how much you’re actually consuming.
You Lack Sleep and Activity
Many people don’t realize that lack of sleep and lack of activity both contribute to weight gain. When you don’t get enough sleep, your hormones are thrown out of balance. This can cause you to eat more and burn fewer calories over the course of the day. Lifting weights is one of the most effective ways to burn calories, especially if you push yourself really hard. Unfortunately, many people who are trying to lose weight don’t engage in enough physical activity to see a real difference in their weight. It’s easy to think that you don’t have time to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. It’s also easy to think that you don’t have time to get enough sleep each night.
You Binge and Deprive on the Same Day
Many people who are trying to lose weight end up swinging back and forth between binges and periods of extreme deprivation. This is never a sustainable way to lose weight. It’s also never a healthy way to live. When you’re binge eating, you’re likely consuming a high number of calories. The human body burns calories at a slower rate when it’s digesting food. This can lead to weight gain even if you are eating low-fat, low-calorie foods. When you’re in a period of extreme deprivation, it’s easy to end up feeling resentful and deprived. You’re also more likely to give in to cravings when you’re not getting enough calories and nutrients.
You Struggle to Stick With Healthy Food Choices
Most people who are trying to lose weight would benefit from reducing the number of processed foods in their diet. This includes foods like white bread, sugary breakfast cereals, and highly processed snacks. Unfortunately, many people who are trying to lose weight struggle to stick with healthy food choices. This often happens because they’re not giving themselves enough variety or they’re trying to follow an overly strict diet plan. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s a good idea to reduce your intake of processed foods. It’s also a good idea to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. There is no need to cut out every single food that you like because it has sugar in it.
You’re not eating enough healthy food
If you’re eating too few calories and trying to lose weight, it’s entirely possible to end up malnourished. This can lead to a variety of dangerous health issues. It can also make it extremely difficult to lose weight. If you’re not eating enough healthy food while you’re trying to lose weight, you won’t have the energy that you need to be active. You won’t be able to focus on your daily tasks. You may also find that you struggle to get a good night’s sleep. It’s important to make sure that you’re getting enough calories when you’re trying to lose weight. It’s also important to make sure that your diet is balanced.
You’re exercising too much, too soon
If you’ve never exercised regularly before, it’s not a good idea to start an intense exercise routine to drop a few pounds. This is especially true if you’re engaging in high-intensity workouts that make you sweat heavily. Anyone trying to lose weight should start by increasing the amount of daily activity that they do. It’s good to aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity a day. This can include things like outdoor walking, gardening, or household DIY projects. It’s important to increase your daily activity level before you start trying to exercise intensely. This will allow your body time to get used to being more active on a daily basis.
You’re basing your diet on deprivation
Many diets rely on deprivation to produce results for people who are trying to lose weight. While these diets may lead to short-term weight loss, ultimately they’re unsustainable. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to follow a sensible eating plan that you can stick with forever. It’s a good idea to reduce the number of processed foods you eat while increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. There is no need to cut out certain foods entirely, however. It’s also important to make sure that you’re getting enough calories.
Conclusion
Weight loss is a numbers game. You need to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. The trouble is that it’s not always easy to figure out how many calories you should be eating. For most people, counting calories works as a weight-loss strategy. The more you know about how many calories you’re consuming, the easier it will be to lose weight. If you’re struggling with your weight, the best place to start is by getting a better handle on your daily caloric intake.
