What more if you are a busy person who already has a lot on his plate? Where are you to squeeze in gym routines, jogging time or how can you cut down on carbs? When stress at work and home are “making” you crave for donuts or beer?
Below are some of the most common reasons why weight loss, accordingly, is hard to maintain:
You started off with the wrong mindset
You have a beach outing for the weekend and opted to crash-diet for a week. Yes, you instantly got thin, but after the outing, the pounds returned, nastier than before.
The hard truth behind the previous scenario is that when you think that weight loss is simply a “fix” and not a long term health requirement, the pounds bounces back and forth and you always end up frustrated and heavier than before. So before deciding on trying any program, make sure that you have the right mindset.
Trying hard to follow restrictive diets that are too much for you
When trying to lose weight, being realistic is also an important factor to consider. For example, you are used to eating whole pizzas for dinner, then suddenly you decided to follow a strict diet fad and shifted from pizzas to celery sticks, what do you think may happen?
First of all, your body is not used to small portions of food intake. So it will need time to adjust. Second, you are sure to have cravings because it is how detoxification (from too much salt in the pizza) works. And your frustration list will get longer as you try your best to follow a restrictive diet without proper preparation and mindset. In the long run, this event in your life, especially when you are the busy type, will contribute more to weight gain instead of it helping you lose weight.
Not taking seriously mindful and sustainable habits that are crucial in any weight loss program
The hardcore truth is, any weight loss program is actually based on the willpower of the person wanting to lose weight. It is not dependent on the kind of program, to a fitness instructor or even a strict diet. This is because no matter how effective a plan may be. If you do not have the will to sustain it, its recommendations and restrictions, it will be all for nothing. No one’s gaining anything and efforts will simply go down the drain.
Accept that there is no alternative to exercising regularly
Got excited, when you saw that massage belt that is supposed to melt your abdominal fats while you watch T.V.? Believe me, “I saw that too and thought of getting my credit card quick. What stopped me, then?” The human in me wants to believe that massage belts are manna from heaven, but in reality, I know that no massage belt could literally melt my abdominal fat the way abstaining from carbs and doing push-ups can do. That is another hard core truth.
The good news is, there are a lot of types of exercise in this world. All you have to do is to find one that suits you. If you love to sweat, there’s the gym option or you are one who loves to be alone, you can jog with your iPod. So you are not one who appreciates equipment, then you may opt for Yoga or dancing as a weight loss tool. If your busy schedule won’t allow classes, then you could opt for YouTube tutorials or sessions via DVDs. The important thing is you find time to move that body of yours on a regular basis.
Before getting frustrated, make sure that you have no medical condition that makes you gain weight no matter what you do
Let’s take matters intelligently. Before putting the blame on yourself and hating the universe for making you fat, make sure that you do not have underlying medical conditions like hormonal imbalance, hypothyroidism or depression. These conditions will add to your weight no matter how hard you try. So it is best to be medically cleared first before starting on any weight loss plan.
Believe that there is a strong connection between sleep and weight gain
These two are seemingly distant to each other but you are about to learn that they are indeed, best of friends. When you lack sleep, there is a BIG possibility that you are to become overweight. This is again, a hard core truth and one reason for such is that, when you lack sleep, there is a great chance that your food choices will are those that will make you gain weight.
And you can attribute that to the fact that lack of sleep affects your ability to make healthy food choices. Another thing to consider is that lack of sleep also affects your metabolism rate. The two above mentioned factors are already enough to make
Make the water your best friend
Keeping yourself hydrated helps yourself lose weight. First, drinking water before a meal gives you the feeling of being full so chances are, you will lose that hefty appetite of yours.
Drinking water also increases your metabolism so there is a greater chance of not gaining weight that is lost. This being said, it is high time to make sure that you are drinking at least 8-ounce cup of water (just a little over 2 liters) daily. Monitor it and be serious about it.
Also, another thing to motivate you is the fact that the benefits of drinking water are aplenty, not only in terms of metabolism and weight loss but to your overall health as well.
