Many of us are guilty of doing crazy, ridiculous, and downright shocking things, in the name of losing weight. Sometimes the lure of quick results (and minimal effort) is too much to ignore. There are also more common, less insane, things we do in an effort to slim down. These long-held methods may even work at first but they don’t continue to work and before you know it, you’ve regained any weight you’ve lost and added a little extra on top!
If you’re looking to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way, it is best you avoid doing the following 5 things:
- Have a cut off time for eating
We’ve all heard it: if you want to lose weight, don’t eat after 6 p.m. (or 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.). Truthfully, this isn’t really necessary. Eating at night won’t automatically make you gain. The time you stop eating has nothing to do with weight gain or weight loss, it all has to do with the number of calories you consume over the course of a day. If you do find yourself reaching for a snack at night, make sure you are choosing healthier options that are easy to digest.
- Deprivation
Some people cut out carbs, others give up fat. The list of foods people think they need to give up completely is both lengthy and unnecessary. Certified dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD, of Whole Health Nutrition, says that giving up whole groups of foods is just not sustainable. If you’ve given up carbs, for example, it is highly likely that before long, you will lose control completely and end up eating a gigantic plate of pasta. The other problem is that when you start eating that particular food again, any lost weight will slowly find its way back to you. Sustainable weight loss requires moderation.
- Subscribing to a low fat diet
Reducing fat was a major food trend in the ’90s. Most foods that are marked and packaged as low-fat are absolute sugar bombs. In order to make the food palatable when the fat is removed, sugar and other not-so-great for you chemicals are added. Eating this much sugar can and will lead to weight gain. Besides, since this low-fat/fat-free trend took hold, we’ve discovered how healthy some fats can be! Fats like avocado, olive oil, and nuts can actually help to boost the metabolism and combat belly fat. Healthy fats will help keep you feeling full longer which can prevent you from eating too many calories over the course of the day.
- Skipping out on meals
Weight loss requires a calories deficit. On the surface, it makes sense to assume that skipping a meal is a quick, easy way to go about creating a deficit. But, starving your body can slow the metabolism and lead you to overeat at other meals. If you are not fueling your body, it is safe to assume that you will not have the energy you need to crush your planned workout (Only have 10 minutes for a workout? Stream one of our amazing workouts available on Sweatflix℠. Any time. Any place!). The best ways to reduce calorie consumption is through adopting a healthy diet and finding healthy swaps for your favourite foods. It is also wise to choose lower calorie foods that are full of fiber and protein.
- Only exercising
You cannot out-exercise a bad diet. Exercise is clearly an important part of the weight loss equation but if you don’t eat properly, your sweat sessions will not give you results. Think about it this way, a 30 minute run at a 6 mph pace (10 minute mile), burns around 270 calories. If you are looking to lose about a pound a week, you will need to cut about 500 calories a day. Obviously, that run will not be enough. Pay attention to what you eat and keep your portion sizes under control. If you need help figuring out how to do this, we’ve got you covered. The BodyRock Meal Plan will give you all the information you need to build healthy eating habits that last a life time. Filled with 30 days worth of delicious meals (that’s breakfast, lunch AND dinner) and snacks (2 per day), we take all the guesswork out of healthy meal planning. At the beginning of each week, we give you a detailed grocery list so all you have to do is grab the ingredients and follow along. With plans that cover meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans, we help make clean eating easy. Don’t wait a second longer, get your meal plan here!
Are you guilty of any of these weight loss mistakes? Don’t be shy, share your story with us!
