10 reasons why you’ll never lose weight
You’ve decided to take the bull by the horns! You can’t stand those extra kilos any longer, and you want to wage war on them! That’s not a bad resolution in itself, but be careful how you go about it.
Too many people embark on unsustainable diets, sign up for a gym membership only to lose interest a month later, or spend fortunes on so-called “miracle” pills. Here’s a list of 10 reasons why you’ll never lose weight, and if you can avoid them, you’ll increase your chances of success.
Your diet is too restrictive!
First of all, as it’s very difficult to maintain over the long term, a draconian diet is certainly not the right solution for losing weight. First of all, because as soon as you stop, you’ll go back to eating everything you couldn’t eat before, and you’ll gain back all the weight you’ve lost – and maybe even some extra.
Secondly, because it can be dangerous for the body to consume only one type of food, or too much of certain nutrients, and this can exhaust it in the long term, leading to worrying side effects. Then, if you’re going to be in a terrible mood for the duration of your diet, and make life hell for those around you, what’s the point?
Losing weight too quickly may be tempting, but it’s definitely a solution to forget, and one that won’t work in the long term.
What’s more, after several diets of this kind, the body will learn to lower its energy requirements, and you risk putting on weight, even if you eat less. So avoid these kinds of dietary mistakes at all costs.
You do too much sport!
Like everything else in life, sport is good, but in moderation. Often coupled with a very restrictive diet, sport can exhaust your body.
What’s more, many sedentary people, often non-athletes from the start, embark on a marathon-training program from one day to the next. This can completely overwhelm your body, which is already starved and unable to keep up.
Why take it easy on sport? Firstly, because your body needs to be able to adjust smoothly to your new lifestyle. Secondly, because if you think that by exercising, the kilos on the scales will disappear, you’re wrong.
Your body fat will certainly change, giving you a sleeker, more harmonious silhouette, but muscle weighs more than fat, so do the math! Sport is good for your health and your morale, but it’s not the miracle solution to weight loss if that’s what you’re looking for!
You’re not physically active!
On the other hand, trying to lose weight without modifying your physical activity is an illusion. You can’t lose weight by sitting on your sofa. Weight loss is part and parcel of changing your habits, and physical activity is part and parcel of that.
So don’t do too much sport, and don’t do too little either. All the more so as it’s not difficult to get a bit more exercise on a daily basis (walking to get your bread, taking the kids to school, walking the dog more often…). There are plenty of opportunities, and it doesn’t have to feel like a chore.
You snack all day long!
Snacking all day long is a dangerous habit for your figure. That’s because nibbling doesn’t respond to a need to “eat”. The body isn’t hungry, and you’re giving it energy it doesn’t need and could have done without.
As a result, you accumulate calories without realizing it, and if you do the math, you can easily double your energy needs over the course of the day. What’s more, your stomach gets used to working all the time, and will get used to it.
You’ll feel a sense of hunger that’s “only in your head” all the time.
As a result, here’s a bad habit that’s easy to avoid and won’t do you any good. Some people already lose a few kilos just by stopping snacking.
Here’s a little tip: if at first the task seems insurmountable, pack small snacks to calm your nibbling cravings: fruit, small pieces of low-fat cheese…
You’re dieting with your girlfriends!
Who hasn’t said to themselves: “Let’s go on a diet together, so we can motivate each other? And when one of us breaks down, she’ll drag the other down with her! Losing weight is a personal matter, which varies from person to person.
For a start, imposing the same diet on yourself is heresy, given that every individual is different. Depending on your background, the kilos you need to lose and where they’re stored, you won’t need to do the same things. So, banish this idea from your mind, except to ask your friends to avoid devouring in front of you everything you must avoid!
You weigh yourself too often!
Weighing yourself too often can be discouraging, if weight loss doesn’t live up to your expectations. The scale should be used once a week to monitor your weight loss progress, but no more. It would be a shame to get discouraged by your scale.
What’s more, between hormonal cycle variations, water retention and stress …. your weight varies enormously from one day to the next. So there’s no need to weigh yourself every day.
You shop just before you eat!
Doing your shopping just before you eat will lead you to buy much more food than you would after the meal. In fact, studies have proven this to be true. So try going to the supermarket on a full stomach and you’ll see that you’ll be much less tempted by fatty or sugary foods. This will make it easier for you to switch to healthier foods.
You’re not eating the same thing as the rest of your family!
In addition to the double work this gives you, eating differently from the rest of the family is likely to make you break down quickly. We’re not telling you to put the whole family on a diet, but cooking healthy, balanced and varied meals for everyone would still be the best solution.
So enjoy pleasant, tasty meals with your family, and you’ll stick to your good resolutions for the long term.
You forbid yourself from going out for fear of cracking!
You might as well get used to it right away – there are bound to be times when you break down. It happens to everyone and doesn’t mean you won’t succeed in losing weight. If you have a craving at one meal, simply try to lighten the next to compensate.
So there’s no need to cut yourself off from your social life and stop going out with your friends for fear of overeating. You can always eat salads and avoid dessert, but having a good meal once in a while has never stopped anyone from losing weight. Just don’t do it too often!
You force yourself to eat even when you’re not hungry!
You’ve always heard that even when you’re not hungry, you have to force yourself not to eat too much at the next meal, or to indulge in something sweet or too fatty. Forget this advice.
If you’re not hungry (and you’re not sick), it’s because your body doesn’t feel it needs any energy intake at the moment. So don’t give it calories it doesn’t need, and save yourself for when hunger strikes. Try to learn to recognize real hunger signals, not cravings.
