5 habits that you think are helping you lose weight, but that you should drop instead
There comes a time when, when we set out to lose weight, we receive advice everywhere: on social networks, from friends or family, in books or on Internet blogs. It seems that everyone has the ultimate key to getting rid of body fat quickly and effectively.
However, there comes a point when we have so much information and we are forced to incorporate so many habits into our lives that everything becomes confusing.
We stop knowing what is working or not working for us and suddenly our progress is stalled without us knowing why. This is because, no matter how much advice we receive, it is most likely that we remain uninformed or that everything we have been told has nothing to do with what we should do to lose weight.
It is normal that at first we do not know anything about the world of fitness and that we believe everything we see, but many times incorporating certain habits considered healthy can become counter-productive and delay the appearance of results. Specifically, there are five habits that we must change.
The habits that do not help us lose weight
Training too intensely and frequently
No, we don't have to train every day, nor do we have to leave each gym session as if a truck had run over us. This will not accelerate the achievement of our objectives and, in fact, may delay it . We will surely stress our body, we will feel unmotivated and we will stop being constant.
Some studies have shown that training too much can even have risks for our health, especially if we do not eat properly. Our muscles may swell and we will feel weak or fatigued.
Therefore, even in a weight loss process, we must include rest days in our weekly routine and ensure that the intensity and duration of our training varies, avoiding doing very high intensity exercise every day.
Be very strict about food
Diet is the most important part when it comes to changing our body composition, but this does not mean that we should be strict to the point of deteriorating our mental health. We shouldn't try to compensate for the days we overeat or don't train, or label food as “good” or “bad.” We must simply try to eat a diet that, in its entirety, is healthy and balanced , but without depriving ourselves of other things.
When we restrict our diet excessively, we run the risk of entering a restriction-binge cycle , because by prohibiting certain foods, we suffer more anxiety about them and, in the end, we end up bingeing. No food is bad or good. Some are more nutritious than others, yes, but this does not mean that we cannot have a piece of cake or a pizza whenever we feel like it (as long as it falls within our general caloric deficit).
Compare ourselves with others
One of the biggest problems when starting a weight loss process is that we usually set ourselves the goal of trying to look like someone physically, whether it is a celebrity, an influencer or even a friend. We try in every way to have that physique, without being aware that each constitution is unique and that, no matter how much we train, we will never have exactly the physique of another person.
Instead, we should focus on being the best version of ourselves. The one that looks good and feels good.
Be ashamed of ourselves
Sometimes we use being ashamed of ourselves as motivation to change. We are ashamed of our physique and we start going to the gym. We feel guilty for having overeaten or not trained, and become more restrictive. It is an approach that will only make us see ourselves worse and deteriorate our mental health.
We must not martyr ourselves. Simply adopt new healthy habits that help us feel better inside and out, knowing that every change takes time and that it's okay if we make a mistake.
Not prioritising sleep
It is closely related to the first point, because it means that we are not resting enough. We must sleep at least seven hours each night. When we do not do this, there will be a greater risk of developing diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, anxiety or depression.
In the end, it's always about finding a balance in everything we do. Whether trying to lose weight or simply wanting to get in shape, we must take it easy and make our new habits add to our well-being, not subtract from it.
[via GQ Spain]