Cheat days might not always be the best for your mind or body. (Photo: Pond5)
In
theory, losing weight seems simple enough: Eat less, move more. Right?
Ha! Anyone who’s ever tried to slim down knows that diet and exercise is
tricky. It’s easy for even then best-laid plans to run off-course. And
there’s nothing like hitting a weight loss plateau — or, worse, regaining to make you want to throw out the scale and grab a cookie.
To
fend off the calorie burn blues, we asked a bunch of top trainers and
nutritionists for the most common mistakes they see clients making when
they first embark on a weight loss goal. If you’ve set out to shed
pounds but aren’t seeing the results you hoped for, here are some
possible reasons why — plus, great advice to get you back on track.
10 Diet Mistakes That Are Easy to Avoid
(Photo: Pond5)
Mistake #1: Not counting all the calories.
Snack
attacks happen. Just don’t try to deny them. “When I ask my clients for
a daily meal log, I often get back a list of breakfast, lunch, and
dinner,” says DailyBurn Fitness/Nutrition coach Chris Mosier. “These
people are snacking, but they aren’t adding it toward their daily
caloric intake total.” Most people don’t realize how much these bites
can add up, he says. Not to mention the toll that beverages, like soda
or booze, can take on your waistline.
Fix It:
Use a calorie-tracking mobile app so you can log each item as you’re
eating it — not later. “It’s easy to go over your caloric goal when you
add in the two cookies from the office party, the vending machine run
during the afternoon slump, and the bedtime sweets,” Mosier says. Remind
yourself before you take those extra between-meal bites: Like it or
not, every calorie counts.
Mistake #2: Going crazy on your cheat day.
Splurging
once a week can help satisfy cravings and, when done right, can even
spike metabolism and help you burn calories more efficiently. “But the
problem is that often, the cheat day becomes a massive food-eating
contest,” says Joey Thurman, celebrity trainer and creator of The
Lifestyle Renovation. Going overboard can set you back thousands of
calories and make you feel sick and bloated for days to come.
“Many people start out thinking they need to work out seven days a week, which is not always reasonable.”
Fix It:
“Instead of a cheat day, have a cheat meal for each week,” says
Thurman. “You still can have that donut, pizza, or brownie you’ve been
craving, and get right back on the road to clean, nutritious eating —
instead of derailing all your progress and causing yourself to feel
sick.”
Mistake #3: Not switching up your workouts.
Turns
out doing the same Cardio Sculpt workout every day might not be the
best idea. “Completing the same workout over and over can be detrimental
to weight loss, because our bodies adapt and become more efficient at
that mode of exercise,” says DailyBurn Fitness/Nutrition coach Tiffany
Hill. Similarly, doing all steady-state cardio, without adding strength
training or high-intensity intervals, can also sabotage your efforts,
says personal trainer Mike Chang, creator of Six Pack Shortcuts. “You
can spend a month on a treadmill and see very few results, and end up
looking worse if you’re not careful,” he says. “Too much cardio can get
rid of the muscle that makes you look good.”
Fix It: To
ensure you’re getting enough variety in your workouts, Hill recommends
regularly adjusting the frequency, intensity, time, or type of workout.
(You can remember that using the acronym FITT.) “Following a running
program such as Couch to 5K is a good example of an exercise
progression,” she says. “Each week, the running phase increases
gradually.” To be sure you’re building muscle and keeping your
metabolism revved, add high-intensity intervals and weight or resistance
training to your routine at least twice a week.
(Photo: Pond5)
Mistake #4: Restricting yourself too much.
Step
away from the juice cleanses. “Going on a strict diet forever is simply
not realistic, unless you have a lot of extra time on your hands and
the willpower to never to eat out again,” jokes Chang. “If you want to
lose weight, you have to think about sustainability.” And even if you
are able to stick to a super low-calorie meal plan without falling off
the wagon, your body could kick into starvation mode, expending fewer
calories in an effort to preserve energy.
Fix It:
Instead of worrying so much about the number of calories you’re eating,
focus on the quality of those calories, says Allie Whitesides,
DailyBurn Fitness/Nutrition coach. “Eat food that you prepare, less
packaged goods, and include a balance of protein, healthy fats, whole
grains, and lots of fresh veggies and fruits.” Follow these steps and
you’ll find yourself naturally eating a healthy number of calories,
without feeling hungry or deprived.
