Losing weight, when done the right way, isn’t difficult at all. Just ensure the number of calories you consume each day is less than the number of calories burnt, and your body will start burning fat. The reason dieting has gained notoriety as something that is close to impossible is because there is a lot of misinformation out there, and many dieters are simply not doing it right. Here are our top five common dieting mistakes.
Allowing yourself to get too hungry
While losing weight requires you to restrict the number of calories you consume, allowing yourself to get too hungry can throw your body into starvation mode and lower your metabolism, meaning your body will start burning calories at a lower rate. You should restrict the total number of calories consumed in a day, but split these up into many small meals to ensure you never feel like you’re starving at any point.
Not watching what beverages you drink
It’s easy enough to catch yourself before you start wolfing down that pizza or scarfing that pint of ice cream. It’s harder to monitor your beverage consumption, especially when you’re used to having multiple coffees each morning, or one too many beers at the pub. Soda, beer, cocktails and coffee with milk contain a significant number of calories and your consumption of such beverages should be curbed if you are serious about wanting to lose weight.
Not getting enough sleep
Studies have shown that fatigue from lack of sleep causes people to experience more hunger, and people who are regularly sleep deprived are more likely to be obese. Rest up to put yourself in a better mood the next day, and you’ll be less likely to resort to impulse eating.
Too much processed food
It can be tempting to skip the fresh food aisles when you go to the supermarket in favour of more convenient and more tempting processed foods such as frozen meals, biscuits and chips. Other than being full of unhealthy ingredients, processed foods tend to be high in sugar and calories. Don’t be fooled by labels claiming products are low fat, as that doesn’t mean they are low in sugar or calories. Popular processed foods such as granola bars are actually a terrible option due to their high sugar content despite the fact that they are often marketed as being healthy.
Not doing enough cardio
While you might be spending hours in the gym to complement your new diet, if you still don’t seem to be losing weight you might be exercising the wrong way. Exercises that help you burn as many calories as possible are most effective in contributing to weight loss. If you’ve been focusing on lifting weights or yoga, you might want to change your routine to include more cardio by swimming, cycling and running instead.
Losing weight doesn’t have to be painful or hard. If you make smart choices and steer clear of the common mistakes most dieters make, getting to your ideal weight is definitely achievable.
About the author:
Romayne Warner is a full time self-employed blogging fanatic. Obsessed with finding small ways to save money every day, she enjoys sharing her frugal lifestyle tips and tricks with the world, she regularly writes about healthy living and health insurance related topics.