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How to lose weight is the most searched question on Google. Despite this, obesity is increasing at an alarming rate not only in America but throughout the world. The obesity epidemic is not a problem in a single country, but every country is suffering from this as more and more people fail to maintain a healthy weight.
According to a survey, two out of every three people are trying to lose weight, and women are primarily doing this. A staggering amount of information is available on the internet on how to lose weight, and new diets are emerging every day. We will not discuss which diet is best or which is not because the real question here is, “Are you satisfied with the results of your dieting? If you nodded yes, then good for you, but if you nodded no, then you have to look deeper into this matter.
You see, dieting is not easy and is not meant for people who do not want to follow it consistently. Following a diet strictly is not for the faint-hearted people because you will have to control your cravings, or you will have to avoid eating foods that you like if you suffer from obesity. People usually become tired after following a diet for a week or two, and that’s why most dieters gradually regain the weight they have lost during their dieting period. Some people even gain more weight than they have lost.
Multiple factors can contribute to the failure of your dieting plan, and addressing all the elements is not possible in this short blog. So, we will discuss some of the reasons why most diets fail.
Reasons why diets fail
When someone starts dieting, they instinctively feel that they have to deprive themself of the foods they like to eat. This will make dieting miserable in the long run because people put too much emphasis on starvation than making necessary Lifestyle changes. Developing healthy eating habits is better than going from one diet to another to lose the unnecessary weight you gain by eating uncontrollably.
If you find yourself doing this, you have come to the right place. We are here to help you. You can achieve effective results by making simple changes and avoiding the following mistakes.
Insufficient proteins
Many diet plans include cutting down on your proteins, but this will not work in the long term. It would be best to reduce eating carbohydrates that directly contribute to weight gain instead of proteins. Each nutrient is essential and plays a specific role in the proper functioning of your body. If you eliminate even a single nutrient from your diet, your body can not function properly. A study suggested that protein consumption leads to visceral fat loss, which ultimately reduces the risk of obesity later in life. Healthy protein consumption and physical activity will help you maintain a healthy weight. Eating proteins will also keep you full for a longer time instead of eating every 2 hours.
Calorie counting
People who go on a diet are always worried about calories. Counting calories in whatever you eat is not only a tiresome task but is also annoying. It is essential to cut down on your calories to lose some weight, but it is also necessary to eat all the nutrients your body needs. You should be aware of your calories, but it should not be your only goal. Focus on the quality of food rather than quantity. When you are not eating enough calories, your body goes into starvation mode, and your metabolic rate becomes slow. This slow metabolic rate will make weight loss even harder.
So, preventing your body from starving is better by eating sufficient calories from proteins and fats. Cutting too many calories simultaneously makes you weak and less energetic, resulting in irritability and uncontrollable mood swings.
Mindless eating
People often do not see food as a source of sustenance but as a source of comfort. Many people use food to cope with boredom, stress, anxiety, or negative emotions. All of this is known as mindless eating- Consuming too much food without enjoying it. Dense eating results in weight gain because it is overeating without understanding your body’s hunger cues. Studies prove that mindless eating contributes to obesity as we are not paying attention to what we eat and how much we eat.
The good news is there are many different ways to avoid mindless eating. You can start by making healthy changes to your lifestyle. Get plenty of sleep, and try to keep yourself happy by doing the things you like, for example, watching a movie, taking a walk, spending time with your family and loved ones, etc. Do not use food as a source of distraction; use it as a source of sustenance. Do not eat while using your phone or TV because when you are focused on something other than your food, you ignore what you are eating. Drink plenty of water before eating to ensure you are eating because you are hungry and not bored.
Poor food choices
Your diet is not working because you are making poor food choices and not paying attention to what you are eating. The key to a successful diet is finding the right balance between healthy and unhealthy diets and ensuring that you eat nutrient-rich food that provides all your needs. You can eat anything while on a diet as long as you eat in moderation. Cutting micronutrients or macronutrients entirely out of your diet is not a good plan; you have to eat everything to ensure you do not develop nutritional deficiency due to poor food choices.
Over-exercising people
People usually believe that exercising is the way to weight loss. This may be true for some people, but over-exercising is unsuitable for weight loss. This happens because excessive workout leads to feelings of stress and fatigue. In response, your body starts craving high-calorie foods, and you start overeating again. Studies suggest that extreme activities lead to tissue injuries and inflammation. This results in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines affect your neurological, liver, hypothalamus, and nervous systems. Studies suggest that strenuous exercises lead to heart and circulatory diseases. So, if you are trying to lose weight, light exercise is the key. Listen to your body; if you are tired after a workout, you should stop at once and not over-push it.
Unrealistic expectations
We gain weight ounce or pound by the pound; the same goes for weight loss. People have unrealistic expectations. They think that by following a dieting plan for one week, they can lose four to five pounds, but this does not happen. Weight loss is a slow and tiring journey; if you are not brave enough, you should not follow it. Unrealistic expectations will make you feel disappointed and miserable, and you will return to your old eating habits. Instead of unrealistic expectations, make permanent lifestyle changes that will help you in the long run.
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