You’ve cut out the carbs, been religiously working out at the gym and revamped your diet, but despite all of these healthy measures, the number on the scale still won’t budge. So what gives?
In reality, and despite all of your best efforts, there are common mistakes people make that hinder weight-loss progress. Here are some things to consider.
You are too focused on exercise.
Yes, exercise is definitely an important component to losing weight and gaining muscle strength. However, if you think working out will compensate for excessive and unhealthy eating, you are incorrect. At the end of the day, your weight comes down to 70 percent diet and 30 percent exercise. So, if you want to see results when you look in the mirror, you will need to be more conscience of the choices you’re making in the kitchen.
You are eating too many “diet foods.”
Don’t be fooled by the packaging. Processed low-fat or “diet” foods may appear to be good choices for losing weight, but they may actually have the opposite effect. For example, low-fat yogurt with fruit on the bottom contains a large amount of sugar and sugar, as we know, turns into fat. Instead, choose a combination of nutritious, minimally processed foods like a piece of fruit or carrot sticks and hummus.
You are eating too many or too few calories.
Most diets involve cutting down or significantly reducing your daily caloric intake. In actuality, most of us have a tendency to underestimate and underreport what we eat. You may be overdoing it on foods that are healthy but also high in calories, such as nuts and cheese. A simple rule to follow is to watch portion sizes.
On the other hand, decreasing your calorie intake too much can be unsuccessful.
Studies on very low-calorie diets providing less than 1,000 calories per day show they can lead to muscle loss and significantly slow down metabolism.
Try downloading a calorie tracker app or starting a food journal to keep track of your daily food intake.
You use the excuse, “I don’t know how to cook.”
You’d love to be a master in the kitchen cooking up healthy, organic dinners that taste great but in reality, your skills don’t go far beyond opening a can of soup. All hope is not lost. There are plenty of meal delivery services on the market that are aimed to help you achieve a healthy lifestyle and ultimately lose weight.
Take for instance the keto meal delivery service by Ketoned Bodies. Geared toward folks who are interested in the popular keto diet, ketonedbodies.com allows customers to order meals online from an a la carte full menu or you can opt for a prepaid package deal for added savings.
Meals come right to your doorstep fully prepared to pop in the microwave or oven. No preparation is required. Easy!
The bottom line – when you’re hoping to shed some extra pounds the number on the scale shouldn’t be the priority for changing your habits. But changing your habits might just change the numbers on the scale.