You thought you knew how to lose weight, but it’s just not happening how you imagined. There are some common traps that even the smartest person falls prey to. Learn which diet disasters you need to stop (or avoid) so you’ll really know how to lose weight as well as looking and feeling ‘smart’ in your jeans and t-shirt!
1. You don’t respect your breakfast
You are smart enough to know that, in the long run, skipping breakfast is NOT how to lose weight. But do you really respect the value of a nutritious breakfast? Studies have linked nutritious, healthy breakfasts containing protein and whole grains to a range of health benefits from improved concentration to a reduced risk of obesity and diabetes. These types of breakfasts will make you feel fuller for longer, reduce the risk of overeating and fuel you with sufficient energy to get through a busy morning. As the saying goes “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper!”
2. Being a high-calorie health nut
Just because a food is healthy, doesn’t mean you can eat a truck load. Swapping white rice to brown rice, eating nuts in place of chips, using coconut oil instead of butter – are all recommended, healthy changes. But they are still high-calorie substitutions, so when you consider how to lose weight, size does matter! A good rule of thumb with carbs, eg. Brown rice, is to eat one cupped hand-size portion with each meal. For good fats, eg. Avocado, nuts, oils, it should be one thumb sized portion. Learn more in the Active8me Cheat Sheet for Calorie Counting information guide.
3. You eat ‘Diet’ foods
It’s true that pre-packaged diet foods are convenient, but that doesn’t mean they are easy on your hips. Apart from processed foods typically containing all sorts of additives, preservatives, artificial flavours and sweeteners they rarely satisfy your appetite and you end up reaching for more food, more often. The alternative is just as easy – try consuming whole foods as snacks, for example, a crispy apple, spicy edamame or a blueberry & chia milkshake. Did you know that a study in Food & Nutrition Research journal discovered you burn nearly 50% more calories when metabolizing whole foods than you do when you eat processed foods? There’s another reason for you to eat non-processed whole foods.
4. You are not a fan of cooking
It’s so common to eat out in Asia. It’s social, it’s cheap and it’s convenient. But if you want to reach your fitness, health and transformation goals perhaps it’s time for a little change. Did you know that meals that you eat out are usually higher in calories than those you cook for yourself? And when eating out, it is difficult to properly monitor your portion size or the ingredients, especially the amount of sugar added. So maybe it’s time to find your inner Masterchef and cook some meals at home. Try the Active8me FREE 21-Day trial to access some super easy-to-follow, delicious and nutritious calorie controlled recipes. Remember, if nothing changes, nothing changes!
5. Burning the candle at both ends
A common, yet often underestimated, misconception in knowing how to lose weight is assuming rest has nothing to do with it! Fitting in sleep is just as important as making time to exercise. Skimping on sleep will impact your hormones, slow your metabolism and hamper your muscle recovery which will hurt your weight loss efforts. A study in Sleep journal revealed that people who had restricted sleep, consumed around 500 calories more per day than those who had sufficient sleep. Experts recommend an ideal of 7.5 hours sleep per night. Try to implement a regular bed time routine that calms your mind and body, to ensure a restful sleep. After a few weeks of following this pattern, your body will thank you by waking feeling more energized.
6. You think exercise is the answer
Don’t be mistaken, movement and being active is an essential component to any healthy lifestyle. But weight loss and toning is 80% about what you put in your mouth. Yes, it all comes back to healthy food choices. People often validate eating badly with the reasoning they will exercise ‘it’ off later. Unfortunately, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Here is a little reality check – You need to walk briskly for almost an hour to burn off just one donut!
So, be the smart one and don’t fall for these common diet traps. There’s a lot of misinformation out there and at Active8me we’re here to cut through all that to help equip, educate and inspire you so you can see the transformation you want to see. Our philosophy focuses on “Exercise, Nourish, Think, Transform”. That incorporates your exercise, your nutrition and your thinking in an integrated way so you can look your best, feel fabulous, be full of energy and live an inspired, purpose-driven, balanced, healthy, active life every day. Your success is our success, so get started and let us assist you on an incredible journey now!
