The 7 most common mistakes when losing weight
1. Undereating
Of course, being in a calorie deficit is key to losing weight. Only those who consume fewer calories than they expend can lose weight in the long term.
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Nevertheless, it is very important not to suddenly eat far too little food ! The body evaluates this as a signal for an imminent hunger period and then switches the metabolism into economy mode. The result: we burn fewer calories!
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Another long-term, unwanted effect of not eating enough is the breakdown of our muscles. This is touched before the fat – much to the chagrin of our calorie turnover. Because our muscles burn a large part of the calories ingested.
2. Neglect muscles
Therefore super important: not only maintain the muscles, but also strengthen them! Women in particular often neglect to build up their muscles. Not only do we pursue a different ideal of beauty than men – muscle mass is also reflected on the scales .
In addition, we often get the impression that we would burn more calories with an extensive jog than with a few sit-ups. While that may be true, muscles are far more effective in the long run. Once they are built up, they burn calories permanently – even when they are at rest! So combine endurance with weight training if you want to lose weight sustainably. You are also welcome to train with your own body weight – you will find great exercises in this book >>
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3. Just watch the scales
Those who measure their weight loss in pure numbers are often disappointed. However, this is not necessarily a meaningful unit of measurement. Because as we know, our muscles are heavier than body fat.
So if you start a training plan as part of the diet to build your muscles, the number on the scale can stagnate – even though you are losing fat!
Trust your eyes and focus on how you feel. If your arms, stomach and legs are tighter, you’ve definitely got it – even if the scales don’t show a big difference.
By the way: With a body fat scale you can determine important body parameters such as the body fat percentage and the percentage of muscle mass.
4. Being impatient
A diet often begins with a situation in which we are very dissatisfied – the trigger for wanting to tackle it now. Motivation is often very high at this point and we tend to set unrealistic goals. If you don’t see any significant results after a week or two of a power diet, you lose your drive.
Better: Don’t expect too much! Set small goals that you take step by step. In this way, you can regularly look forward to success, which is good for your motivation and your psyche. This way, you not only stick with it continuously, but you are sure to achieve good results in the long term.
Also Read: 9 Surprising Reasons Why Nothing is Happening on the Scale >>
5. Eating too little protein and fiber
To lose weight only lettuce leaves and cucumber slices are allowed? Rubbish! Our bodies need nutrients to function properly, even when dieting. In addition, you should be able to keep up the diet permanently.
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Proteins are essential to enable muscle building. Fiber is healthy, promotes digestion and keeps you full for longer! The latter is important in order not to put the body in a constant state of hunger and to protect oneself from all kinds of temptations. Fiber also causes the blood sugar level to rise only slowly, which prevents ravenous appetite attacks.
Discover healthy recipes for a quick and light dinner here >>
6. Rely on light products
Everyone knows that Cola, Fanta and Co. are not healthy. That’s why soft drinks like these have no place in a healthy diet, let alone during a diet.
Rather, it is a fallacy to rely on light versions of the drinks instead. The sweeteners contained in it fool our body into thinking that it would get sugar – which then does not happen. This then reacts with food cravings.
By the way: fruit juices made from 100 percent fruit are healthier than lemonades, but they also contain a lot of natural sugar. Therefore, only drink it in exceptional cases and mix a glass of it with water.
Light or low-fat foods from the supermarket also give us the impression that they are healthier and have fewer calories than their full-fat versions. However, they also often contain added sugar or sweeteners, which drives us into cravings and does not keep us full in the long term. In addition, there is also a deceptively good feeling that we have saved calories.
7. Too little sleep
Regular, restful sleep is the basis for our health. Our body needs enough sleep to function optimally and to regenerate. If we sleep badly or too little, our body also goes limp. The metabolism works at the minimum, there is a lack of energy. We get a craving for something sweet or greasy – anything that provides power quickly. Unfortunately, this leads to the opposite of what we want to achieve. Poor sleep has been shown to lead to weight gain.
If you have trouble falling asleep, you can try some exercise in the evening. For example, go for a short walk in the fresh air or schedule your training session for the evening. A lavender spray for the pillow can also help you relax and fall asleep.
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