Have you tried every weight loss trick but still not losing weight?
Now, most articles on the web don’t look into all aspects of weight loss. Vague advice like eat less, move more won’t guarantee weight loss. So in this article, I will discuss habits that stop folks from attaining ideal weight even when they eat healthy and exercise.
Here you go – 10 more habits that may be sabotaging your weight loss efforts.
#1 Eating mindlessly
Chances are you’ll overeat if you eat while focusing on other things. In fact, most people only realize they’ve binged after they finish the food.
Research shows mindful eating will help you eat less and lose weight. And it’ll also reduce chances of bingeing.
From today learn to focus on eating only. Don’t watch the TV, or listen to music, or use the phone while eating. Sit at a table, focus on the food in front of you and chew every bite slowly.
#2 Eating straight from the bag
Researchers have found that people eat more when they eat snacks straight from the bag. You can’t tell how much you’ve eaten when you eat from a bag.
Put your crisps or nuts in a plate or bowl and eat from there. That way you’ll recognize when you’ve had enough and stop.
#3 Not eating enough food
Maintaining high calorie deficits may work for a few days. But soon the side effectswill start kicking in. You’ll start feeling hungry all the time, metabolism will slow down, you’ll lose muscles and fat loss hormones will be damaged.
The body needs enough energy from food to function properly. Don’t maintain a calorie deficit higher than 25% of your maintenance.
#4 Binge eating
Binge eating is when people lose control of food and continue eating even after they’re physically full. And most times they experience feelings of guilt and shame afterwards. Sometimes binge eating goes on for long and eventually dieters fall off the wagon.
Some binge eaters are addicted to certain foods. So avoid foods which make you lose control. Frankly, abstinence is the only way to beat addiction.
#5 Relying on healthy drinks for weight loss
If losing weight was as easy as drinking green tea every day, we would all be lean. Healthy drinks like green tea have weight loss benefits but they can’t transform your body. You still need to maintain a calorie deficit and exercise.
Even the best fat burner supplements won’t get rid of the excess fat.
#6 Switching diets
Most folks try to change diets when they don’t see results. Then they get bored with the new diet and start looking for the next one.
The problem is not the diets – it’s your eating habits. You might be on the best diet in the world, but if you lack discipline you won’t lose weight. Switching diets may lead to yo-yo dieting, which by the way, studies show that it damages metabolism and makes it harder to lose fat in future.
Frankly, there’s no superior diet out there – they are different approaches to eating healthy and maintaining calorie deficit. In fact, you don’t need to follow any diet, just stick to the advice in this article.
#7 Lack of enough sleep
Studies show that lack of sleep causes weight gain. It also raises cortisol levels which in return cause inflammation and makes fat settle around the abdominal area. Additionally, lack of sleep causes fatigue and headaches which can reduce your workout performance.
Make sure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Here’s how to ensure you get a full night deep sleep – keep the room dark, reduce noises from outside by using white noise, don’t watch TV before bed and so on. Check out 20 tips for sleeping better every night.
#8 Not consuming enough fats
Most people don’t consume enough fats, especially omega 3 fatty acids. As I mentioned earlier, we get omega 6s from many sources. And the more omega 6s we eat the more omega 3s we need.
Research shows that you should maintain a ratio of 2:1 of omega 6s and omega 3s, respectively. The best sources of omega 3s are salmon, fish oil and krill oil.
#9 Emotional eating
Many people turn to food when they are depressed, sad, lonely, or excited. These emotions raise cortisol level and trigger a fight or flight response, which stimulates appetite.
Learn to deal with emotions without involving food. Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress. This study shows that playing sports may help but won’t fix the problem. So seek professional help if nothing seems to work.
#10 Focusing too much on the scale
Weighing yourself several times a day is not a good idea. There’s no real weight loss that can happen within hours. Weight fluctuates up and down due to water weight.
Weight going up by a pound or two can be depressing and lead to emotional eating. Step on the scale once or twice a week. Just focus on eating healthy and exercising.