Around 2.3 million Australians are on some form of diet, exercise regime, or are actively trying to improve their fitness. While deciding to lose weight is an excellent first step, there might be some things you’re doing that aren’t helping the process. Read on to learn how you might be stopping your own weight loss progress.
Not Enough Calories, or Too Many
The foundation for weight loss is a calorie deficit. You need to burn more calories than you’re eating and drinking. However, many people make the mistake of consuming too many through miscalculation, or not enough. Pay attention to the healthy food you are eating, such as nuts. They are good for the body but are also high in calories.
However, if you consume far fewer calories than your body is burning, then it can have the opposite effect. A low-calorie diet could lead to detrimental muscle loss, which can impact your fitness and exercise, as well as a slow metabolism. The goal is to strike a happy balance, which may require the helping hand of an expert in the field.
Not Enough Exercise, or Too Much
When you lose weight, you lose both fat and muscle. However, how much of both can depend on your fitness regime. If you start consuming fewer calories but don’t exercise, you can lose more muscle mass. When you exercise, you can reduce lean muscle loss while promoting fat loss.
If you exercise too much, you can stress yourself out and find your new fitness regime is not sustainable. What’s more, you could be impacting your adrenal hormones.
Falling for Marketing Ploys
You might think that you’re doing your body big favours by consuming “low fat” or “fat-free” packaged goods, but they may not be as beneficial for your health as you think. To improve the taste of a product with little or no fat, manufacturers might be adding more sugar instead. Combat this by consuming as many natural, unprocessed foods as possible and reading labels thoroughly before you eat packaged products.
Miscalculating Calorie Burning
Apps and exercise machines can be quite accurate with calorie burning, but not all the time. Some exercises burn more calories than others, and the length of time matters a great deal as well. A problem that many people face is that they overestimate how many calories they burn. They can then end up eating more food, believing they had burned enough to allow it.
Weight loss is a tricky beast. It can take a balanced diet, well thought out exercise plans, and a routine to put you on the path to success. It can also take expert assistance. If you’re ready to have a good go at weight loss, then consider getting in touch with a gym or personal trainer for help.