Losing weight is always a difficult undertaking, but avoiding weight loss pitfalls can help you with your success. When starting a weight loss program, you hope to see results immediately, but don’t be surprised if you don’t see any action right away. As with anything good, it takes time to achieve permanent weight loss. By being patient you can succeed, but along they way, there are 5 very important things you need to know that may hinder your success.
1. Eating fewer refined and processed foods. Avoid fast and fried food and try to consume as many real foods as you can. It’s also imperative to get enough fiber (helps with elimination); fruits and veggies are a great way to fill up.
2. Avoid sugary drinks and reach for more water. Water is great for so many things like digestion, eliminating toxins in the body, and transporting important nutrients to our cells which need energy to burn calories. Americans drink 20% of their calories, so be careful of that silent pitfall.
3. Slow down. When you do sit down to a meal, don’t wolf it down. Our culture encourages eating while driving or sitting at our desks. The only time we seem to sit down and enjoy our food is at Thanksgiving. The monks chew each bite of food 100 times (which is excessive), but they also eat only until they are full. They recognize that chewing their food more makes it easier for the body to digest.
4. Don’t starve yourself. Oddly enough some of you may not be eating enough, and the lack of calories is putting your body into save mode. Our bodies are so brilliant, and if they aren’t getting enough food, your metabolism will tell your body to store each and every calorie it receives or to make energy from whatever muscle tissue you have. Not good. Oh and by the way, don’t skip breakfast. People who skip breakfast are over 4 times more likely to be overweight.
5. Do more than exercise. Even if you are working out, you can’t eat and drink whatever you want. It really is a three sided puzzle: balancing exercise, food, and (oh yes) the spirit (which stress and happiness play into).
Plan your diet carefully, and try to stick with a routine. This can help achieve steady weight loss and unintentional gains. You might also want to look in to supplements as a weight loss aid. Acai berry weight loss supplements can be helpful as an addition to your weight loss program.