If you cannot figure out what it is that is going wrong in your fitness plan; don’t worry, because this article is going to help you out.
Like many people you seem to be doing everything right – working out, eating all the right stuff, and avoiding all the wrong stuff; yet there is something that is not shedding the last bit of extra pounds.
Well, here in this article you are going to find 10 tips on what kills a perfect diet program. Perhaps you can identify one out of them as your own.
1. Unaccounted Calories
These are also known as stealth calories and they can be identified as those small intakes of extra calories throughout the day that we don’t actually need.
For example, grabbing onto some chocolate from the refrigerator, or maybe some nuts from the cabinet; somehow we don’t count them as extra forbidden calories and are easily forgotten.
What people don’t realize is that these few handfuls of snacks are not that small in size when you count the calories. They can easily add up to 200 unrequited calories in a single day.
2. Never Shop When You Are Hungry
Have you ever noticed how you seem to fill up your trolley when you are shopping on empty stomach?
All the rumbling in your tummy can lead you to grab onto a lot of unrequired junk food from the grocery store.
This is because when we are hungry our sugar level steeps down and this makes our body crave sugary stuff or stuff that is high in fats and calories.
Hence what is required is either to make a shopping list prior to stepping out of the house and then you should stick to it; also don’t forget to have your meal before going out. The other thing and the simpler thing is to just shop online.
3. Never Skip a Breakfast
This might not be the first time that you have to not skip your breakfast. Having this first meal of the day really is important in providing our body with the energy it needs for the complete day.
It is completely wrong to think that by skipping breakfast you might actually be able to lose a few pounds sooner. In fact, those who skip breakfast have frequent urges for sugary stuff throughout the day and the metabolism slows down to preserve any energy it has.
4. Have Control Over Cravings
Who doesn’t have cravings? There is hardly anyone, but who gives in and who doesn’t is all a game of willpower.
It is very easy to succumb to that urge, however, if you have the ability to control the urge, you will notice that the craving will vanish after 10 minutes or so. So the main thing is to stay strong in those ten minutes.
Another tip to avoid those cravings is to have a complete meal at meal times so that your stomach stays full for a long and try to drink plenty of water throughout the day which also keeps the cravings where they should be.
5. Don’t Give Up Everything
It’s true that you have to cut down on a lot of stuff that you love, but there is nothing wrong with treating yourself with a reward every now and then.
Not that it is not possible to leave something desirable for good, it is just not necessary. There is no need of giving up everything bad totally. Many diet experts will also suggest the same thing.
6. Essential Fats
The first thing that comes to mind when planning a fitness program is cutting down on fats. It is true and essential in order to lose weight.
However totally eliminating it from the diet can prevent many vitamins to be absorbed into the body like Vitamin A, D, and E.
Another thing to be kept in mind is that bad fats which are saturated fats should be avoided whereas good fats which are unsaturated fats like those found in oily fish are really essential for a balanced and healthy body.
7. Consuming Too Many Carbohydrates
Perhaps eating a light sandwich for lunch might appeal to many as a diet food and indeed it looks like one too, but it isn’t because refined carbohydrates like pasta and bread have lost all their essential nutrients during the refining process.
Therefore eating even a small amount of refined carbohydrates is not good for the body.
Instead, dieters should concentrate on eating more proteins which will keep them feeling full for longer and will give them fewer calories.
8. Fat in Disguise
Often unhealthy food is disguised as healthy foods like diet fizzy drinks and low-fat packaged food; because all these diet drinks are actually filled with artificial sweeteners which can really send the blood sugar levels shooting off.
Similarly, low-fat products might be low in fat but high in sugar content thereby making them unhealthy again.
The salads too might not be a good option to be chosen everywhere; sometimes the dressing over them neutralizes all the fat-free healthy nutrients present in the salad vegetables so be smart.
9. What About The Drinks
Most dieters when starting off on their fitness regime would normally concentrate on their food intake.
With eating habits undergoing a drastic change, people easily forget about the liquid part of their diet; and as they keep on eating healthy food, alcoholic beverages and lattes are still continued on the side.
Therefore those who plan on dieting should also do something about shifting to healthy drinks like fresh juices because a glass of wine or regular latte can contain from 150 – 200 calories.
10. Make Holiday a Part of Your Fitness Routine
Remember that when you go on a holiday, don’t let yourself be tricked into slipping out of your diet; instead, it would be even more self-rewarding if you spend some time of your holiday doing exercise.
Fitness, health, blogging and Psychology are my main interests. I’ve worked in many roles from product designer to engineer working with many products from fitness equipment and spa products to this role as a hands-on webmaster. Avid gym-go’er and captain of the good ship Fitness Authority
