Most women become frustrated and overwhelmed with how much time and effort they put into losing weight. How is it possible that everything they do leads to no results and even more weight gain?
Are you someone who has tried it all and continues to struggle with weight loss? You might not realize it, but you could be putting up roadblocks for yourself. Keep reading if you want to find out what these are.
#1 - Over-exercising, under-eating...
"But I thought it's all about calories in and calories out? This doesn't make sense".
Not so fast. Your body is smart. It wants to preserve energy and it will do so by slowing down your metabolism when it senses it's under too much stress, and isn't being met with adequate nutrition.
#2 - Focusing solely on "healthy" food
Healthy is not indicative of weight loss. It doesn't matter if it's an açaí bowl, guacamole, or dried fruit. You need to be aware of HOW MUCH you are eating.
#3 - No structured training program
You need to follow a progressive overload program to build muscle and strength. Random IG workouts are not going to give you the results you want. Know what your goals are, find a program that aligns with them, and follow it consistently for 3 months.
#4 - Not tracking liquid calories
It's easy to go over your calories when you're drinking them. Starbucks, Naked juices, alcohol and soda are made up of empty calories that add up quickly and do not fill you up. Avoid consuming too many liquid calories and when you're in the mood for them, make sure you hold yourself accountable.
#5 - Chronic dieting
Diets are stressful to the body. If you have been on low calorie diets for prolonged periods of time you are not supplying your body with what it needs, this will eventually lead to a low metabolic state. This suppresses your thyroid and causes your body to not function optimally.
#6 - Low protein intake
Protein is the most under consumed macronutrient and it is by far the most important when trying to achieve improved body composition. Protein is crucial for hormone production, supporting blood sugar, thyroid, build and repair muscle tissue, and more. Protein requirements are different for everyone but no one woman should be under 80-100 grams per day.
#7 - Not consistent
It's not about doing things when you feel like doing them. It's about commitment, dedication, and not giving up after two weeks because you haven't seen progress. Make exercise and good nutrition a habit by making them a part of your daily to-do's.
#8 - Pay too much importance to scale
While the scale can tell you how much you weigh, it doesn't tell you something far more important: your body composition. This is the the amount of fat, bone, water, and muscle in the body. The problem is the focus is typically on how many pounds we're losing, but what we're actually looking for is how much fat we're losing - something the scale can't discern.
#9 - Neglicting sleep
Nothing will "boost" your metabolism the way getting quality sleep every night will. Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night.
#10 - Fads
People tend to jump on the quickest, easiest way to achieve fat loss and end up disappointed when they gain more weight. This is what fad diets to your metabolism Sure you might lose some weight in the beginning, but the negative outweighs the short lived positive results.
You will achieve your goals when you come to terms that it will not happen overnight. Nail your sleep, eat well, and move your body daily to see the results you are looking for. Remember, it takes months, years, a life to build your best and healthiest body.