Trying to Lose Weight? Kick These 6 Habits to the Curb | Global News Avenue

2024 is coming to an end. Have you achieved the fitness goals you set at the beginning of the year? If you’ve been exercising but seeing limited results, it’s possible that some of your habits are holding you back. Some simple changes can help you avoid weight cyclingwhich is when you lose weight and gain it immediately, and start developing healthy habits that you can rely on for a lifetime.

don’t forget Your weight does not determine your health. You should always discuss with your doctor Other aspects of your health You can focus on not losing weight.

These are the main pitfalls you should avoid to help increase your likelihood of fitness success – and the good news is, they’re not as big of a deal as you think.

1. Stop short-term thinking

Everything on this list has some hard truth, but it’s often the hardest to accept (and change). If you approach weight loss with a short-term attitude, you likely won’t succeed anywhere but on the yo-yo weight loss train.

Without a long-term weight loss approach, you might lose 10 or more pounds in two weeks and then gain it back when you find that the program isn’t working for you. When people start a strict diet, e.g. ketone or antiquity or fad diet Promises rapid weight loss. In fact, for most people, a balanced diet includes all food groups There are even some treats that work best in the long run.

Part of successful, sustainable weight loss—losing weight and keeping it off permanently—is understanding that fad diets, excessive exercise, and “detoxes” often don’t work. How long they last depends on your willpower, I bet it won’t be more than two weeks to a few months.

Despite what the health industry may have you believe, there are no quick fixes, magic bullets, or miracle cures when it comes to weight loss. Losing weight requires a plan dedicated to supporting long-term healthy habits.

this General advice for losing weight Lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, although initial weight loss may be greater than in severely overweight people and then slow to the recommended 1 to 2 pounds per week. Research shows this is a effective method No weight loss Losing excess water or lean tissue –as well as avoid rebound.

2. An “all or nothing” mentality can be harmful

Many people who struggle with a short-term attitude also struggle with an “all or nothing” mentality. I started my health and fitness journey with this mindset. I cut them all off processed food: No breadno pasta, no milk, no cheese And there are no individually wrapped snacks. I basically live on chicken, vegetables and berry.

This was awesome, until it didn’t and I ended up running to CVS to buy all the chocolate and goldfish I could hold in my two hands. Then, because I “ruined” my diet, I would eat as much as possible because, “Why not? I’ve ruined it.”

I would then feel bad about the snacks I ate and return to my overly restrictive eating habits the next day. this is a destructive cycle Get involved, but I see this a lot with my personal training clients. An all-or-nothing mentality can trap you in a never-ending lose-lose cycle, not to mention Food shame and guilt.

This all-or-nothing concept also applies to fitness: If you’ve been doing Create the most effective exercise method in the shortest time Move around and not feel healthier or stronger, you might be doing too much. Counterintuitively, turning it down may be the answer to your problem Improve your health (And play the long game).

3. A stronger support system can solve problems

Support from friends, family, and significant others is crucial to successful weight loss. If I were asked to name the most common reasons from my past personal training clients for not adhering to a healthy diet, I would say shame.

that’s right. As silly as it sounds, people do get ridiculed for eating healthily, especially in areas where food is an integral part of the culture. Growing up in southern Louisiana near New Orleans, I experienced this often when I decided to change my eating habits.

At family gatherings and social outings, I would get comments like, “Is that all you’re going to eat?” or, “Are you really not going to have dessert?” Or, full of sarcasm, “Next time we’re going to have a salad. Dinner.”

It’s not fun to be laughed at or ridiculed, especially for something you care about (like your health!), so it’s easy to fall into diet traps – and drink – for your social life. That’s why a solid support system is key to long-term weight loss. Without it, the journey can feel lonely and daunting.

If you currently feel like you lack a support system, try having an open conversation about it with your friends, family, and partner. You can make it clear that you don’t have to change your eating habits if they don’t want to, but your health means a lot to you and you’d appreciate it if they didn’t laugh at or downplay your hard work.

If real-life support systems don’t work, turn to online communities that promote health and body positivity. i really love Flex and Flow on Instagram, Health in all sizes and Intuitive Eating Community. These communities emphasize health over weight, which is helpful because when you focus on health outcomes, you’ll easily reach a weight you’re happy with. Reddit also has a great forum (/r/lost) There you will find many true stories about weight loss.

4. Exercise doesn’t always conquer everything

If you know anything about the wellness industry, you know this saying: “Abs are built in the kitchen, not the gymEven if your goals don’t include losing belly fat, this adage still applies. You just can’t beat a bad diet with exercise.

Exercise should be part of your overall weight loss approach because it Proven to aid weight loss (Not to mention its long list Other health benefits), but it’s difficult to lose weight through exercise alone. Many people overestimate the number of calories they can burn during exercise; it’s usually much less than you think, and far less than what your body would burn just to maintain your current physique at rest during the day.

For example, a 154-pound man Burn less than 450 calories During an intense hour-long weight lifting workout. If you don’t pay attention to your diet, you can easily undo this effort. The exact number of calories you burn during exercise depends on many factors, including your current weight, intensity of activity, length of exercise, your age and weight. body composition.

Plus, focusing solely on exercise can lead to a destructive cycle of exercising extra just to burn off calories you think you shouldn’t be eating. Or you may end up feeling like you need to “earn” calories through exercise. Either way, taking this approach can strain the relationship between food and exercise and lead to stalled weight loss.

Some people, like those who spend years wearing muscle For weight gain, you can eat large amounts of calorie-dense foods without gaining weight because your muscles burn more calories at rest. Even though you can eat whatever you want and lose or maintain weight, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean protein, and some whole grains will be best for sustainable weight loss and health. combine a Consistent exercise habitsonce you reach your goal weight, you will experience continued weight loss and weight maintenance.

5. Sleep more, reduce stress, and eat better

Losing weight will be more difficult if this is you chronic stress, lack of sleep or overworked. This scenario may sound familiar to you:

• you wake up motivated And get ready to seize the day. Do you have plans after get off work? interval running Your healthy dinner is waiting for you in the refrigerator.
• A few hours into the day, you start to become sleep deprived. You arrive in the afternoon coffee.
• By the time the job is over, you’re too exhausted to keep running. You decide to skip it.
• You’re tired, maybe a little stressed or moody, so you forego a healthy dinner in favor of a drive-thru restaurant – because you want comfort food.

It’s okay if this happens every once in a while (everyone deserves a lazy night in once in a while), but if it happens all the time, weight loss can seem impossible.

The truth is, nutrition and exercise There are only two components to a healthy life This can lead to weight loss. While important, focusing too much on nutrition and exercise may cause you to overlook other equally important factors: sleep and stress management.

6. Supplements don’t do all the heavy lifting

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that fat burner Replenish The pills in your medicine cabinet won’t do the job for you. Certain supplements may help you achieve your weight loss goals, but you have to work hard to make the supplement work.

For example, adding a protein shake to your morning meal can Help you feel fuller Throughout the day, this may help suppress your appetite. Increasing protein intake is okay Help you build musclewhich helps body reorganization.

Some weight loss supplements do have some evidence to support thembut no supplement has been proven to do the same as no one wants to take: Taking in fewer calories than you burn.