Frequently, we come across people who say that they are dieting yet they see no results. Neither do they see a reduction in their pounds, nor do they see any change physically. Given below are the main reasons why you are not losing weight in spite of dieting.
Common Diet Mistakes
Not having a realistic goal
Yes, you read it right – you may not have a realistic goal! Most people set too lofty goals to reach when it comes to losing weight without understanding their underlying physiology. Before-After transformation programs where we hear stories of people losing 20 pounds in a month also do not help with out goals. You need to understand that you are unique and how much weight you gain or lose depends on your genotype, eating habits, metabolic rate, life style, workout, and the amount of sleep you get each day.
Before you start dieting you must experiment a little so that you understand how your body reacts to various types of food, how much sleep you get on an average, what your the metabolic rate is, and if you have any toxic food habits that might be silently adding to your weight. After understanding this, set realistic goals that you can achieve in five to six months that are based on the amount of commitment you can offer.
Confusing weight loss with fat loss
Most of the time we confuse weight loss with fat loss Along with fat, a human body contains bones, muscles, and internal organs. A substantial amount of your weight is on these parts of your body that you cannot afford to lose. Your focus should be on a fat loss, where you lose lower belly fat, excess muscle fat, and lower back fat. You should reduce the overall fat percentage in the body. So, concentrate on fat loss more than weight loss.
Starving, which leads to craving
Some over enthusiastic people, who diet, cross their limits and starve. There is a vast difference between starving and dieting. Dieting is where you give your body all the nutrients it requires, whereas starving is where you cut down even on essential requirements, leading to nutritional deficits. This cycle of “starving which leads to craving” makes you eat more than you usually would and results in you gaining more weight than anticipated.
Not adding fasting to your diet plan
If you are a person who has been consuming junk food for a very long time, you need a sudden change to inform your brain that it needs to reprogram itself. The best way to break away from your old eating pattern and enter a new land of healthy eating is to go for a three-day water or juice fast. This would help in the detox process.
Skipping sleep
You may eat right and be on the right training plan, but if you miss out on sleep, you would be lowering the metabolism of your body, which would lead to hormonal changes and could incite stress eating. You’ll also be tired when you go to the gym the next day.
Not having a versatile diet plan
What we fail to understand is that the diet has a profound effect on the brain as well. So eating the same food every day, like salads, leads to boredom. So add a lot of variety in your diet to ensure that you do not fatigue your appetite centers in the brain.
Skipping breakfast
Skipping a meal like breakfast doesn’t necessarily mean that you are dieting. You should make sure that you take the right amount of foods at right intervals sandwiched between healthy snacking so that your body is fed all the time.
Trying to diet alone
Dieting is a serious physical and mental activity and doing it all alone increases the stress associated with it. Try to find a friend who can join you in this game of dieting.
Remember that it’s important to take plenty of water when you’re on a diet. You should also journal your food habits and track everything you eat. This would help you in deciding your further course of action.
