Ten Things You Do That Are Preventing You from Losing Weight

If you have been trying to lose weight for a long time now and the results are more or less the same, then you are to blame. It may not be in your genes to be overweight although sometimes this is the case. Neither could be hereditary though it may very well be case.

The biggest hurdle to weight is mostly your lifestyle habits. There are things you do that could prevent you from ever losing weight. Your weight loss struggle will amount to nothing if you don’t watch out your lifestyle habits.

measuring waist
Woman measuring waistline; image source: springfieldcosmetic.com

This is because some habits predispose people to incessant weight gain, regardless of their stature. Here are ten things you do that makes successful weight loss difficult.

Skipping meals

If you are trying to lose weight, skipping meals won’t get you anywhere. Many people associate weight gain with a lot of food. They, therefore, attempt to lose weight by cutting down on their food consumption.

In order to cut weight, the body needs to increase its metabolic rate. When you skip a meal, the metabolic rate slows down, thus, slowing down the rate at which fats are burned in your body.

So, if you have been skipping meals, know that you have not been doing justice to your body.

Taking alcohol

However hard it may be, you may just have to drop the habit altogether. Alcohol has very high calorie content. Therefore, it is not a question of cutting down on drinking. A glass per day will get your lost weight rushing back, and even more.

There may be nothing wrong with an occasional drink – but for a person trying to lose weight. Any intake of alcohol injects your body with extra calories. It seems contradictory: burning calories and receiving more through alcohol. So, if you are serious about losing weight, you have to fore-go alcohol completely.

Using pills

Some medicines may be contributing to your weight gain. Most drugs, especially when they are being taken regularly, will lead to weight gain.

In a recent interview with Gracy of HCG diet drops website, she said “So, if you are on a weight loss program, try to keep pills away. These may be steroids, family planning pills, or any other medication for all sort of diseases such as asthma. Drugs for psychological imbalances such as anti-depressants may also prevent you from losing weight. Some drugs can be avoided, if not, then your weight loss program is bound to fail terribly.”

Over eating

Pumping up your body with too much food is perhaps the greatest hindrance to weight loss. Though not always then case, people who consume too much food are always more likely to be overweight than their average counterparts.

This is because the excess food is converted into fats and stored in the body for future use, hence, weight gain. Moreover, excess food produces more calories than are needed by the body. The extra calories are also converted into fats and stored. You can mitigate on this challenge by avoiding fatty stuff.

Little or no exercise at all

If the only exercise you give to your body is moving to and from the fridge, then you may never lose weight. Lack of enough exercise forces the body to store the calories in form of fats.

The metabolic process that takes place after eating releases a lot of energy. This energy needs to be expended to keep the body fit. If you do not exercise, the energy is preserved, hence, weight gain. No Weight Loss Program can succeed without enough physical exercises. Take a walk in the evening, run for a few meters, and work out on the treadmills, or you may never lose weight.

Having sleepless nights

Not having enough sleep may just increase your appetite. Studies show that lack of sleep induces a stress hormone known as cortisol. For your information, cortisol is the same hormone responsible stimulation of gross appetite. It is no wonder, therefore, that stressed people end up eating lots of food. So, if you are on a weight loss program, enough sleep is a prerequisite. Ensure you sleep for at least seven hours every day.

Stress

As has been stated earlier, the hormone that induces stress also stimulates appetite. If you have a tendency of getting stressed every now and then, then weight loss is not for you.

In fact, trying to lose weight may in itself stress you out. So, instead of losing weight, you may actually gain more. For this reason, you need to approach weight loss realistically. Do not expect quick results, and remember, there are no short cuts.

Eating less

Consuming less food may have a similar effect to skipping meals. The body needs enough food to produce enough energy to aid in the metabolic processes. If the food is scanty, the body may automatically activate the starvation mode.

Under the starvation mode, metabolism slows down, taking longer to burn each calorie. So, instead of growing thinner, you may actually gain weight.

Expecting quick fixes

If you are expecting quick fixes to the weight problem, then you are in for a major disappointment. This is because you may easily give up after a few weeks and go back to your old habits.

The lost weight will come rushing back and you may become even bigger. Therefore, when you set out to lose weight, keep in mind that it takes time. Avoid putting too much expectation on yourself. Remember that people are different; some lose weight faster while some take a little more time.

Watching too much TV

This is another habit preventing you from losing weight. Watching TV for long means your body gets very little physical exercise. It is especially worse when you watch TV while consuming huge quantities of junk food.

If you are serious about losing weight, you will have to reduce the amount of time you spent before the silver screen. Your body needs enough physical exercises to help break down the calories.

About author:
This article was contributed to healthiack.com by a guest author.

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