5 lifestyle mistakes to STOP making
dianeellen2
Posts: 259 Member
I get 'advice' emails from my gym and i thought there were some very good points in this weeks one
Please dont be too hard on me if you dont agree with anything - its just an opinion (or something to think about)!
Want an easier way to lose fat? Stop starving yourself, counting calories, or eliminating your favorite food groups.
Those extreme techniques only burn you out and leave you more frustrated than ever.
I bet if I sat on your shoulder and watched your daily routine, I would be able to identify at least 5 areas where you could make simple changes that effortlessly help you lose unwanted pounds.
Because the truth is that real fat loss comes with lasting, healthy lifestyle changes. You’ll get to your goals quicker when you stop making these 5 Lifestyle Mistakes:
Lifestyle Mistake #1: Lack of Sleep. To put this simply, you need to sleep more. Most adults need an average of eight hours of sleep each night, and I know you aren’t getting that much. When you don’t get adequate amounts of rest, you’re more likely to be hungry, overeat, and gain weight.
How does this work? Something like this.
If you’re tired, you won’t feel like cooking a healthy meal, and you’ll opt for fast (fattening) food instead. This very same lack of energy will also likely cause you to skip the gym. On top of that, sleep deprivation causes your metabolism to slow down, and if you’ve not heard, that is not something you want when trying to shed a few pounds.
Lifestyle Mistake #2: Too Much TV Time: Many people are in the habit of sitting in front of the TV for hours on end after a stressful day at work. Yes, you may be worn out and need a break, but sitting on the couch, zoned out, watching TV is not the way to lose inches.
If you must watch the evening news or see your favorite show, use the time to burn a few calories. Keep some hand weights next to the couch and work your biceps and triceps. Stand up and do some squats or lunges to work your legs and buttocks. Get on the floor and do some sit-ups to tone your abs or push-ups to tone your arms.
Lifestyle Mistake #3: Skipping Breakfast. Want to know a secret to successful weight loss? Eat breakfast! Try cutting calories by skipping breakfast, and you’ll be excessively hungry by mid-morning. As a result, the healthy calories you would have eaten at breakfast are replaced with calorie-filled snacks and an over-sized lunch.
Once again, fitting breakfast into your busy schedule may mean dramatic lifestyle changes. But research shows that the habit of eating a healthy breakfast is key to losing weight and keeping pounds off. Get to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual and set your alarm 10 minutes earlier to give yourself time to eat breakfast
Lifestyle Mistake #4: Drinking Too Much Sugar. Lasting fat loss is about changes. Unfortunately, some of the changes one must make are difficult. If you’re one of the millions hooked on soda, alcohol, or other sweetened beverages then your fitness goals may remain out of reach until you replace these drinks with water. You should also know that your brain often confuses thirst with hunger.
So at the first sign of hunger, don’t grab a snack or calorie-filled drinks. Instead, grab a glass of water.
Lifestyle Mistake #5: Not Doing the Right Physical Activity. Weight loss is about burning more calories than you consume. Therefore, it should make sense to you that dieting and exercise must go hand in hand. If you want to speed up weight loss and keep the weight away, add or increase the amount and intensity of physical activity in your daily life.
For many people, this is the most difficult lifestyle change of all, but the benefits are well work it. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of intense exercise on most days of the week. When exercise is a normal part of your everyday routine, it’s more likely to stick, and your body will become slimmer and more toned.
Please dont be too hard on me if you dont agree with anything - its just an opinion (or something to think about)!
Want an easier way to lose fat? Stop starving yourself, counting calories, or eliminating your favorite food groups.
Those extreme techniques only burn you out and leave you more frustrated than ever.
I bet if I sat on your shoulder and watched your daily routine, I would be able to identify at least 5 areas where you could make simple changes that effortlessly help you lose unwanted pounds.
Because the truth is that real fat loss comes with lasting, healthy lifestyle changes. You’ll get to your goals quicker when you stop making these 5 Lifestyle Mistakes:
Lifestyle Mistake #1: Lack of Sleep. To put this simply, you need to sleep more. Most adults need an average of eight hours of sleep each night, and I know you aren’t getting that much. When you don’t get adequate amounts of rest, you’re more likely to be hungry, overeat, and gain weight.
How does this work? Something like this.
If you’re tired, you won’t feel like cooking a healthy meal, and you’ll opt for fast (fattening) food instead. This very same lack of energy will also likely cause you to skip the gym. On top of that, sleep deprivation causes your metabolism to slow down, and if you’ve not heard, that is not something you want when trying to shed a few pounds.
Lifestyle Mistake #2: Too Much TV Time: Many people are in the habit of sitting in front of the TV for hours on end after a stressful day at work. Yes, you may be worn out and need a break, but sitting on the couch, zoned out, watching TV is not the way to lose inches.
