By: Gauri Rajesh
Did you know that around 40% of the times it is you who blow up your weight loss program? Don’t you believe it? It surely will sound incredible since you believe that you are taking utmost efforts to reduce weight and lose excess fat. But there are many things we do knowingly that deter us from our desired goal. In the following section we have named 10 common ways by which we ourselves destroy our weight loss campaign (check out where you went wrong). We have also given what needs to be done on these counts.
• Follow a strict dieting schedule:
A strict dieting schedule where individual promises to eat only a particular food group/groups is particularly difficult to stick to. So do not cut out entire food groups or decide intake of only one type of food.
• Emotional eating The more depressed you are, the more you eat. Are you one such type of person? The disorder you are suffering from is known as emotional eating. Deal with the disorder professionally or else you would continue adding more weight to your body. Also trying to engage in alternative activities will help deflect attention.
• Going it alone: Dieting is an onerous process, with the individual having to undergo many a rough patches during the period. Unless he has someone to discuss with and support him in his venture, he is susceptible to dither away from his goal, i.e. reduce weight. So have a good support system to ensure that there is someone to counsel you every time.
• Excessive fasting: It has always been a misconception associated with weight loss- stop eating and you will lose weight. Fasting, unless for a smaller span of time such as 24 hours is no solution to weight. Instead one begins to lose fewer calories as fasting period extends. Human body is programmed to react in such situation by slowing down the metabolism as it perceives the situation as famine.
• Skip the breakfast This is an extension of the myth discussed in the earlier paragraph. Skip breakfast and you consume lesser calories; so more weight loss. Is it true? No! At supper you eat more voraciously. So, no skipping of breakfast. Breakfast is an important meal of the day and gets metabolism going.
• Keep a food diary: A food diary is like a common budget. How much are you eating and how many calories do this produce is written on one side. On the other side is the standard written about the amount and food and calories that a normal healthy person is required. This will help get a real grasp of how one is faring in his weight loss program.
• Set realistic goals: The goals set by the dieter must be realistic. Unrealistic goals like cutting all soda from the present consumption of 2 liters a day is unachievable. They will largely affect the dieters’ motivations to continue with dieting.
• Weight in every day: Some dieters are so very excited and impatient with their dieting program that they will weigh themselves everyday. Does weight loss program or dieting produce such instant results? No! Moreover, the changes in the person may not always be quantifiable. This is incorrect since it lowers the motivation.
• Exercise regularly but within limits: Exercise regularly everyday. But do not overdo the exercise. This will not produce muscles in a day. Nevertheless, there are risks of overuse injuries.
• Strictly deny your favorite dishes: You resolve to cut the consumption of your favorite dish. But your heart fails to forget it. Will you be able to stick to your resolution? No, there will enough frustration. Instead cutting the quantum of the dish gradually will help.
Rome was not built in a day. The same applies to your body. The changes will be perceived and visible with time, not overnight. So patience is the final answer.
