A balanced diet and regular exercise are known to be the “key” to effective weight loss. But if you do everything right, what is wrong and the number on the scale does not decrease? What are the possible mistakes that throw your efforts in vain?
While every effort you make is important, you need a targeted action plan to be successful in losing weight. Let’s take a look at the factors that we all need to pay attention to in order to be successful.
Is that why the scales are stuck?
You lose sleep
Lack of quality sleep affects not only mood or energy levels, but also weight.
According to a scientific analysis published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, sleeping less than seven hours a night is associated with a higher risk of obesity than getting enough sleep. seven to nine hours every night.
You are not training properly
Cardiovascular exercise in any form, such as walking or light jogging, is an essential part of our exercise routine to maintain heart health. However, if we only focus on cardio, we “slow down” weight loss.
More specifically, the body can store energy as fat to provide plenty of fuel for extra endurance. Also, cardio exercises strongly increase appetite.
It is important to include other exercises besides cardio in your training.
You can lose weight and build lean muscle mass by doing muscle strengthening exercises with weights. As your muscles grow calorie burning will also increase. It would also be helpful to try some resistance training, such as interval training or resistance bands.
The most important thing is the action. Therefore, in addition to sports, try to include small movement breaks in your daily routine.
You are not counting calories correctly
A calorie deficit is essential for weight loss. Therefore, if you are consuming more calories than your body needs, you may not reach your goals.
Consult a nutritionist to make sure you have a calorie deficit for weight loss, as the desired deficit depends on a variety of factors, including your age, gender, height, current weight, and activity level.
You have anxiety
Along with your mood, uncontrolled stress levels can also affect your weight. The stress hormone, also known as cortisol, can increase your cravings for comfort foods, foods that are tasty but have “empty” calories.
In fact, according to an earlier study published in the Journal of Molecular Biochemistry, adults who participated in an eight-week stress management program that included deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization lost more weight than adults who did not participate.
You don’t have any cheat days
Sometimes a short break from your diet plan can give your body and mind the rest it needs to lose weight. From now on, take care of yourself, relax, enjoying your favorite foods even with more calories. This way, you will come back with more motivation and more energy
Don’t forget to lose weight
Moisturizer
Water helps to remove unnecessary substances formed during weight loss and better detoxify the body.
Start “simple”.
With one or two changes you’ll notice over the course of two to three weeks, until they become your habit. Then, once you’ve achieved your smaller goals, add a few more. If you’re still struggling, try moving on to a change that works better for you.
Desire for sweetness is on the agenda…
Once we start cutting back on something, especially when it comes to sugar, we tend to crave more.
In addition to the self-control of the mind, try to increase your protein intake and emphasize fruits and vegetables, which of course should be moderate if you want to lose weight.
Don’t be afraid of a little energy loss
While eating better generally leads to increased energy levels, this may not always be the case at first.
If our diet is not of good quality for a long time, the changes will not only affect our energy, but also our mood, as the body learns to rely on different fuels and needs a longer adaptation period.
Of course, if you notice that your energy levels don’t improve after a few weeks, your body may not be getting what it needs and you should consider increasing your calorie intake.
You don’t have to starve
Being a little hungry is a natural part of cutting calories, but you should never be too hungry. Reduce calories gradually for sustained weight loss. This will help your metabolism adjust to the reduced intake and keep hunger at a reasonable level.
Libra doesn’t always tell the truth
Weight fluctuations are 100% normal and not always under our control. Exercise, stress, sleep, hormones, storage, etc. all play a role, as we say.
If you really gain muscle and you lose fat at the same time, the number on the scale may not change, but your jeans will be looser…
So instead of relying on the scale, measure your progress in other ways.
Don’t be discouraged
Good health is about our overall lifestyle habits, not the last meal we eat.
Try to stick to your healthy plan as much as possible during the week and the good results will be evident before you know it.