5 lifestyle mistakes to STOP making

LolBroScience

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.

Says the one with no public diary

eldamiano

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.

Is your gym sponsored by the 'Stating the Blindingly Obvious Society'?

If I hadnt counted calories, I wouldnt have lost weight. It isnt extreme. Diets are extreme. They involve irregular eating patterns which cant last. Counting calories can be obsessive e.g. counting sugar to the nearest gram. but it involves eating quite normally.

In regards to the 5 points made by your gym: -
Lack of sleep - useless information for people who are light sleepers and suffer regular insomnia. Still, willpower can overcome this when coming to being active and doing exercise.

Too Much TV Time - can they please explain how much is too much? Or are they 'scientists' thinking that 23 hours a day is not recommended?

Skipping Breakfast - isnt this fairly common information?

Drinking Too Much Sugar - too much sugar is bad??!!

Not Doing the Right Physical Activity - again are they going to elaborate?

rml_16

I think people who see the breakfast point as bad is not reading thoroughly. They say the issue is not that OMG EAT BREAKFAST OR YOU'LL BE INSTANTLY FAT. The issue is that a lot of people are so hungry if they skip breakfast that they tend to overeat during lunch.

No. This isn't a new concept and we're aware of the reasoning. What we're saying is that it is not an all-emcompassing rule.

Even when I didn't count calories, I didn't eat breakfast and I still ate normally through the day. I did that for the first 28 years of my life before I started gaining any significant amount of weight.

I don't feel super hungry if I don't eat breakfast and I don't eat more at lunch or dinner because of it. In fact, often eating breakfast makes me feel hungrier the rest of the day. I do better if I wait for lunch time to have my first meal.

surreychic

I think it was really kind of the original poster to post these points. I think we all have to take something that applies to us, and sometimes that's hard as often we have our own opinions, physiological make up, habits and barriers, and maybe we just don't want to change!

I have to say, I eat much less during the day if I don't eat breakfast as I recognise when I am truly hungry rather than just eating because it's a meal time (but this won't apply to all, I would snack all day if I could and it's be useful to recognise true hunger today!). However, for me personally, I seem to be better if I don't eat breakfast but I am ready for lunch at 12.00pm. My little one is starving when he wakes up and I can swerve him up the most nutritious breakfast and he eats it all up even if we get up at 6am... we are just made differently!

Good luck to all x

kjo9692

I think people who see the breakfast point as bad is not reading thoroughly. They say the issue is not that OMG EAT BREAKFAST OR YOU'LL BE INSTANTLY FAT. The issue is that a lot of people are so hungry if they skip breakfast that they tend to overeat during lunch.

No. This isn't a new concept and we're aware of the reasoning. What we're saying is that it is not an all-emcompassing rule.

Even when I didn't count calories, I didn't eat breakfast and I still ate normally through the day. I did that for the first 28 years of my life before I started gaining any significant amount of weight.

I don't feel super hungry if I don't eat breakfast and I don't eat more at lunch or dinner because of it. In fact, often eating breakfast makes me feel hungrier the rest of the day. I do better if I wait for lunch time to have my first meal.

No, not at all. It only applies to certain people of course. In fact none of these points are a universal thing. But it's a common habit indeed, I do see it a lot with a lot of people that are close to me. It still applies to me though! GOSH I get so hungry if I skip my breakfast My point was that the fact that someone would skip breakfast is not directly related to gaining weight. It has to do with the fact that some people get ultra hungry and overeat for the rest of the day.

rml_16

I think people who see the breakfast point as bad is not reading thoroughly. They say the issue is not that OMG EAT BREAKFAST OR YOU'LL BE INSTANTLY FAT. The issue is that a lot of people are so hungry if they skip breakfast that they tend to overeat during lunch.

No. This isn't a new concept and we're aware of the reasoning. What we're saying is that it is not an all-emcompassing rule.

Even when I didn't count calories, I didn't eat breakfast and I still ate normally through the day. I did that for the first 28 years of my life before I started gaining any significant amount of weight.

I don't feel super hungry if I don't eat breakfast and I don't eat more at lunch or dinner because of it. In fact, often eating breakfast makes me feel hungrier the rest of the day. I do better if I wait for lunch time to have my first meal.

No, not at all. It only applies to certain people of course. In fact none of these points are a universal thing. But it's a common habit indeed, I do see it a lot with a lot of people that are close to me. It still applies to me though! GOSH I get so hungry if I skip my breakfast My point was that the fact that someone would skip breakfast is not directly related to gaining weight. It has to do with the fact that some people get ultra hungry and overeat for the rest of the day.

