For most people, the winter season is the hardest part of the year for their body. In the winter, we eat more and move less, gaining weight we want to lose before the sun comes out.
So why is it then that even the best eating efforts don’t deliver equally amazing results? After all, eating less food should result in a slimmer body, right? Unfortunately, human biology is more complicated than that. This often causes many people to give up on their dreams of losing weight, when all they need to do is look at their own lifestyle more closely.
Are you still wondering then how to lose fat when you already might be doing the right things with your diet? Read on…
Watch the Calories
When it comes to food, what defines ‘more’ or ‘less’? Most people consider the weight and size of a meal, yet these are visual clues at best. What really matters are the calories. These represent energy and, in eating food, the more calories you eat, the more energy is required to burn them off. This is why a small burger doesn’t equate to a large salad – the latter still has less calories and doesn’t require additional exercise to compensate.
While eating healthy, cutting down on starchy foods and other fad diet tips are all useful pieces of advice, they mean nothing if you’re not watching your calories. There is no magic diet that will take care of calories for you, as they are the cornerstone of a good diet. Watch what you eat, and make sure you burn enough calories to compensate.
Don’t Worship the Scales
Just Like calories, the scale is just a number at the end of the day. There are so many factors going on inside you that your weight alone is not a reliable indicator. What if you’re gaining lean muscle mass or happen to be carrying carbohydrates or additional water?
The scales don’t matter. A number might be good or bad depending on what you believe, or even your personal body composition. Keep an eye on your overall energy and fitness instead, as it’s a more reliable indicator!
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Day To Day Stress
It may surprise some to learn that stress does not play well with a diet. The fact is, stress is chaotic and can influence people in different ways, but it seldom plays nice with any aspect of life. For most people, this stress is often caused by their daily life. Whether it’s a small event, such as driving to work, or something larger, such as work itself, it all adds up.
Removing stress should be a major priority before dieting. Often, you’ll find eating healthy and working out becoming easier, or enjoyable, when you’ve got a calm and relaxed mind.
Sleep Is Crucial
Speaking of stressful lives – most people often struggle to find the time to exercise. For many people in an active or busy lifestyle, sleep is one area that they often lack.
There are many processes that take place when you sleep, so a lack of sleep itself can prevent your body from functioning properly. Reduced sleep can cause an altered metabolism and increased resistance to insulin. It can also hinder your mind and limit your ability to focus. Nobody is operational early in the morning, but without enough sleep, this often extends throughout the day. Research even indicates injuries at work are more likely when people haven’t slept enough.
Here’s a recent study that summarizes the importance of sleep: out of a group of dieters, the rate of fat loss was diminished by over half (55 per cent) when people were reducing their sleeping hours. Similarly, muscle loss was also increased by 60 per cent. Muscles mass is crucial and always needed – just try going to the gym when your muscles are getting weaker!
Exercise Doesn’t Excuse Eating
Unfortunately, even the best exercise or workout routines does not strip away volumes of calories. According to one study, you could lift 385 pounds across 32 reps and burn roughly 100 calories. Take a look at your next meal and see how many calories are there – chances are it’s more than 100. Exercise doesn’t give you the freedom to eat what you want, which is where many people go wrong.
Don’t ‘Forget’ Your Diet
Human memory is far from perfect, which isn’t useful when dieting. People often watch what they eat at meal times, but don’t count the various snacks throughout the day. Similarly, how much do you order when eating out? Restaurants often make larger sized food – don’t be fooled into thinking this is the normal amount needed for a human body! This all adds the illusion of eating normally when, in reality, we’re all excessively eating. Ignore everyone else and pay closer intention to everything you eat, especially the calories.
Starting Simple
Dieting isn’t easy but if you start with the vital steps, it will work out. Watch how many calories you eat and workout when you can. If this doesn’t work, look at other areas of your life, such as stress and sleep, to find what’s going wrong.
Don’t be fooled by the current trending diets or be discouraged by your lack of progress, take a look at you at your life and make the change – sometimes a healthy body requires a bit more sacrifice, not only the physical and nutritional angles, but from the psychological as well. Get back on track today!
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