What Are You Doing To Sabotage Your Plans For Losing Weight?
What Are You Doing To Sabotage Your Plans For Losing Weight?
It sometimes seems like there’s an invisible force stopping us from reaching our weight loss goals, doesn’t it?
There is! It’s our own minds and bodies, and they’re sabotaging your efforts to lose weight.
That doesn’t mean your mind and body intentionally want to harm you.
Craving is the body helping you survive. Or so it believes!
Losing weight isn’t an easy adventure. When you first decide you’ll lose some weight, you really want to do everything possible to be successful. Some take the steps to prepare their kitchen by getting rid of junk foods, they might give up eating out for the first month, and others instantly give up consuming sodas and bread.
There isn’t a single path to effectively losing weight, but there are a number things you can do unknowingly to derail your own weight loss plans.
Not sure if you are the one causing difficulties attaining your weight loss goals?
Here are eight things you might be doing to sabotage your weight loss plans.
1 – Out Of Control Stress Levels
How good are you at managing your stress levels?
Many studies demonstrate that failing to take control of our stress contributes to health problems, especially unwanted weight gain.
Stress causes our cortisol levels to slowly rise, making our gut hold on to fat cells, triggering an increase in appetite and of course getting fatter around the middle.
2 – Out Of Control Eating Habits
Some of us aren’t so great at measuring portion sizes or counting calories for each of our meals. If you’re not keeping track of what you eat, you’re probably eating way too much. Studies show that people frequently underestimate the number of calories they consume and this can stall your weight loss efforts.
Want to take control of your portion sizes and calorie count?
Here are a few things you can do:• Download weight loss apps like Lose It or MyFitnessPal to help you monitor your calories, fat, and carbohydrate intake. Adjust where you need to.
• Keep a food diary throughout the day if you are not a fan of apps
• Be honest with yourself about what you are consuming and potentially contributing to your weight loss stall
3 – Succumbing To Cravings
Craving for sugar can come from lack of protein or healthy fats. Check that out first and see if the cravings lessen.
Of course cravings can happen because you suddenly stop foods you have a habit of eating. The body freaks out and sends out all kinds of messages that you must have it.
Don’t give in to these cravings. Accept them and appease the body with a sugar-free protein shake or smoothie. Drinking a big glass of water can also help with cravings. Being thirsty can sometimes be mistaken for being hungry. Try it.
If you keep directing your attention to healthy choices when you have cravings, eventually you’ll change the habits. Oh and of course you’ll be much healthier.
4 – Not Getting Enough Quality Sleep
Never underestimate the power of a good night’s rest when it comes to your waistline and the scale. According to the National Sleep Foundation, we should aim for eight to nine hours of good quality sleep each night for good health. Sorry, no exceptions!
Sleep deprivation can have a horrific effect on our health, raising the risk for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, and obesity.
Poor sleeping habits can raise stress hormone levels in your body, tricking it into holding on tightly to fat cells.
Also, late night cravings increase those numbers on the scale.
You should know the rules by now, but here’s a friendly reminder of what you need to do to achieve a healthy amount of sleep:
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
Stay away from alcohol, nicotine & caffeine before bedtime
Keep time to no more than 20 minutes
Turn off all your devices 1-2 hours before going to bed
5 – You’re Not Getting Enough Exercise
You can completely change the foods you eat to experience some weight loss results. You should also consider adding some form of physical exercise into your daily regimen to help get your heart rate up and get your blood moving. It doesn’t have to be a lot.
You might try taking a long walk (i.e. 30 minutes), swimming or cycling to add a bit of physical training to your day. If none of these things are for you, look for fitness classes like kickboxing, yoga or Zumba to get your blood flowing and calories burning.
6 – Eating Too Late At Night
Are you guilty of making a late-night trip to the fridge?
Late-night munchies sabotage your weight loss goals. Eating triggers a variety of reactions within our body including an increase in your blood sugar, body temperature, and other responses that can make it harder for our body to burn fat naturally.
You should aim to eat dinner three hours before going to sleep at the latest. Take precautions with late-night snacking too. Choose snacks that are low in fat or high in protein.
7 – Not Consuming Enough Protein Or Healthy Fats
Protein can have a positive effect on your weight loss efforts. Diets that contain 15 to 25 percent protein can help you avoid consuming too many calories every day.
Protein is filling and has a natural way of keeping cravings away. As I mentioned earlier, sugar cravings can be attributed to a lack of protein.
8 – You’re Not Drinking The Right Amount of Water
Water consumption remains a vital part of any weight loss plan. You should drink a minimum of eight glasses of water each day to ensure you are adequately hydrated. Your body needs the right level of hydration to transport vital nutrients that could contribute to weight loss.
Apparently the body can’t distinguish between hunger and thirst. That’s why it’s important to stay hydrated. Lack of water may lead to overeating.
Additionally, studies demonstrate that water boosts your metabolism.
These are just eight things you might be doing to sabotage your weight loss plans. If one or more of these sabotaging acts applies to your lifestyle, take steps today to slowly make a change to your actions and keep an eye out for better results.
More importantly, though, be kind to yourself no matter what!
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
The 28 Day Keto Challenge….
This is the best Keto Resource for anyone wanting to be successful with the Keto Diet!