Right, but you seem under the impression that we didn't understand what the "tip" meant. We did.

seltzermint555

I struggle with #5 but 1-4 are like "rules" for my life. I can't live without 8 hours of sleep every single night and a lovely breakfast. TV is one of the most boring things ever, to me.

ninerbuff

Stop counting calories? One HAS to eat breakfast?

I (and many of my clients) should have failed from the beginning with these in mind.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

geebusuk

I think it would have been KINDer if the original poster had done a bit of research before copying and pasting questionable information.

dianeellen2

I think it would have been KINDer if the original poster had done a bit of research before copying and pasting questionable information.

<<<OP

As has been said previously (by other contributers), this is useful advice to some (not to others) everyone has the option to post on forums.

If this makes people think a little about their lifestyle choices then...thats a good thing

Not everyone is an expert; we all get to read stuff and pick and choose what we do with it (i wanted to share it)

I actually count calories and i am a fan of calorie counting - this post was not researched (correct) as stated right at the very beginning of the post

:flowerforyou:

dianeellen2

Bah, another rubbish weight loss article. I just laugh when people say not to count calories at this point.

Harsh!

dianeellen2

Good advice for a newby!!

Thanks :flowerforyou:

geebusuk

If this makes people think a little about their lifestyle choices then...thats a good thing

What if it makes people make bad choices, like eating breakfast when they might do better not eating Breakfast?
Would that be a good thing?

Not everyone is an expert, but everyone on here DOES have the same opportunity to read the thousands of freely available research papers on the internet. Before I offer advice, be it copied and pasted or written myself, I do try to make sure it is based on fact.

stutba

Quote:
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?

My Reply:
I define crap as "food" that has to have chemicals added to make it taste better, last longer.. High in sodium, fat.... low in nutritional value.
McDonalds burgers would taste like crap if it weren't for all the sodium added to make it taste good.

I like crap food once in a while, but if you are going to live on this type of food, good luck staying healthy! not getting some form of high blood pressure, cholesterol, or worse.

Moderation in everything!

geebusuk

So - just to be clear, you only eat basic foods one at a time, because adding two together to make them taste better would make them 'crap'.

That is your definition you have just given us.

Oh and yes; I don't need luck, ta. I've got a healthy lifestyle EVEN when I eat all the things you mention.
A lot of the time you need to make a lot more effort in 'good nutrition' if the rest of your lifestyle is lacking.

ndj1979

Make a habit of skipping breakfast and you won't have to count calories.

There is a psychological aspect to how we react to the perception of an empty stomach. Some shrug it off and go about their business, others get anxious and sit down to eat immediately- over time resulting in obesity.

This is learned behavior and can be changed, or unlearned.

Read the freebie first 20 pages online in the Kindle book "Breakfast: The Least Important Meal of the Day" by Dr. John Hagan.

Steve - are you just a broken record spamming machine? All you post is "skip breakfast" and "read this book"..I hope you are getting commission for this...although, I doubt you are, as I suspect no one is buying this book..

stutba

I wouldn't think that basic food is chemicals. Just my opinioin.

ndj1979

Quote:
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?

My Reply:
I define crap as "food" that has to have chemicals added to make it taste better, last longer.. High in sodium, fat.... low in nutritional value.
McDonalds burgers would taste like crap if it weren't for all the sodium added to make it taste good.

I like crap food once in a while, but if you are going to live on this type of food, good luck staying healthy! not getting some form of high blood pressure, cholesterol, or worse.

Moderation in everything!

well all food has chemicals in it ...so I guess you are eating...nothing?

so if I add ketchup (chemical) to my burger that I cooked on the grill, this makes it "bad"..., really? LOL

geebusuk

I wouldn't think that basic food is chemicals. Just my opinioin.

An opinion, maybe.
But one that is contrary to the basic definition of 'chemical'.

However, accepting that this is how you see it, please define what you think IS a 'chemical'.

What if the food didn't "need" what you consider a "chemical", but it does the same exactly the same thing cheaper than something you don't consider as such.

stutba

That is not what I intended... But if you make your ketchup from whole foods, from scratch, I would think it would be better than the factory produced stuff...

You can take it as you want. A burger made from fresh meat would be better than a burger made from meat and having additives to it to make it last on the shelf.