Common Obstacles Against Reaching Optimum Weight

When anyone starts to try and lose some of their excess weight, for the first week or two it seems quite easy and they normally shed quite a few pounds. Then as your body gets used to your new eating regime, the weight loss might reduce to 1 or 2 pounds a week, and sometimes nothing at all is lost. This can get very frustrating, but if you are in this situation there are common obstacles that may be stalling your weight loss.

Fat Lost, Muscle Gained

One of the first things to realize is that the scales should not always be your guide. When you start to lose excess body fat, it will be replaced with healthier muscle tissues. These weigh more than fat and it can be misleading when you weigh yourself. Your body will be more toned, and you should be able to tell if your clothes are fitting better when this is happening. Alternatively, stand in front of the mirror and you will see there is less fat on your body.

Not Tracking Your Diet

Keeping track of exactly what you are eating, which you can do here, can be a huge help. If you do not do this it is too easy to eat too much of the wrong thing. The best way to lose weight is to have at least 30% of your diet protein, as these are natural appetite suppressants.

Calories can mount up much quicker than you think, but if you keep track throughout the day, you are far less likely to have too many. The simple trick is to burn more calories than you consume, and then even if it takes you a while, you will lose weight. One of the reasons people eat too many calories is because of large portion sizes. Measure your foods, and after just a few days you will have more idea of the portion sizes you should be eating.

Illnesses And Medication

There are some illnesses and medication that make weight loss very difficult, and some that will make you gain weight. For example, one of the symptoms of thyroid problems is gaining weight, and the medication, which you can click here to find out more about, often used in these circumstances is something that you may have to take. Some of he available medications may make weight loss harder though, so try to find one that does not impede you.

People who have to take hormone tablets will often find losing weight very hard. They do not actually make you put on weight themselves, but it is easier to gain and harder to lose if you are on this type of medication. If you think a health condition or medication is affecting your weight, you should discuss the matter with your physician.

Are You Eating Processed Foods?

Processed foods, even the ones that make claims about being healthier are not as good as eating fresh foods when it comes to reaching optimum weight. An occasional one for convenience will not have much effect, but on the whole, you will find that natural, healthy food will be more satisfying and make you feel much better. As well as more energy and a general feeling of well being, healthy foods are good for your mental state as well. You will be more alert and not become stressed so easily.

Dump The Sugary Drinks

You can consume more sugar and calories by drinking sugary drinks than any other way. You may think that one bottle of cola or some other soda drink cannot do any harm, but it can throw your weight loss intentions totally off track.

They are the most fattening items in our diets, and they will not make you eat any less to compensate. Even some of the drinks that you think might be healthier have huge amounts of sugar in them and you should always read the ingredient list to find out. Fresh fruit juices are fine in moderation. The problem with these when you have them out with a meal is that often the café or restaurant adds a spoon of sugar to them.

Fresh fruit juices you make yourself are the best, but remember that one full glass has just as many calories as several pieces of whole fruit. Water is the best drink to have, and it has been shown by several studies that it can help to reduce hunger pains.

Binge Eating

When you think of binge eating, it is usually lots of chips, chocolate or other junk foods that spring to mind. However, you should not binge eat healthy foods either. Everything you eat has a certain amount of protein, fat and sugars, and overdoing any type of food can mean you are putting too much of these into your body for weight loss diets to be successful.

Your body does not need any extra of any of these things, so avoid binge eating at all costs. It is also a misconception that small amounts often are the best way to eat. Research has shown that this has little or no effect on your weight loss. In fact, a diet known as intermittent fasting seems to be better. With this, you go 14 to 15 hours with nothing but water, and then in the remaining hours control what you eat. This can be a lot easier then it sounds because several of those hours will be while you are asleep at night.

Not Sleeping Enough

Several years ago, a study was carried out on the correlation between sleep and weight. It found that those who had at least 8 hours sleep every night lost weight without altering their diet. What the study showed, and several others since is that it is much harder to adjust your weight if you are not getting enough sleep. As well as helping with your efforts to lose weight, a good nights sleep is one of the most important factors for your physical and mental well being.

You Can Do It!

Don’t be unrealistic about the amount of weight you can lose each week or month, as you will get frustrated and give up if you do not reach your goal. It is much better to aim for a smaller amount and feel the sense of achievement when you surpass it.

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