When you are trying to lose weight it is important that you increase your metabolism. Lots of people want a fast fix for weight loss and instead of taking their time they try diet shortcuts. However these short cuts end up working against them. Leaving them heavier and more discouraged then when they started. If you want to lose weight then be sure to avoid these common mistakes.
Skipping meals. Some people think that by skipping meals they can “Bank” their calories for later. The truth is when you skip meals your body goes into starvation mode. Your body thinks it’s not going to get food so it will hold on to whatever it can. When you don’t eat your body can’t function properly and you begin to feel run down. When your body slows down your metabolism slows down and a slow metabolism means the less calories you are going to burn.
Snacking on high sugar foods. While we can’t avoid all sugars like the ones we find in fruits, it’s important you don’t go overboard. Many people assume that foods like candy aren’t that bad for you because they don’t have fat. The truth is though that they are full of sugar. The sugar we don’t use whether it comes from candy, ice cream of any other food will be stored on our body in the form of fat on your stomach, hips and thighs.
Fasting. Fasting has the same affect on your body as skipping meals. With fasting however it takes your body longer to realize that your metabolism doesn’t need to be slowed. Another big problem is when you start to eat normal again. Your body will have been deprived of food for so long that you may get out of control with your eating and again your body will again hold on to its fuel source for fear it may go into starvation mode.
Low Calorie Diets. Again the body is tricked into thinking you are starving. If you only eat so many calories your body will get used to the idea of having X number of calories and your metabolism will slow. Eating too few calories will also deny your body the nutrients and energy it needs. Trying to restrict calories may also cause you to binge.
Not enough exercise. A pound of muscle uses more calories then a pound of fat. Exercise turns fat into muscle. If you are just lying around all day then you won’t be building any muscle and you want be burning as many calories.
To lose weight we need to burn more calories then we take in. We need to focus on eating a healthy diet and eating more frequently to keep energy levels up and to keep fuelling our metabolism.