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6 Things that Sabotage Your Weight Loss

For some people, shedding those extra pounds is quite challenging even though they practice healthy eating habits and exercise a lot. As you know, there are several factors that can affect your weight loss journey. Sometimes, the main reason you’re not getting any progress is due to your daily habits. To give you a better idea, here are the common things that sabotage your weight loss.

1. SHUNNING ALL KINDS OF FATS

In a gram of fat, you’ll get about nine calories. For this reason, a lot of people try to avoid fatty products when they’re trying to shed some pounds. But, did you know that this is one of the most common weight loss mistakes?

In fact, some types of fats can help you lose weight.
Remember, healthful fats like olive oil can make you feel full longer, which curbs your appetite and food cravings. Plus, fats can help in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Some fatty substances can also promote a healthy heart and brain. Thus, regularly eating avocados and nuts will not only help you succeed in your weight loss journey. These fatty foods can also play a vital role in strengthening and improving your overall health.

2. SKIPPING MEALS

Skipping meals is one of the most popular things that sabotage your weight loss. The basic concept of most weight loss programs is to burn more and eat fewer calories. As such, some people will try to cut down their calorie intake by skipping meals. However, this approach will only lead to a slow metabolism and more food cravings.

To avoid a starve-binge cycle, some experts recommend eating three small, yet balanced, meals per day. You can also grab some nutritious and low-calorie snacks to help fuel your body throughout the day. However, keep in mind that you should not go below the recommended daily calories .¨ around 2,000 calories for adult women and 2,400 calories for adult men.

3. OVEREATING HEALTHY FOODS

Aside from those weight loss mistakes, another common habit is eating excessive amounts of nutrient-dense foods. Yes, these products can offer numerous health benefits, but some healthful foods are also rich in calories. An example is almonds. This nut is a favorite afternoon snack due to its energy and mood-boosting effects. However, almonds (100 g) also contain about 576 calories.
Always remember, moderation is a key to a fit and healthy body.

4. FOLLOWING THE SAME FITNESS ROUTINE

In addition to eating habits, your fitness routine is also included in this list of things that sabotage your weight loss. As you know, your body can adapt to challenging tasks like your workouts, especially if constantly performed. This is good because it entails that your body is getting stronger. However, if you keep on doing the same routine over and over again, you will eventually burn fewer calories and halt your progress. The best way to escape a weight loss plateau is to increase the intensity of your exercises. You can also try mixing several fitness programs to add some variety into your routine. In the past, if you’ve only been alternating between Zumba, Pilates, and yoga, think about adding in weight training, trampoline cardio, or bootcamp classes. And if you’re low on time, you can always
turn your housework into workouts.

5. OVER-TRAINING

Oftentimes, when we have a new goal, we try to do a lot of things because of our overwhelming excitement and enthusiasm. However, exercising too much is not the best way to start your fitness or weight loss journey. Over-training may lead to an injury, which may deter you from exercising and burning tons of calories. Additionally, your body releases cortisol (stress hormone) during a workout. While stress is beneficial in short-term, having high levels of cortisol for a long time will result in numerous health problems like a stubborn belly fat. For this reason, experts recommend taking at least one rest day to help your body recuperate. Doing relaxing activities like yoga can also help lower your cortisol levels.

6. NOT SLEEPING ENOUGH

The last in this list of things that sabotage your weight loss is not getting enough rest. Sleep deprivation can lead to abnormal hormone levels. For instance, you’ll experience an increase in ghrelin (hunger hormone) and a decrease in leptin (satiety hormone). This hormone imbalance will eventually result in more food cravings and weight gain. Thus, an effective tip to help you shed those unwanted pounds is to get seven to eight hours of sleep. If you’re having trouble falling and staying asleep, you can try various natural sleep aids such as meditating and drinking a warm cup of chamomile tea.

And there you have it! If you’ve been wondering what those stubborn pounds haven’t budged an inch, hopefully these tips can help you overcome that plateau.

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