If you must watch the evening news or see your favorite show, use the time to burn a few calories. Keep some hand weights next to the couch and work your biceps and triceps. Stand up and do some squats or lunges to work your legs and buttocks. Get on the floor and do some sit-ups to tone your abs or push-ups to tone your arms.
Lifestyle Mistake #3: Skipping Breakfast. Want to know a secret to successful weight loss? Eat breakfast! Try cutting calories by skipping breakfast, and you’ll be excessively hungry by mid-morning. As a result, the healthy calories you would have eaten at breakfast are replaced with calorie-filled snacks and an over-sized lunch.
Once again, fitting breakfast into your busy schedule may mean dramatic lifestyle changes. But research shows that the habit of eating a healthy breakfast is key to losing weight and keeping pounds off. Get to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual and set your alarm 10 minutes earlier to give yourself time to eat breakfast
Lifestyle Mistake #4: Drinking Too Much Sugar. Lasting fat loss is about changes. Unfortunately, some of the changes one must make are difficult. If you’re one of the millions hooked on soda, alcohol, or other sweetened beverages then your fitness goals may remain out of reach until you replace these drinks with water. You should also know that your brain often confuses thirst with hunger.
So at the first sign of hunger, don’t grab a snack or calorie-filled drinks. Instead, grab a glass of water.
Lifestyle Mistake #5: Not Doing the Right Physical Activity. Weight loss is about burning more calories than you consume. Therefore, it should make sense to you that dieting and exercise must go hand in hand. If you want to speed up weight loss and keep the weight away, add or increase the amount and intensity of physical activity in your daily life.
For many people, this is the most difficult lifestyle change of all, but the benefits are well work it. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of intense exercise on most days of the week. When exercise is a normal part of your everyday routine, it’s more likely to stick, and your body will become slimmer and more toned.
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Replies
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I agree with those! Very good points are made here :drinker:0
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In my opinion all are very true. I'm a TV addict and drink to much sugar bad habits for sure.0
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Meh, they're okay generalish things but I've been successful not eating breakfast and watching lots of TV hehe. I also eat fast food or quick meals and still sustain a healthy lifestyle but to each their own. I have two kids so lack of sleep is just apart of it :P0
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No to the breakfast one. Meal timing is pretty much irrelevant to weight loss. Some people (like me) may feel like they have more energy and eat better if they have a good breakfast. Others find that breakfast causes them to be hungrier throughout the day, which leads to overeating.
Structure your meal times in the way that will give you, personally, the best results.0 -
"Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of intense exercise on most days of the week"
I think most Doctors/properly-trained sports professionals might take issue with this one, unless you're an elite athlete... If it said 'moderate', that's a different story. Otherwise basically sensible, though not universally appliccable.0 -
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They say "no" to counting calories? It helped reteach me portion control and it's a heck of a lot more effective than general suggestions that may or may not work for most people. As to breakfast, why would I eat if I'm not hungry?0
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They say "no" to counting calories? It helped reteach me portion control and it's a heck of a lot more effective than general suggestions that may or may not work for most people. As to breakfast, why would I eat if I'm not hungry?
This.
I'd be giggling and hitting "unsubscribe" if this was sent to me.0 -
They say "no" to counting calories? It helped reteach me portion control and it's a heck of a lot more effective than general suggestions that may or may not work for most people. As to breakfast, why would I eat if I'm not hungry?
This.
I'd be giggling and hitting "unsubscribe" if this was sent to me.
Agreed.
And OP, this isn't meant to be an attack at all, but learning to identify B.S. is an important part of the learning process here. When it comes to advice on diet, the bad seems to often outweigh the good, or at least the good gets drowned out a good bit by the popular press and under-qualified gym "trainers."0 -
Counting calories is the only thing that has worked for me. I've tried "intuitive eating" and I've tried eating particular foods, and I've tried exercise alone. Counting calories actually is less stressful than not; I always know at the end of the day where I stand with my calorie deficit, so I can relax and trust the process.0
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As to the breakfast issue, you have to figure out what works for you. I am not hungry for breakfast first thing when I wake up. I do start to get hungry a little later in the morning, however, usually around 10 to 10:30 a.m., sometimes earlier or later. This is when I eat my "breakfast." (I have coffee when I first get up).
This later breakfast sometimes satisfies me enough to put off lunch a little later, say around 1 or 1:30, and then I'm less hungry in the late afternoon.
So I do eat "breakfast," I just do it at a time that works for me.
I do think that people who eat nothing for breakfast are likely to be hungrier and perhaps eat a bigger lunch than those who have eaten something at some point in the morning,.0 -
I agree with #1 but the other 4 are irrelevant as long as you keep a calorie deficit...0
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I agree with everything except the breakfast one. It simply is not necessary, though it can be helpful to SOME people.0
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True. But I think the other things (except the breakfast one) interfere sometimes with a calorie deficit.I agree with #1 but the other 4 are irrelevant as long as you keep a calorie deficit...0 -
This, too.They say "no" to counting calories? It helped reteach me portion control and it's a heck of a lot more effective than general suggestions that may or may not work for most people. As to breakfast, why would I eat if I'm not hungry?
