Sunday, July 21, 2013

By Barb Taylor


Losing weight requires hard work and discipline. Everyday thousands of people start a new weight loss program. Most will quit before ever seeing results. At times we can do things that hinder our weight loss without even realizing it. Following are 5 ways you could be sabotaging yours.

Overestimating Calories Burned

If you are using a calorie expenditure table to determine the number of calories burned when exercising, you are more than likely overestimating calories burned.

Most of these tables grossly overestimate the amount of calories burned.

The best way to accurately determine the number of calories you burn is to use a heart rate monitor.

Not Building Muscle

When developing an exercise plan for weight loss be sure to include both cardio and strength training. Strength training builds muscle and muscle speeds up your metabolism and burns more fat, thus promoting weight loss.

If you have hit a plateau in your weight loss try alternating strength training and aerobic workouts to help you get through it.

Excessive Drinking

When you drink alcohol, your body will work to eliminate that first prior to burning off any food you eat.

Drinking alcohol also increases your likelihood of snacking, thus adding on additional calories.

It is also high in calories and has no nutritional benefit. Having an occasional drink is fine but more than a couple per week and you may be sabotaging your weight loss and health.

Cutting Back On Meals

It is important to nourish your body throughout the day. Skipping meals is not a good idea because it can have a negative impact on your metabolism.

If you deprive your body of the food it needs, it will begin to store food instead of burning it off.

Skipping meals can also cause you to eat more than you normally would have when you do have a chance to grab a meal

To combat this, do the opposite. Eat 5 or 6 little meals each day to keep your body from becoming hungry. Whatever your daily calorie goal is, divide it by six to get the approximate number of calories each meal should contain.

Expecting Fast Results

So many people have unrealistic expectations of weight loss. A lot of times people tend to overestimate what is possible and set monthly weight loss goals that are unachievable for the average person.

Healthy weight loss does not happen in an instant. It is a process that requires time effort & commitment. Your weight loss target should be no more than 2 pounds per week.

Also people who lose between one and two pounds per week tend to have more success keeping it off.

Following these 5 tips can help you avoid weight loss sabotage and put you on the road to healthy, long term weight loss.






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