Sabotaging Your Weight Loss
With bikini season just around the corner, here are some things you may be doing that are holding you back from being your best you.
Starting Your Day Dehydrated
Unless you get up to drink water in the middle of the night, you’re dehydrated when you wake up in the morning. Rehydrating your body at the start of the day can lead to less bloating, a smaller appetite and more energy. And don’t forget to keep your water bottle handy during the day. Thirst often feels like hunger – staying hydrated to avoid eating when your body really wants water.
Skipping Breakfast
Study after study has shown that eating a healthy breakfast is a key component in successful weight loss programs. Your body has been fasting for the past 8 hours – it needs some energy to kick-start the day. Include some protein, whole grains and healthy fats to push your metabolism into high-gear for the rest of the day.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Not only is getting just a few hours of sleep bad for your work and school performance, it’s also bad for your diet. Studies have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep burn fewer calories, have trouble controlling their appetite, and have increased cortisol levels – the hormone that helps store fat. So put your phone down and turn off the light – get the sleep you need to lose the weight you want.
Only Doing Cardio
We all love to do cardio. We sweat. Our heart rate goes up. We’re out of breath. We feel good. But all that cardio isn’t building any muscle. And while cardio has many other benefits, building muscle is critical for losing weight. Resistance exercise increases your muscle mass, and the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. So move those weights to lose that weight!
Drinking Your Calories
Do you indulge in orange juice with breakfast, soda with lunch and wine with dinner? Beware of the calories you drink – they add up fast, and will only deter the weight loss you’re working so hard for. Swap out milk for cream in your coffee. Replace soda and juice with water. Enjoy a glass or two of wine each week, but don’t go overboard. Eat fuel calories, don’t drink wasted calories.
Not Eating Enough
If you want to lose weight, you need to be eating fewer calories than you burn. But too many dieters fall into the trap of eating too few calories. The effects of this are widespread, including not having enough energy to workout effectively, bingeing on foods that will hurt your diet and stalling your metabolism. Eat well-balanced meals throughout the day to fuel your body to burn the fat.
