It is frustrating to stick to a balanced diet and still not lose a pound. You have bid goodbye to chocolates, to sodas, to loads of rice and potatoes yet things are not changing for you. What could be going wrong? Below are some booby traps in losing weight. Read through and find out if you are guilty of any.
Insufficient sleep
Assess your sleeping habits. Do you achieve the enough amount of sleep at night? Do you sleep seven to eight hours each night? If the answer is no, it is about time to lengthen it to allow your body to rejuvenate itself unless you really want to slack off every day. Weight loss is impossible if you continue to lack sleep because this will increase the hormone that incites hunger. Aside from that, metabolism slows down which adversely affects the processing of the stubborn carbohydrates.
Excessive alcohol
Some say that alcohol and weight loss are adversaries. Why?
- Alcohol is a drink that any person of legal age can consume without any restriction. It is always present in social gatherings where people have fun. What they do not realize is that alcohol contains calories. Normally, a person consumes two to four bottles of beer and two shots of spirits in a club. Some consume more than that. Just imagine the amount of calories gained plus the other amounts gained earlier within the day. Keep in mind that alcohol has no fundamental nutrients and it decreases the absorption of Vitamins A, D, E, K, foliate, B1 and B2.
- The liver has two major clients- fats and alcohol. It processes both. If the liver is servicing alcohol, the other one has to take a backseat.
Impracticable goals
How many months or years did it take you to gain the extra pounds? How many months or years have you been stuck in that unflattering body shape? Surely, it did not happen overnight, so is losing weight. Do not expect to get rid of the unwanted fats immediately. It takes patience and determination. A strong will power will help you stop yourself from crawling back to your old eating habits.
Dehydration
Drinking plenty of water has always been a part of a healthy weight loss program. Water increases the rate of metabolism of an individual. It helps empty your stomach to do way with the bloated feeling and constipation. Make sure you are not dehydrated to enable your body to function efficiently.
Skipping Meals
This is highly discouraged for dieters. Your body continuously uses up energy (even when you are sleeping). Letting longer time to pass before you take the next meal will leave you tired, weak and irritable. You have to replace the energy lost from time to time. Having a heavy breakfast and skipping lunch is not recommended because it will make you eat more during dinner. Your tendency is to eat fast because you are overly starving without noticing the food amounts. You may also end up having more unhealthy snacks to compensate for the missed lunch. Eating the right amount at the right time will help your metabolism up.
Unhealthy Evening Snacks
While watching TV, munching is a great way to spend the evening. Chocolates and potato chips are two popular unhealthy companions for this activity. Be mindful of this. Control the intake and limit it to low-calorie snacks. Having a full stomach at night will affect the quality of your sleep. Your body will continue processing the food taken at the time that it should already be resting. Give your body a break.
Dining Out
When you look at the menu in a restaurant, you see the names of the dishes and sometimes the main ingredients but you do not see the calorie content. Some people have ideas on how much calories a regular cheeseburger has but sometimes there are more to it thus making the Math complicated. Limit your visits to your favorite restaurants serving big portions. Fast food chains are not exempted because they offer food rich in Trans fatty acid.
Now, do you see any booby trap holding back your weight loss?
