A healthy lifestyle might be seen as an easy task, yet with the hectic, eat-and-run world we live in, maintaining a balanced diet looks more like a faraway dream. Overeating, sleep deprivation, hidden health conditions, wrong food choices, and different other things become main obstacles and reasons why you can’t lose weight.
Start this journey with a positive thinking and try not to follow traditional diets that are a total failure in the long term. Try instead to make small changes in your everyday routine and in time you’ll see the difference. Also, set the table, sit down, thoroughly chew your food, and enjoy your meal.
Inability to control portions
Some people can be extremely open-handed when it comes to their portions. However, remember that portion control represents one of the key elements for staying in shape and losing weight as well. Pay attention the the serving sizes of certain foods in order to avoid overeating. For instance, a single serving of fruits and veggies should be about the size of your fist, meat, chicken, fish and soy products should be about the size of your palm, while pastas should be about one scoop of ice cream. Therefore, even though you make the right choices, overeating can sabotage your dieting efforts.
Wrong food combination
Have you ever felt tired after a savory meal? One reason for this is the wrong food combinations we make. When combining the wrong foods, our body spends all its energy on digesting these foods and eliminating toxins. Well, in this context it might take some time to complete the entire digestion process, while if we eat the right combination, the metabolism will digest fat easily. So, which is the proper way to combine? We should eat fruits alone, never have protein and starches together, fats and proteins should be eaten separately between meals, while veggies can be combined with either protein or starch.
Hidden health conditions
Weight gain or the inability to lose weight might also be the result of certain hidden health issues such as an underactive thyroid, also known as hypothyroidism, or diabetes. Therefore, it is important to see a doctor and have a proper evaluation of your health condition and make sure you’re not predisposed to diabetes type 2.
Stress and sleep deprivation
Stress eating seems to be a normal part of our lives. We turn to food not just when we are hungry, but also when feeling depressed, stressed, or lonely. Stress can be a real weight loss obstacle as it might have as result emotional overeating. Yes, stress can make you fat! When facing a stressful period, instead of attacking the fridge, discover other things that can relax you. Also, be aware of sleep deprivation. There are two reasons that relate the lack of sleep to weight gain. Studies show that skimping on sleep leads to a rise in ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite, and a reduction in leptin, which signals satiety. Thus, lacking sleep increases appetite and consequently contributing to weight gain.
Too much snacking
Losing weight is not an overnight process. It takes time, patience, ambition, confidence, commitment, and a lifestyle change. Snacks are a great way to avoid overeating, but when we make unhealthy, wrong choices, and cannot control portions, snacking sabotages the weight loss plan. Also, watch out for leftovers!
Lack of exercise
To lose weight, you have to be careful what you eat and how much you eat. Fair enough! Still, one thing that people forget is that exercising is as important as the calories you count. Regular exercise encourages weight loss and helps you control weight as it uses the excess calories that otherwise would be stored as fat. For a successful weight loss, forget about your car dependence and try to walk. It will help you not just on your weight loss plan, but it will also improve you general health.
Not eating enough
Starvation is not the smartest method to lose weight. In fact, starvation has a dangerous boomerang effect, so once you start eating normally you put on more weight than you lost. Why? Because your metabolism is disoriented and keeps all fats you eat. Instead of not eating, try to create a balance and eat with moderation. Enjoy food and find a lifestyle that works on the long run.
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