For some people, it seems like anything they try to do to lose weight ends up failing. We usually blame our metabolism or stress, but often, it's because of bad habits. In other cases, it's because of false ideas about weight loss, gain, and health in general. This means that correcting those habits and knowing the truth about losing could be all that it takes to help you get rid of excess fat. Here are some possible reasons why you can't seem to get rid of extra pounds.
You Believe Cardio is the End All Be All of Losing Weight
This is probably one of the biggest mistakes people make when they start an exercise regimen. They assume that cardio is the only way to lose fat and that resistance training is for gaining strength and mass only. But that couldn't be farther from the truth.
Everyone should incorporate at least some strength training into their routine. Don't worry, you're not going to get buff overnight from adding some lunges and leg presses. What will happen is that the muscle you add to your body will end up consuming calories both during and after your session. That's because maintaining this muscle mass demands calories, and having more muscle mass will benefit you in many ways.
First, you will be able to burn fat 24/7. But also, you won't need to worry as much about going over your daily calorie limit. This means that your diet doesn't have to be as restrictive either.
You Drink Your Calories
This is one of the most common, yet sneaky reasons why some people can never reach their weight loss objectives, even if they think they're doing everything right. You could be consuming half or even more of your recommended daily calorie intake in drinks of all sorts without even realising it.
People love to act like fizzy drinks are evil, but many fruit juices advertise themselves as healthy and contain just as many calories. So, don't assume that because something has 100% natural written on it that it's good for you.
The reason why fruit juices are often not recommended when fruits are is that a glass of juice contains way more than an average serving of fruit. A glass of orange juice, for instance, is about the equivalent of three oranges. A glass of orange juice will set you back around 120 calories. That means that 4 glasses of orange juice are about the same number of calories as a Big Mac!
There are tons of things that you can do, however, if you want to drink something that tastes good without ramping up your calorie count. One simple thing you could do is dilute any juice or high sugar drink with water. You can even go half and half with certain drinks and you will still get something that tastes great.
Another thing you have to be careful with is alcohol, especially beer. Beer can be very high in calories. A bottle of beer can have anywhere from 120 to 150 calories, even more, when you get into the darker beers. If you're going to drink something, the best option would be white wines and clear alcohols, followed by light beers.
You Don't Keep a Journal
Another thing that you should do if you aren't already is keeping a journal. This is one of the most common reasons why people lose track of the calories they consume. This could also be a great way to prevent drinking your calories, as we just said.
You need to document everything you eat in a day. We would even recommend that you get in the habit of photographing everything that you eat. This will give you a more precise idea of the calories you're consuming instead of trying to diminish it to feel like you didn't do too bad.
Once you get into this habit, there is no way you can ever miss your calories and it will make controlling your weight much easier.
You're Trying to Starve Yourself
This is another common mistake and the reason why so many people constantly go up and down in weight. You might be able to give up everything cold turkey and it might work for a while, but you know you're going to relapse at some point and you'll go right back to your bad habits.
The solution here is to make better choices instead. For instance, instead of snacking on empty calories, you can consider these. These meal replacement bars from Shake That Weight taste just as great as any candy bar. The only exception is that they're full of protein and nutrients. The beautiful thing about this is that protein helps maintain your muscle mass and keep you full better, which allows you to both burn fat and limit your overall food consumption.
You Don't Get Enough Protein
Speaking of protein, another very common reason why people can't seem to lose weight or do it in the wrong way is that they don't consume enough protein. When we say losing weight in the wrong way, we mean that trying to lose fat without providing your muscles with the protein they need will give you more of a "deflated" look. You'll lose tone, but still keep the majority of the fat.
There's another little-known benefit to protein for weight loss. That's the fact that it actually requires more energy, and therefore calories, to be broken down and digested. That's why many people feel tired after a protein-heavy meal.
As a matter of fact, it's estimated that about 30% of the calories consumed in the form of protein will be used towards digesting it. This means that you can afford to add some extra lean protein into your diet without worrying about it adding pounds.
You Eat too Many Carbs
We're not saying you should go full keto, but if there's one food group most people eat way too much of, it's carbs. They're served with almost every meal, are in every snack we eat, and virtually all drinks we drink.
The issue with carbs is that they have to be used for their main function, which is energy production. Carbs that are not used to provide energy for the body turn into body fat. So, if you have a diet high in carbs but don't have a lifestyle active enough to burn them, you should at least make sure that they're not the dominant food on your plate every time.
There are tons of other things that you can do to reduce your consumption of carbs without limiting yourself too much. For instance, you could use flatbread options whenever possible. You could decide to remove one of the buns when eating sandwiches. You could even hollow out the bread when eating burgers. All of these things will add up and have a significant impact on your daily caloric intake.
If you're committing any of these mistakes in your everyday life, then this could very well be the reason you can't get rid of excess weight. Make sure that you consider making adjustments starting today if you want to see fast results.
