10 Mistakes to Avoid While Trying to Lose Weight

Losing weight is not easy for everyone. Some get the results quickly while for others it seems to be an uphill task.

Here are a few common mistakes you might be making while trying to lose weight.

Eating Too Little

If you wish to lose weight you need to keep a count on your calories. Basically, understand the concept of calorie deficit, where in you burn more calories than you eat.

According to NIH, people underestimate or over estimate their calories while the key is to maintain the right portion sizes depending on your body.

Exercising Too Much or Too Little

Exercise helps you lose weight by minimising the loss of lean mass, boosting the fat loss and maintaining a healthy metabolic rate. According to NIH, lean mass helps lose and maintain weight.

According to NIH, excess exercise can be harmful as it lead to stress and negative amount if endocrine hormones in the body that disrupts the normal functioning. It is advisable not to push your body more than it can handle.

Choosing 'Diet' Food

You might be choosing the 'diet' foods or low fat foods instead of normal food you used to eat before. They might have an opposite effect on your body. According to the FoodData Central, 170 grams of low fat yogurt contains around 23 grams of sugars which is unhealthy. These foods also make you more hungry and you end up eating more.

Lack of Protein in the Diet

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, protein can help you lose weight by maintaining the muscle gain, making you feel full, curbing the appetite and maintaining a healthy metabolism.

You can include more proteins in your diet if you are not doing so. If you are a vegetarian or lactose intolerant, legumes, flaxseed, beans and quinoa can be great sources of protein.

Lack of Enough Fiber in the Diet

Fibers not only help lose weight but help you stay healthy overall. According to various studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, all kinds of fibers make viscous fiber, a gel like substance that holds water and moves along the digestive system to make you feel full.

Moreover, fibers also help in the production of gut microbes, healthy hormones, aids digestion and prevents chronic diseases.

Avoiding Whole Foods

You might end up exercising a little more to make up for choosing processed foods. Processed foods that are easily available in the market are an obstruction to the weight loss journey. According to the NIH, processed foods contribute to obesity, bad gut health, inflammation and other health problems.

You can replace these processed foods with whole foods which are made of single ingredient with no chemicals.

Setting High Expectations

You might be pushing your body too far by cutting down on your favourite foods or exercising an hour more in the gym.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, losing 5-10 percent of weight, 1 to 2 pounds each week is the healthy way to go.

Not Tracking Your Eating Habits

There is a difference between tracking calorie intake and tracking your behaviour, eating habits and food choices on a regular basis. Journaling or apps that help you with information about your daily meals may help you hold yourself accountable and realise where you go wrong and which foods are your weakness.

Don't Depend on the Weighing Scale

There might be instances where you may feel that you are not losing weight because the weighing scale shows the same number. You should keep in mind that weighing scale is not the only way you can check your progress.

Weight may keep fluctuating because of water retention or left over food in the system. You might be losing fat but gaining muscle, women might be holding onto water due to hormonal changes, your measuring tape might help you track the difference on your waist. There are so many reasons for no change in weight after a certain point and other ways to measure the progress.

Not Reading Food Labels

The best way to know what's healthy for you is to read the food labels before you buy any food. They will give you detailed information on the fats, carbs and proteins in your food.