Your Fitness Goals: 15 Common Mistakes You Are Probably Making
Dr. Toyin Bode-Abass
Eating healthy and moving in active exercise, yet not losing any weight? Well, there are a few ways you could be sabotaging your fitness/weight loss goals. Find them below.
1. Overestimating calories burned: A lot of us use fitness apps to track our workouts and calories burned. However, the basic apps at best estimate calories burned based on data you enter into your profile – age, sex, weight and height. The best way to assess calories burned is with gadgets that can read your heart rate. A good heart rate monitor belt, wrist band or arm band that sits directly on and counts your pulse rate is better at tracking calories ripped.
2. Eating very low calories: This is counterproductive as it slows your metabolism. Your body gets a signal of famine when you drastically reduce calories and as such slows down metabolism to conserve energy. Going lower than 800 calories a day is not advisable.
3. Underestimating calorie intake: While I’m not fixated on calorie counting, it is important that when you begin your fitness/weight loss journey, you account for every calorie that you consume. Guessing calorie content by just looking at food wouldn’t help. Use a kitchen scale if you need to, read labels on food packaging. Eventually, you will be better able to estimate your calories just by looking, but don’t set out to do so.
4. Fluctuating weight: This is typical with people who go after every weight loss program on the market. Going after every fad diet or weight loss pill almost always results in rebound weight gain. Fad diets and short term deprivation will get you no nearer to your fitness/weight loss goals. Committing to a lifestyle of healthy eating and physical activity that you can live with is the way to go.
5. Eliminating food from diet: Sometimes, you go all out to achieve your weight loss goals by cutting out certain foods from your meal plan. Carbohydrates are usually the foods that get chucked. When you eliminate food that you love from your diet, what happens is when you then have the slightest opportunity, you binge. I recommend finding healthy alternatives. For the bread lover, you can have whole grain or whole wheat bread. If you love rice you can replace that with brown rice rather than eliminating it entirely.
6. Pigging out on healthy foods: Portion control is key even with the healthy stuff as the calories add up.
7. Skipping breakfast: A hearty breakfast is the best way to start your day and kickstart your metabolism. It is called breakfast for a reason! You’ve had dinner, gone to bed and your body has been in fasting mode for almost 12 hours. Not eating breakfast slows your metabolism.
8. Late night eating: The reasons are obvious. Whatever you eat late into the night, you’re unlikely to burn as you almost certainly will hit your bed afterwards. Ensure your kitchen and mouth close at 7 pm.
9. Mini meals: While eating small portions frequently is advised as opposed to large meals at a time, you can get carried away grazing on snack and everything that passes in front of your face. A way around this is to have a healthy meal plan that includes healthy snacks. Be sure to have your snacks on-the-go.
10. Unaccounted-for calories: Alcohol and sugary drinks may go unaccounted for when you count your calories. This is because when you fill up on liquids you tend to tell yourself you haven’t had a meal, forgetting that this counts towards calories consumed.
11. Feasting at weekends: This is when most people struggle to keep to their meal plan. You’re home with family, and with all the food and aroma emanating from your kitchen, you just feel the need to binge. Resist the urge. You can use your weekends as time to try out other healthy recipes or go shopping for healthy foods. After all, weekends are a break from work, not from healthy eating or your fitness goals.
12. Not drinking enough water: Water is an essential to all bodily functions. It helps absorb nutrients, aids digestion, boosts metabolism and fat burn. Not drinking enough water can slow down some of these processes. Next time your stomach growls, try reaching for a glass of water. Sometimes, that’s a signal for thirst rather than hunger.
13. Pigging out after exercising: This is a common mistake. You may be tempted to think I just zapped some calories and then go ahead to eat a large meal afterwards. Resist the temptation to drink high calorie sports drink or any sugary drink. Keep post-workout meals small.
14. Sleep: Getting enough good quality sleep can enhance your weight loss goals. Sleep deprivation on the other hand can sabotage your weight loss goals as you tend to eat more when sleep deprived.
15. Ineffective exercising: Not committing to your workout schedule can sabotage your weight loss goals. Eating healthy alone will not do the trick, you must move in active exercise. Also try to change your workout around so you do not hit a weight loss plateau or get bored with your routine.
Noted. Thanks MIM for sharing.
Noted. Thanks
Thanks, noted.