5 Unobvious Reasons Why You Can’t Lose Weight
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Well, you have tried all the possible weight loss fad diets. No carbs on Monday, no meat on Tuesday, no dairy products on Wednesday… And yet after three months into this madness, your weight refuses to budge even a bit. Forget losing fat, you have started losing your mind because every time you sit at the table with your painstakingly arranged meal, all you can see is a number of calories instead of food on the platter. With lethargy and low self-confidence setting in, things are going from bad to worse! Surely, something is going wrong. Either you are setting the wrong goals of weight loss or your weight has reached a plateau because of some repetitive practices.
Here are some not-so-obvious reasons why you are unable to lose weight!
1. You Eat Too Fast And Don’t Chew Enough
It is said that our brain takes nearly 20 minutes to comprehend that we have eaten and our stomach is full. But most of us would have overeaten in these 20 minutes!
The best way to address this is to either divide the food into different portions with a spoon or knife or take some time to set the meal on your plate. Eating slowly will enhance your digestion. Besides, you will also feel you have eaten more but you actually haven’t!
Another good practice when you sit for your meals is to eat mindfully. Keep your mobile away, don’t think of work or have debates and discussions… think of only the food you eat! Relish every morsel instead of gulping it down your throat.
2. Eating Proteins And Carbohydrates Separately?
Your friend’s nutritionist advised her to eat proteins and carbohydrates separately and you too jumped on to the bandwagon. Now reverse what you did! What was recommended to her may be according to her body composition and lifestyle. It may not necessarily work well for you. In fact, if you are eating the two separately, it may be impacting your digestive system negatively. Remember, there is nothing called “one advice suits all”!
It isn’t for nothing that our traditional meals are a combination of proteins and carbohydrates. You don’t have to eat them separately, unless you have been advised to do so for some medical reasons.
3. You Are Taking The Detox Mantra Too Seriously
Of course, it’s good to have smoothies and juices. These are rich sources of nutrition. But overdoing anything is not done. It is not advisable to stop carbs totally and have only fluids and liquids. You will lose muscle mass and water instead of fats. Maintain a fine balance. Do not exclude one food group or go overboard on the other. A balanced diet is the only solution to healthy living.
If you are having a glass of fruit juice for breakfast, do include boiled eggs or avocado and sprouts sandwiches as well.
4. Overindulgence In Healthy Food
We appreciate that you have been snacking on avocado sandwiches and almonds instead of your favourite French fries and donuts. But do take care of the portion size. It’s not done if you have completely switched over to one huge bowl of salads and fruits instead of a regular meal. For all you know, you may be consuming more calories than what you would have in your regular diet. Drastic switchovers not only become too challenging for your body to handle, but will also not produce desirable results in the long run. Salads, greens, and fruits should definitely be made a major component of your diet. But extreme and sudden changes are not recommended. And over and above everything, you should always keep a tab on the portion size.
5. Always Counting Calories
Any experienced nutritionist or dietician, who doesn’t just go by bookish knowledge, will ask you to “stop counting calories” in the first place. Losing weight is not about counting calories or eating less food but about eating right! Moreover, measuring and religiously counting calories doesn’t mean much to the nutritional intake. The number of calories in a small chocolate bar and a spoonful of almonds would be the same. Does that mean chocolate is as healthy as almonds? Certainly not! It’s not the quantity but the quality of the calories that matter.
A sluggish thyroid, depression, diabetes, an eating disorder, stress, sleep disorders, and various other factors could be the cause of weight gain. But by restricting your weight loss solutions to calorie counting, you are losing the plot. Achieving weight loss by calorie reduction is a fallacy similar to shedding fat by spot exercises. Hence, it is a little surprise then that there is no change in your weight. You need to address the root cause of the weight gain and not merely count calories. That’s when you will see successful results!
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