Aw, never mind. lol0 -
counting calories is an "extreme technique" LOL …OK whatever… < OP why are you here following this extreme technique???
the skipping/eating breakfast thing is complete garbage and avoiding drinking sugary drinks I guess is OK …however, you can drink sugary drinks be in a calorie deficit, and lose weight.
the rest is eh ….0 -
Breakfast is breakfast whether it's 7 am or 11 am. Some flawed study from years ago is why this one won't die...I haven't had a traditional early morning breakfast in a long time.0
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Perhaps using a less descisve topic title would have been a good start if you didn't want people to criticise.Please dont be too hard on me if you dont agree with anything - its just an opinion (or something to think about)!
Counting calories does NOT burn me out. It is an incredibly good way to lose fat.
I do wish I coulod get more sleep, but I'm not that great at it. TV time certainly isn't an issue for me
Not skipping breakfast works for some people. However studies have also shown that for many people eating breakfast is counterproductive - they don't eat that amount less calories later in the day.
I and many other people lose weight much better by skipping breakfast.
As for sweetened drinks; calories in vs calories out. I generally go for artificial sweeteners, but do drink skimmed milk on occasion.
# 5 talks about CICO, then goes on to talk about exercise for weight loss. It's still CICO. Exercise means you can eat more for the same deficit.0 -
these are all pretty bogus. lol.0
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What makes the food 'crap'?
We've seen from various pop productions that you can get healthier AND lose weight by eating McDonalds, say and doing very light exercise.
But then most people don't purely go for counting calories on their own - merely as a part of their strategy for weight loss and or healthiness.0 -
Counting calories might work for people to regain control of portion size, bit imo it's not the answer long term. You need to think about nutrition too and not get tied to some arbitrary number. I see so many diaries on here where they are under their calorie 'budget' and celebrating this fact, but they're eating absolute crap.
LOL…
define "crap"…
There is no "bad" food or "good" food..there is just food that your body uses for energy…If people are eating in a deficit then they will lose weight. Maybe these people are just trying to lose weight and are not eating for body recomp goals? Maybe you should figure out there goals before you just blast them….
what is the answer long term? Just guessing how many calories you are consuming and the wonder why you have slowly gained back five pounds over a year?0 -
They say "no" to counting calories? It helped reteach me portion control and it's a heck of a lot more effective than general suggestions that may or may not work for most people. As to breakfast, why would I eat if I'm not hungry?
Hmm I must have missed that.
Early morning reading comprehension fail I guess.
Anyway counting calories has worked out awesomely for me. :drinker:0 -
Counting calories might work for people to regain control of portion size, bit imo it's not the answer long term. You need to think about nutrition too and not get tied to some arbitrary number. I see so many diaries on here where they are under their calorie 'budget' and celebrating this fact, but they're eating absolute crap.
How's the weather up there on that horse of yours?0 -
Counting calories might work for people to regain control of portion size, bit imo it's not the answer long term. You need to think about nutrition too and not get tied to some arbitrary number. I see so many diaries on here where they are under their calorie 'budget' and celebrating this fact, but they're eating absolute crap.
What makes you think that a person who counts calories long term isn't concerned with nutrition?
Also define crap.0 -
Your gym thinks counting calories is Extreme?0
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Counting calories might work for people to regain control of portion size, bit imo it's not the answer long term. You need to think about nutrition too and not get tied to some arbitrary number. I see so many diaries on here where they are under their calorie 'budget' and celebrating this fact, but they're eating absolute crap.
Lolz0 -
1. The body does need sleep to recover, especially from strenuous activity, but you can still lose weight on with lack of sleep.
2. Obviously if you are a couch potato you'll struggle to stay healthy. But you can still eat on a deficit, workout for a couple hours a day, and still watch TV. Just don't snack too much while you do it.
3. IMO it doesn't matter when you eat. If I eat breakfast I still eat about the same amount for lunch and have less calories to work with for the rest of the day.
4. This I do agree with, alcohol and soda are just empty calories.
5. Doing 60 minutes of intense exercise every day will burn you out too fast. Find an exercise you enjoy doing0 -
Counting calories might work for people to regain control of portion size, bit imo it's not the answer long term. You need to think about nutrition too and not get tied to some arbitrary number. I see so many diaries on here where they are under their calorie 'budget' and celebrating this fact, but they're eating absolute crap.
Lolz
ROFLCOPTER0 -
Well, they are wrong about something. If you skip breakfast, BUT you are counting calories, you won't over eat. Lol. So, yeah. Why is counting calories stressful? It's easy. It's the only method that works for me.
that^0 -
Bah, another rubbish weight loss article. I just laugh when people say not to count calories at this point.0
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