Many people across the world are desperately trying to lose fat since who knows when. Some who succeeds, but some who keeps on failing no matter how hard they try. Maybe this is because the mind is motivated to exercise and lose the fat, but the mouth cannot resist the temptation of food at the same time. Well, in some cases, food indeed is the villain, but there are also some other mistakes other than food that could hinder your fat-burning exercise.
It could be any of the following mistakes such as eating too much; not eating enough protein; drinking too much; thinking that healthy food is calorie-free; not training intensely enough; doing too much low-intensity Cardio; being stressed; or not sleeping enough. Whatever the reason for your failure is, there is surely a way to solve that. Now, let us break down and analyze each mistake one by one, so that you will get a better view of how these mistakes make your fat-burning attempts useless however, you try.
Mistake #1 — Eating Too Much
Most people do not really know how many calories they are eating. This is true especially for those people who do not know anything about cooking or food. You might order a salad for a meal thinking that it is healthier than meat, disregarding the fact that dressings, sauces, ketchup and oils do have calories.
It has been said that the simple weight-loss method is to eat lesser calories than what your body burns. However, it is not as simple as that. The type of calories you eat also matters as much as the right combination of nutrients to build muscle and burn fat, such as protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
Many people get positive results with a 40/40/20 ratio of food intake. That is 40 percent carbohydrates, 40 percent protein, and 20 percent fat. Nevertheless, this food proportion does not work for all you know. It also depends on your body type and your goals. Some people who need to lower their carbohydrate intake to burn fat, in such case; those people should also raise their fat intake a little higher to give their body an alternative source of energy.
Mistake #2 — Not Eating Enough Protein
One of the most efficient ways to burn fat is to take more protein. Protein does not only build and repair muscles. It also makes you eat less during the day since it makes you feel fed up quickly, and it will not make you feel hungry.
Well, not just that really. Protein also helps the body in maintaining glucose levels, blood lipids, and muscle-to-fat ratio. However, you ever think that adding more protein to your diet is the only tool for your weight-loss success. You need to do it all throughout your diet plan along with your weight-loss goals to see great results. So, boost up your protein intake now and continue with it. Protein shakes are a great way to increase protein in an easy and convenient way.
Mistake #3 — Drinking Too Much
I know you will agree with me when I say that drinking is a great way to socialize and amuse yourself. Well, it is ok to drink, but not too much. Water is the only liquid essential for your body. Yes, you can have tea, coffee, or milk from time to time, when you are on a mission to lose weight. You can have alcohol, but keep it to a minimum when trying to lose weight.
Who can ever resist the tempting Latte macchiato or Caffè latte? Not me, and certainly not you, right? You will surely indulge in such sweet, thirst-quenching treats. However, don’t you know that sugar is a sweet devil? Yes, sugar is the sweetest devil of all. More sugar means more calories. When you drink a Caffè latte, you may be adding more and more calories in your body system. This means that the added calories in your body that will not be used gets to be stored as additional fat. It goes with beer more beer means more calories. It could also alter your food choices and make you lose focus on your diet.
Mistake #4 — Thinking That Healthy Food Is Calorie-free
If you think healthy foods are calorie-free then think again. They do have calories, but the question is how many calories a certain food contains.
Let us take peanuts, for example. Peanuts are healthy as these contain omegas, phytogens, and micronutrients that are good for your health, but the only problem is these peanuts may have high doses of calories. The same goes for the oh-so-yummy-and-crunchy almonds. Fat in almonds is good, but not in excess. It is not a crime to eat these kind of foods.
The only thing is to limit it to 1–2 serves a day. If you want to grab a peanut butter or almonds for a snack, you can eat but just enough amounts of it. Always remember, anything in excess is bad. You might as well eat more of the green vegetable stuff that does not contain much calories. That way you can be safer and closer to your weight-loss goal.
Mistake #5 — Not Training Intensely Enough
Weight loss does not only require your body to have a strict healthy diet. It also needs your body to work on burning the fat stored in it. Your body has to work to get rid of the fat. Now, I do not mean to say that you just have to train.
What I am saying is you have to do intense training and exercise. Of course, you have to start slowly so that you will not harm your body while it is adjusting. However, as your body responds to the work you are doing, as it burns more fat than usual, you do not stop. You push yourself harder and harder.
Never get contented with just doing a little workout. If you want to lose weight effectively, you have to train yourself harder. Regardless of gender, you have to lift heavy and hard to create more energy demand within your body system. More energy demand means more fat and calorie burning. Doing the same thing, no day will create any change.
Mistake #6 — Doing Too Much Low-intensity Cardio
Are you one of those trainees who keeps on asking if you are doing enough exercise or complaining that you’re doing too much already? Well, if you are, here is the answer to your confusion.
There are different methods of toning down your body and getting physically fit. It actually depends on what you are trying to tone down. An hour of jogging won’t produce the same result as lifting heavy weights for an hour. To make your training effective, you might as well do full-body workouts with shorter rest periods.
In doing this, you will not only let your cardiovascular system work harder and shape up; you will also get your muscular system at work. The key is to challenge your body. That is making everything work to achieve your goal.
Mistake #7 — Being stressed. If you are stressed, you lose focus
That is just how it is. Stress can give you more negative effects than you can think of. In relation to your weight-loss desire, stress can trigger your body to produce cortisol, a steroid hormone, more than usual. So what? Well, the increase of such hormone could also increase your body fat, which means you have to give more effort and train harder to get rid of the additional fat.
But, how will you train more if you are stressed and weak? Difficult. Let’s say that you were able to keep your diet and training, if you are super stressed, still you’ll get farther and farther to your weight-loss goal. The answer to this is relaxation. It might need more time and effort to relax, but it’s worth it. Why don’t you try to read a book, watch a movie, or meditate for a few minutes. It can help you clear your mind, keep you fresh, and improve your health. And focus on your goals too.
Mistake #8 — Not Sleeping Enough
This is one of the most common mistakes ever. We, sociable beings, just can’t do without all the fun in line for us. Sometimes, we even deprive ourselves of sleeping and resting enough just so we can’t miss the happenings. But if you want to lose weight, this kind of thing is a no-no. Just like getting stressed out, sleep deprivation also triggers the increase of cortisol in our body.
It causes the body to increase fat storage while decreasing insulin sensitivity. With these two effects, your body will have a hard time burning fat and losing weight. In order to focus and achieve your fitness goal, get enough sleep. You can’t expect to abuse your body and have positive results. Sleep at least 8 hours a day to get the needed rest for your fitness training, and to keep your body healthy. Limit your gadget usage during nighttime, don’t drink caffeine, and relax, so that you can sleep better at night.
