According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.9 billion adults were reported to be obese in 2016. The rate of obesity is growing at a rapid rate and has nearly tripled since 1975. Our rapid lifestyles and reliance on junk food for feeding ourselves is the reason to blame for this.
With the explosion of life coaching and other forms of structured personal growth models, people are becoming more conscious of themselves. They take care of their diet and put in the effort to control their weight. Diets are exercise are the most common ways people turn to when they want to control their weight.
However, in the race of losing weight, people often tend to do more harm than good. Here is a list of common mistakes people tend to make during their weight loss journey that can impact their health adversely:
- Skipping Meals
Trying to lose weight or not, your body is still in need of the vital nutrients that it requires to function properly. People often skip meals with the intention to reduce their calorie intake but in reality, all this does is deprive them of the energy they need.
Rather than skipping meals, it is recommended to reduce the portion size. This way, the body still gets the fuel it needs and also prevents one from snacking throughout the day
- Preferring Diet Foods When planning to go on a diet, the first step is usually to stock up on diet foods. We fail to realize that these foods are mostly processed and artificially manufactured. They lack the goodness and nutrition of natural fruits and vegetables.
Moreover, in order to improve their taste, these items are loaded with sugar and salts. One cup of low-fat yogurt contains around 6 tablespoons of sugar which is thrice the amount of regular flavored sugar. In a nutshell, these products are nothing but a trap that will set your weight loss journey back by a mile.
- Not Paying Attention To Labels
Most of the people go to market, a bag of chips that says “Made with all-natural ingredients” catches their attention and they happily put it in their trolley. What they don’t realize is that they have just purchased a bag of chips with at least 1217 calories and numerous salts and artificial flavors.
This is a very common mistake in terms of weight loss. Enough emphasis cannot be laid on the significance of reading labels properly before purchasing goods.
Read the ingredients, nutritional facts and also the proposed serving size before consuming any good so you are aware of what and how much you are consuming.
- Ignoring Sugars In Drinks And Snacks
Despite being on a diet, people do tend to consume their regular amount of coffee or munch on a couple of snacks every now and then. Have you ever wondered about the amount of sugar that you are consuming through this?
A cup of coffee has 460 calories. It is not necessary that one gives up on coffee or tea, but the amount can be reduced and the sugar and milk can be avoided as much as possible. Keeping a close eye on the calories one is consuming in the form of drinks is an eye-opener in most cases.
- Not Taking Proper Sleep
It may seem like sleep and weight loss are two completely irrelevant things. However, in reality, the quality and the amount of sleep one is getting has a direct impact on the hormone “Ghrelin” which is responsible for inducing hunger. Poor sleep schedule can lead to the overproduction of ghrelin as the body is trying to recover and compensate. This increases one’s urge to eat and thus proves to be a hurdle in one’s weight loss journey.
- Setting Unrealistic Goals
Weight loss is a slow and time taking process. There are many products, diet plans and fitness routines that are marketed to help you lose pounds at a rapid rate. But be aware that such statements are nothing but a marketing strategy that is presented to attract customers and boost sales.
Setting goals and milestones while losing weight is important. But so is ensuring that they are realistic, achievable and do not take a toll on your overall health and well being.
- Relying On The Number On The Weighing Scale
One of the things people desperately do when they are trying to lose weight is to stand on the weighing scale. When the number on the weighing screen does not seem to drop, it causes sheer disappointment and stress.
Most people fail to realize the fact that weight is based on many different factors e.g. hormonal change and water retention. Therefore, it is normal for one’s weight to fluctuate by a couple of pounds throughout the day. Hence, relying on the weighing scale will do you no good.
- Consuming the Wrong Amount Of Calories
The most common way people believe work for weight reduction is to go on a calorie deficit diet. The idea behind a calorie deficit diet is that one must burn more calories than he consumes.
Over the last couple of years, the notion that reducing intake of 3500 calories per week would lead to a one-pound loss of weight became very common. But what people fail to realize is that everyone has unique needs and varied lifestyles. There is no magic formula that can suit everyone. A balance should be maintained, and one should neither consume too many nor too few calories when trying to lose weight.
Conclusion
Being aware of the fact that you need to lose weight means that you have already accomplished the first milestone in your weight loss journey. It is important to stay patient and persistent. Your efforts are not going in vain and will soon bear fruit.
Be honest with yourself, stick to your diet and exercise schedule but at the same time, keep an eye on your overall health as well. Listen to what your body says to you and act accordingly.
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