Mistake #5: Not taking a rest day.
When
starting a workout program, it’s crucial to give your body (and mind)
adequate recovery days. “Many people start out thinking they need to
work out seven days a week, which is not always reasonable,” says
Whitesides. “When they end up missing a day or two they become
discouraged and often give up completely.”
Fix It: To
beat burnout, schedule a day or two of rest each week, and be sure to
set reasonable goals that fit your lifestyle. “Always listen to your
body, and if you are too sore to work out, take an active recovery day,”
says Whitesides. Go for a walk with your family, take a leisurely bike
ride or do some gentle yoga.
Mistake #6: Giving exercise too much credit.
You
can’t out-exercise a bad diet. “When it comes to weight loss, nutrition
needs to be on point in order for your physical activity efforts to
shine through,” says Hill. “This is especially true for people just
beginning an exercise routine, because easy to moderate physical
activity doesn’t burn a lot of calories.” For example, walking at three
miles per hour for 30 minutes burns less than 150 calories — equal to or
less than most candy or snack bars.
Fix It:
Ditch the mindset that just because you worked out, you can eat
whatever you want. But don’t let a strict diet keep you from exercising,
either. “It’s still important because it will help with increasing your
mood, boosting energy and promoting better sleep,” says Hill. “Focus on
these immediate gains of physical activity, and weight loss will follow
suit.”
Mistake #7: Focusing too much on the scale.
Many
of Mosier’s clients obsessively check the scale, and are then
disappointed if the number isn’t moving. But many factors can play into a
person’s weight, he says, including body composition, hydration levels
and food you’ve eaten. “Weight can fluctuate, so jumping on the scale
daily doesn’t give an accurate snapshot of how you’re actually doing.”
“People who eat like birds at breakfast often become hungry and overeat at lunch and dinner.”
Fix It:
Weigh yourself once a month and take measurements of your body to track
changes, says Mosier. “Measurements can be taken anywhere you want to
lose inches, with the most common being the waist, hips, thighs and
upper arms.”
Mistake #8: Not getting enough sleep.
Pay
attention to zzz’s just as much as LBs. “One of the biggest mistakes I
see people make is not giving enough emphasis to the unsung heroes of
weight loss, like sleep and stress,” says trainer and sports
nutritionist Rob Sulaver, founder of Bandana Training. “If you want to
create the ideal fat loss conditions for your body, you have to manage
your stress levels and make sure the quantity and quality of your sleep
is on point.”
Fix It:
Before you even think about a diet and exercise plan, make sure you’re
getting enough shuteye. (The magic number of hours is different for
everyone, but most studies suggest it’s around seven — although very
active people likely need more.) If you’re stressed, find healthy ways
to relieve tension, like regular yoga sessions, meditation, or hitting a
punching bag in boxing class.
Mistake #9: Skimping on breakfast.
“People
who eat like birds at breakfast often become hungry and overeat at
lunch and dinner,” says sports nutritionist Kate Davis, MS, RD, CSSD,
LDN. While your morning mea lmay not be as important to weight loss as
it was once believed, studies do show that eating early (especially
high-protein meals) can increase dopamine levels, which may reduce
cravings throughout the day.
Fix It:
“Flip your thinking and make breakfast your largest meal of the day,”
says Davis. “Eat relatively less as the day goes on to keep yourself
from becoming over-hungry.” Can’t swing a big breakfast on work days? A
recent study found that a quick bowl of oatmeal first thing in the a.m.
can help you eat 50 percent less at lunch.
Mistake #10: Gunning for six-pack abs.
“You
can perform crunches until you’re blue in the face, but this doesn’t
mean you’re actually burning fat from your abdominal area,” says Hill.
That’s because the idea that you can “spot reduce” simply isn’t true. In
order to lose weight, you have to burn calories — and when you do, the
body sheds fat all over, not just in one specific spot.
Fix It:
For the biggest calorie burn, focus on exercises that increase your
heart rate and target large muscle groups — like the chest, back and
legs. (Hill recommends squats, deadlifts, push-ups and bent-over rows.)
Incorporate high-intensity interval training into your routine, as well.
“You’ll burn more calories in less time, and this type of physical
activity can work for you due to the afterburn effect.”
By Amanda MacMillan for Life by DailyBurn
About EntrepreneurIT
0 comments :
Post a Comment