How many of you reading this article has tried to lose weight by going on a diet and failed? Subsequently, causing you to fall deeper in to depression and the wrong frame of mind in general right?
How many of you reading this article actually know why you failed? I’m guessing not many otherwise we would all be walking around like Olympic athletes. The most common reason we fail to lose weight is all down to the 4 major errors me make while on a weight loss plan.
The following 4 tips will allow you to steer clear of these common mistakes and help you finally reach your goal.
Tip 1 – Consume Protein With Your Carbohydrates!
Many of us make this common mistake with every meal we eat, and that is that we don’t consume enough protein along with our carbohydrates.
Protein is a vital nutrient and can assist in slowing down the release of carbohydrates in to your blood, ensuring your blood sugar levels stay level and do not peak and then crash.
When such a crash occurs, it signifies your body is low on blood sugar which means you will head straight for an unhealthy snack.
As stated above, by consuming enough protein with each meal, you are ensuring your blood sugar and energy levels stay constant all through the day, meaning little or no snacking which is a major plus in our weight loss goal.
Tip 2 – Do Not Completely Eradicate Carbohydrates!
The next mistake we have been advised to do in order to lose weight, is to stop eating carbohydrates altogether. This could not be any further from the truth! By stopping eating carbohydrates entirely we might well lose weight in the short term, however if you are a relatively active person you will find you are no longer able to do the activities you used to do quite as well as you once did. The reason for this is, your energy levels will be too low.
A popular ‘carbohydrate free diet’ was The Atkins Diet which caused quite a stir as I’m sure you are all too aware. However, these types of diets are very much a short term temporary fix which could also lead to other potential health issues.
As well as your low energy level, cutting out carbohydrates from your diet can also cause nutrient deficiency and can slow down your metabolism, which in turn means you will find it harder to lose the weight you want to lose, or worse, gain even more weight.
As opposed to cutting out carbohydrates completely, instead try eating healthy carbohydrates. Healthy carbohydrates can assist your body in keeping your nutrient and energy levels up, and if eaten in moderation, will ensure no weight is put on.
Tip 3 – Do Not Give In To Cravings!
Food cravings are something we all have to deal with when on a weight loss program and more often than not, we give in to these cravings and have a couple of cheat days. A cheat day every now and then is absolutely fine, even the world top athletes will no doubt have their own cheat day where they allow themselves a treat. However this is where is should stop, but too many of us have too many of these cheat days.
If you find yourself hungry in between meals while on a weight loss plan and are not losing weight due to giving in to these cravings, then what we need to do is find a healthier solution. This can be a difficult process, however with some perseverance and a little creative experimenting you will find a way to fight off those unwanted hunger feelings.
Tip 4 – Eat Small But Often!
This is the common mistake that catches most of us out. Many of us seem to think that missing a meal here and there will help us to lose weight, however this actually has the complete opposite effect in the long run. You will lose weight and pretty quickly too, but that weight will come back eventually and you then find yourself back at the starting line. last diet mistake you might be making is not eating regularly.
Split your meals in to 5 evenly spaced out portions per day. Not only does this keep your blood sugar and energy levels constant, meaning less snacking, it also constantly fuels your body throughout the entire day never letting your metabolism rest. If we don’t put fuel (i.e. food) in to our bodies regularly, our metabolism cannot function properly, and if our metabolism cannot function properly, it cannot burn off the excess fat we want to shift.
If you can remember these 4 tips the next time you start a weight loss program then you are giving yourself the tools you need to reach your goal and hit your ideal weight.
Enjoy and good luck guys!!