Losing weight is one of the most common fitness goals out there. After all, there are many benefits in shedding the extra pounds. You’ll not only look great but feel fantastic as well. Many people find that once they’ve achieved their goal weight, they experience a boost in their self-esteem and gain more confidence than they’ve ever had before. Aside from an improving your appearance, you’ll lower your risk for developing various weight-related health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. You can do bariatric surgery for weight loss.
In order to slim down, many individuals opt to go on a diet before trying other methods. This is understandable given how simple the concept of dieting is. But while there are those who find success with this route, others struggle and end up with hardly any changes in their body.
There are several possible reasons your diet isn’t working for you. Perhaps you don’t know how to properly calculate the number of calories you should take in on a daily basis in order to lose weight. If you’ve been dieting for a while, you may have already hit a plateau, wherein you’re burning as many calories as you’re consuming. It’s easy to be discouraged when you’re trying so hard yet your diet isn’t doing anything for you. Fortunately, there are several things you can do if you’re not getting the results you want and expect. Read on to find out what they are.
1. Increase Your Physical Activity
You need to increase your activity level to make your diet work. Squeeze in some extra time in the day for exercise, even if it’s only for 30 minutes. Regardless of how busy you are, think of creative ways to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule. If you walk your dog in the evening before dinner, why not put on your running shoes and do some brisk walking? Instead of taking the elevator, use the stairs if you only have to go up and down a few flights.
Regular exercise will help increase the amount of muscle in your body over time. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn even when you’re at rest. However, don’t forget to adjust your calorie intake because if you work out a lot and undereat, you won’t have enough energy to exercise, and your metabolism may start slowing down, too.
2. Try Fasting
Are you strictly following your diet but still unable to lose the last five pounds to reach your fitness goal? Fasting for weight loss is one of the latest trends today that might be the answer you’ve been looking for. Some do it to complement their current diet, and numerous people swear by its effectiveness. If the weighing scale just won’t budge no matter what you do, you can consider incorporating intermittent fasting into your fitness program.
During the fasting period, you can begin to shed excess weight from your body. This is because short-term fasts, which can last anywhere from hours to several days, may speed up your metabolism and burn stored fat for fuel. One of the most common reasons people have difficulty losing weight is that their metabolism isn’t working well, and fasting helps address that problem.
3. Look At Your Portion Sizes
Some people don’t lose weight when following a diet because they still consume portions that are too big for their body’s requirements. When you pay attention to how much food you’re eating, you’ll be able to identify whether you need to cut down on serving size.
The best way to keep your weight on track and stay healthy at the same time is by determining the right food combinations and how to portion them correctly. You should also avoid junk food as much as possible since they’re high in sodium and fat. In addition, make sure to increase your water intake to stay hydrated and prevent yourself from overeating.
4. Get Adequate Rest
You’re already eating the right types and amount of food, drinking plenty of water, and adding more movement to your day, so how come you’re still not losing the excess weight? Lack of sleep may be the culprit as to why your diet isn’t working.
When you don’t get enough quality sleep, your body produces less leptin, which suppresses food intake, and more ghrelin, which increases your appetite and leaves you feeling hungry more often. Even if you follow your fitness program strictly, your metabolism will likely slow down when you’re sleep-deprived.
The best solution? Make it a habit to sleep for at least 8 hours every night. You’ll wake up feeling refreshed and energized, and your hormones will balance out as well.
Takeaway
There are people who don’t take the right steps to lose weight because they don’t take the time to figure out why they’re not losing weight. If you know the factors hindering you from experiencing weight loss, then you can figure out how to remove them from the equation. If you’re unsure, go and talk to your doctor. They are medical professionals and will discuss your situation and treat options, if you’re obese and struggle to lose weight they may be able to prescribe weight loss surgery like lap band surgery Newcastle to kick-start weight loss.
This could mean changing your diet, going on a fast, and making some lifestyle changes to get the results you want. But the most important tip of all when your diet is ineffective is to stay determined in reaching your fitness goals. Remember that your success is entirely up to you, so if you start losing your motivation, think about the all the benefits you’ll gain from every pound you lose.
