We all are quiet familiar with the struggles of losing weight. Countless months of following a religious diet, thousands and thousands of money spent on gym memberships, sacrificing that piece of chocolate fudge cake, but still the numbers on the scale don’t seem to budge.
By the looks of it, you may think you are on the right foot. However, you might be making a few under-the-surface diet mistakes that are sabotaging your weight loss journey without you even realizing. So let’s go through some not so common diet mistakes that are causing difficulties to shed those extra kilos.
1. You are binging on healthy food
Even if something is healthy, the calories still count. Depending on the quantity, just one binge session can ruin your entire week’s progress. So if you think mindless munching on air popped popcorn without any butter and salt is ‘healthy’ then you are probably on the wrong track.
2. You are drinking your calories
Sugary beverages are the biggest enemy of your weight loss process. No matter how much you think your ‘liquid diet’ will surely make a cut this time, those empty calories will slowly start to show around your waist line.
3. You only do cardio, no strength training
There is no denying that cardio is important. But after a few while you need to switch to weight training as it helps you to gain muscle. So if you only rely on cardio then you won’t be able to build body muscle which will fasten your weight loss mission. So hit the weights ASAP!
4. You only focus on ‘dieting’ not lifestyle change
Let’s be honest, diets are not a long term solution. If you only focus on dieting then whenever you go back to your old eating habits, you will gain the weight back. So don’t be surprised when you feel a little heavier just after having one piece of paratha.
5. You are not getting enough sleep
A good night’s sleep is a must for a sound body. There are many studies that show that poor sleeping pattern is one of the biggest causes of obesity. So get 8 eight hours of sleep and keep the weight at bay.
6. You are skipping breakfast
There is a reason why breakfast is considered as the most important meal of the day. When we have a nutritious breakfast it helps us to sustain during the day. Hence less chances of overeating later. So don’t think 1 less meal in the day will add as a benefit, because it won’t.
7. You work out regularly but don’t keep track of your diet
It is very frustrating to not lose the weight even after spending hours and hours in the gym. It might have something to do with your eating habit. Remember, weight loss is 80% food and 20% exercise. So if you don’t eat mindfully then you won’t see any results in the mirror.
8. You add too many condiments to your ‘veg salad’
We all are guilty of this. We order salad in a restaurant then pour half a bottle of BBQ sauce in it. These small condiments contain very high calories. So when it comes to sauces and salad dressings, less is more.