Top Weight Loss Roadblocks

So you are eating well and think you are well on your way to losing weight but you just can't seem to get rid of those few stubborn pounds? Well go through this list and make sure you are not making one of these common mistakes! Here are the top weight loss roadblocks:

Top Weight Loss Roadblocks Tips and Tricks

Not eating enough during the day

Not eating enough during the day slows down your metabolism two ways. First, your body thinks it's starving, so it will slow down your calorie-burning capacity in order to "survive." Second, you are likely to make up for low caloric intake in the last few hours of the day, causing your body to hang on to the food through the night in preparation for another day of "starving." Plain and simple — eat early and eat often — it will get your engine revving on high!

Not drinking enough fluids

Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to turn up your fat-burning capacity. I cannot say that drinking water alone will cause weight loss; however, if you are eating a perfect diet, but are dehydrated, you will lose less weight. When your body is dehydrated it cannot burn fat. So please, get 64 ounces per day—and as a bonus your hair and skin will shine!

All-or-nothing dieting

One of the biggest problems with "fad" and "crash" diets is that they usually provide a very low calorie allowance. Not only will this cause your body to burn fewer calories, but it will also make you more likely to binge. A slower metabolism combined with an increased likelihood of binging spells disaster. So play it safe; find a well-balanced diet that does not overly restrict calories.

Eating too much sugar

I often find that my clients are eating the right amount of calories for weight loss, but are not losing weight. The culprit is usually sugar. Sugars and refined carbs have the unique ability to stop weight loss in its tracks. Think of this: Your body is burning fat (from your hips, maybe?), and all of a sudden it gets an influx of sugar. It will use the sugar as energy and promptly stop burning the fat. So really, cut the sugar.

Not weight-training

So many of my clients tell me about the hours they spend on the treadmill — thinking that this is the secret ingredient to burning more calories. Sadly, it just doesn't work out. Sure, you burn more calories by walking on the treadmill than by lying on the couch; however, without the proper amount ofweight training, you will not increase your metabolism. Your resting metabolism is directly affected by how much muscle you have — so go on,build more muscle!

"Eating back" your exercise calories

Many people want to know how many calories their exercise session burned. Usually the reason they want this information is to quantify it in terms of food. In other words, they justify eating a candy bar since they already worked off those calories. However, this equation just doesn't work. You'll end up not losing weight, or you might even gain some weight. So remember,food and exercise are separate issues.

Drinking too much alcohol

Another Top Weight Loss Roadblocks: There is nothing wrong with a few cocktails per week, but too many will absolutely reduce your fat-burning capability. Not only does alcohol provide a hefty dose of calories, but it also stops fat burning in its tracks (similar to sugar). Add in the side effect of the increased hunger you might feel while imbibing, and you've set yourself up for weight loss failure. Enjoy your cocktails... sparingly.

Skimping on protein

During the low-fat food craze of the late 1980s, we all became afraid of protein. It was linked to higher-fat diets, and many trendy diets limited protein to 2 ounces per meal. This has a disastrous consequence on weight loss. When you skimp on protein, your body has to burn its own muscle for fuel, resulting in decreased lean muscle mass. Less muscle means less calorie-burning action! Additionally, without adequate protein you can't build more muscle mass (to burn calories). And lastly, diets that are low in protein cause increased sugar cravings. So eat your protein, often!"

Hopefully these insights will give you direction to more effective weight loss! Top Weight Loss Roadblocks - Tell us what you think!Source Article