When starting a weight-loss program, it’s the norm to get bombarded by all these myths and misconceptions and get misguided by all these ‘tips’ that are supposedly going to help you lose weight faster. First thing you should know is that there is no shortcut to weight-loss. A proper and healthy weight-loss with long-term effects requires time, effort and dedication. Keep reading to find out all the other mistakes you’re making that are keeping you from achieving the optimum results from your dieting and workouts.
Mistake 1. You Skip Meals/ starve yourself.
Your body needs energy and nutrients to sustain itself and perform all its vital bodily functions. The energy and nutrients is derived from the food you consume. So if you skip meals, you are depriving your body of these nutrients taht are important to keep your metabolism going which would help you burn more calories. Research has shown that meal-eaters lose weight faster than meal-skippers. And by skipping a meal, you are more likely to overeat during the next meal which just sets you back.
Mistake 2. You think foods labeled “low fat” or “fat-free” have less calories.
Don’t be fooled by good marketing strategies. Those foods are infused with lots of refined carbohydrates and loads of sugar to make up for the lack of fat so as to make it palatable. Those additives will only set you back in your weight-loss goals.
Mistake 3. You disregard the liquid calories.
Be it Punches, sodas or juices. These liquids contain loads of calories (carbs and sugar) that is processed and stored as fat in the body once it is consumed. When you swap those calorie-dense liquids for water, you will dramatically reduce your calorie intake.
Mistake 4. Count every calorie
You won’t lose any weight if at the end of the day you consume more calories than you burn. While you may think you’re on the right path with those salads, sugar-less coffees and lean meat, it can be very easy to overlook calories hidden away in the small things like salad dressings and coffee creamers. Far too many people make this fatal weight-loss mistake and unfortunately, they don’t even realize it and simply give up after a few months of disappointing or no results.
The key here is to refer to product labels for every food item, no matter how small, and take note of its ingredients. Only when you know exactly what you are consuming can you regulate your calorie intake which is consequently essential to successful weight-loss.
Mistake 5. You fall for “ so-called magic ” diets
As we said earlier, there are no shortcuts to weight-loss. However, there are lots of highly exaggerated diets out there that would have you believe that it is possible to magically lose weight by taking slimming pills, eating a specified diet or doing a certain exercise regime.
Weight-loss is a long and slow journey that requires patience, effort and dedication in order to be done healthily and to reap the optimum benefits.. The exaggerated shortcuts do not give you long-term effects which means you are most likely to gain back all the weight you “ magically “ lost.