How NOT To Sabotage Your Weight Loss
How To Diet Successfully.
By now we should all know how to lose weight. We must simply eat in moderation high-fiber, nutritious foods, and limit the fat, salt, and sugar laden foods that constantly tempt us. We must also exercise. It's as simple as that. Unfortunately, we are bombarded with diets that promise, and often don't deliver, success. Whatever weight-loss,or more appropriately fat-loss, lifestyle plan, you decide to adopt, do not sabotage yourself by committing these common mistakes.
1. EATING AND DRINKING WHILE WATCHING TELEVISION
An evening's consumption can wipe out the benefits of a day of dieting. Relaxing on the couch with a glass in your hand, and a bowl of munchies at your side, is a habit, for dieters and non-dieters alike. The television becomes the focus. The eater is usually unaware of exactly what they are eating or in what quantity. If you can, rid yourself of this habit completely. If you cannot do this, make your drink water or unsweetened tea or coffee, and your munchies a small bowl of carrot or celery sticks.
2. SKIPPING BREAKFAST
We go through the night without eating, and wake in the morning with an empty stomach and a body waiting for nourishment. This is the time for a nourishing breakfast. It is a serious mistake to think that you can start your day by limiting your caloric intake to zero. Breakfast is the time to prepare your body for the day when your metabolism is high to deal with those calories. If you skip breakfast, later in the day, when the metabolism slows down, you will be driven to consume more just to keep going.
A cup of coffee does not make a breakfast. If breakfast is difficult for you, start off with a bit of fruit and yogurt. Gradually add some whole grain cereal or toast. Work up to a normal healthy breakfast. You will not feel so hungry later in the day and so will not be so likely to binge.
If possible, eat your largest meal at noon so that you still have half a day of activity to process it all. This is preferable to consuming a large meal in the early evening, after which you will no doubt remain relatively inactive.
3. IGNORING APPROPRIATE PORTION SIZE
Even nourishing foods, eaten in excessive amounts, can pack on the pounds. A portion of meat should be no larger than a deck of playing cards, and that's much smaller than the slabs you see in restaurants and many homes. A portion of pasta is about the size of a hockey puck. A serving of pasta in a restaurant usually threatens to overflow the plate. Learn what the appropriate portion size is of all the foods you eat. Eat that much and no more.
It helps if you can learn to eat more slowly. Chat. Put down your fork for a sip of water. Once you have consumed your allotted portions, leave the table. You may still feel hungry because you are accustomed to eating more. That feeling will soon pass and and as you adjust to smaller, but nutritious, meals, your stomach will actually shrink and you will be perfectly satisfied with less.
MAKING THE MISTAKE OF BELIEVING THAT EITHER DIETING OR EXERCISE IS ENOUGH
You need both diet and exercise to be healthy. It is constantly being stressed that exercise is absolutely necessary for people of all ages, both to stay healthy, and to avoid disease. This is true for all individuals, even if they are consuming a healthy diet and have no weight concerns.
Make sure that you consult with your physician before you begin any diet or any exercise regime.
CONSTANTLY WEIGHING YOURSELF
Over-weighing yourself concentrates your mind on the end result rather than the process. Weight varies, even during the day. It depends on how much you have eaten, how much you have drunk, how much salt you have recently consumed, your elimination, exercise, stress, and other factors. A better plan is to have one day a week when you eat and drink relatively the same amount and weigh yourself at a specific time of day. Relax, record your weight, and return to concentrating on your new lifestyle regime until the next week.
After a few weeks of a healthy lifestyle, you will begin to feel your clothes are looser. This is often a more satisfying indicator of weight loss than a number on a scale. Do not aim for a specific poundage weekly goal. Aiming to lose weight is not enough. Aim to improve your health and do not be discouraged. It will take time. Most worthwhile things do.
TAKING NON-PRESCRIPTION DIET PILLS
These pills may initially cause some weight loss, but they can also damage your internal organs. Some merely contain caffeine--like substances which they promise will help you shed pounds rapidly. This cannot happen safely. Some weight-loss non-prescription diet pills have also been linked to stroke.
If you feel you need help with your diet, speak to your family physician. He/she can advise you what measures would be safe for you specifically. If you have trouble understanding exactly what foods you should eat or avoid, there are dietitians that can lead you through this process.
THINKING YOU CAN DO IT ALL ALONE
Yes, some individuals do have the knowledge and the will power to lose weight wisely and healthfully. Many others need help, either with food choices, portion sizes, or exercise. Others have tried and failed one time too many or have let things progress to the point that they are afraid to even try. You do not have to do it alone. Get in touch with your doctor and local health department to get exactly the kind of help and support that you need, and you will succeed.
