Eager to shed some pounds? Here are just a few mistakes that you should avoid when trying to lose weight (and what you should do instead).
Starving yourself
Relying on crash diets or fasting for long periods may help you to lose weight, but you’ll likely deprive your body of other important nutrients. This could lead to a lowered immune system, fatigue, digestive issues, headaches and even hair thinning. You’re much better off looking into medical weight loss strategies that will allow you to get all the nutrients you need, whilst cutting down on all the bad stuff (and not having to go hungry!).
Not exercising/exercising too much
Exercise will help you to slim down, but it’s important to get the right amount of exercise. If you’re too inactive, you won’t burn calories as fast, but if you go overboard it could have an effect on your ability to burn calories too (your body may go into survival mode due to the stress and try to preserve fat for energy). For a healthy balance, engage in a workout every other day.
Relying on pills or laxatives
Weight loss pills can be used as a supplement to weight loss, but on their own they won’t achieve much, plus they can have nasty side effects for some people. As for laxatives, these are not a healthy form of weight loss at all unless you really are constipated – it could cause your body to lose a lot of water and nutrients. Both aren’t natural ways to lose weight and are probably best avoided. You most certainly shouldn’t rely on them entirely.
Not drinking enough water
Staying hydrated can be essential for weight loss. It can help aid digestion and speed up your metabolism. Make sure that you’re getting enough fluids into you throughout the day (especially after exercise when you’ll be sweating a lot).
Not getting enough sleep
Studies have found that when sleep deprived, weight loss can be 55% less effective. The body needs sleep to run all our body functions at full capacity including our metabolism. Ideally, we should all be getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
Having no clear goal
Having a clear goal can be important for motivation purposes. Simply wanting to lose weight isn’t tangible enough – a better goal could be reach a certain weight on the scales or to fit into a certain size jeans. This gives you something to keep aiming for.
Having unrealistic expectations
Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a slow process for many people and there may even be weeks where you don’t lose any weight at all and may even gain weight. By being realistic about how fast you’ll achieve results, you’re less likely to get impatient and give in. Some people are able to lose weight fast, but not everyone is genetically gifted with this ability – for some people it take a lot longer.
