How much time does it take to get back into shape after Turkey Day and the festive season? Are you someone who struggles to lose weight or gain muscle mass? Why do some people seem to get thinner despite eating unhealthy food?
Losing weight doesn’t come easy for everybody. The myths surrounding weight loss don’t help either. You’ve tried every kind of diet out there, and now you’re considering taking extreme measures to lose those last few extra pounds.
When you decide you want to slim down, I know you’re keen to get results as quickly as possible, but turning to unhealthy ways of losing weight will not serve your health. Here’s what you need to avoid.
Skipping Meals
Skipping meals is not an effective way to lose weight. You could become more tired, miss out on essential nutrients, have a low mood, or be tempted to turn to unhealthy foods when you do decide to eat, which will lead to weight gain. If you decide to do intermittent fasting, that’s a different issue. You would want to plan to make up for the nutrients missed during your fasting period in the 2 meals you eat during the feasting period.
Cutting Out Certain Food Groups
People commonly exclude carbohydrates from meal plans in order to lose weight. However, all food groups contain important nutrients that our bodies need. It’s not about eliminating food groups; it’s about getting the balance right. Low carb is okay, no carbs can be rough on the body and hard to sustain.
Overexercising
If you’re trying to lose weight, being more active has benefits. But, it’s about knowing when to stop. For any successful weight loss plan to work, you need to make small sustainable changes. You’ll likely reach a breaking point if you’re burning yourself out with intense fitness regimes, which lowers recovery time and leads to you feeling weaker for longer. Make sure you have cardio AND strength training in your exercise regime.
Sticking to a Liquid Diet
Consuming liquid food, whether soups or juices, is not a sustainable, long-term way of losing weight. You may be undereating in terms of calories, which can lead to other issues.
Starving Yourself
Undereating or starving yourself can prevent your body from functioning normally (a bigger deal than it seems) and affect your mood and energy levels. Sure, you might see a difference in your weight, but you will also be losing muscle and have a decreased metabolism which helps you burn calories in the first place.
If you feel stuck in your weight loss journey and want help jumpstarting your metabolism in a healthful, supportive way, I am here for you. Let’s chat! patti@worthynutrition.com
[RECIPE] AVOCADO EGGNOG SMOOTHIE
Serves: 1
Ingredients (use organic where possible):
- 2 cups of dairy-free milk
- 1 small avocado
- 1 large frozen banana
- 1 scoop vanilla plant-based protein powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pure rum extract
- 1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A handful of ice cubes
Directions:
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until smooth, then serve.
To Your Health,
Patti
