(BlackDoctor.org) — If you’re gonna do it, you have to do it right – or it won’t work! Many of use wake up in the morning with a new found motivation. You may have hoped out of bed a few weeks ago and said to yourself “this is the first day of the rest of my life.” You felt like it was time to stop talking about losing weight and actually lose it. You tenaciously engaged in numerous diet strategies, but you stepped on the scale after a couple of weeks of training only to find that you’ve gained weight. You’re probably screaming “What gives!”
Well, you may be making tiny mistakes that are hindering your progress. Read on to find out if any of the following apply to you.
…you fail on the weekends.
You strive to eat well and hit the gym throughout the week, but once you leave work on Friday evening, all bets are off. Weekends should definitely be used for unwinding and relaxing, but be careful not to go overboard and cancel out all of the hard work you put in during the week. One weekend of overeating, overdrinking, and under-exercising can easily undo the healthy diet and exercise program you followed for five days, stalling your progress towards your goals.
Instead, view weekends as a chance to do the things that you enjoy and spend quality time with your family and friends. “Weekends” should not be synonymous with calorie splurges or alcohol binges. Use your free time constructively: plan your menu for the upcoming week, design a new workout routine, take your time grocery shopping, and read your favorite health magazine. Try cooking up a big batch of healthy meals on Sunday that you can eat without much fuss during the week.
Take advantage of your time away from work to get outside and be active. Weekends are the perfect time to play tennis, go on a walk or work in your yard. Get your kids and other loved ones involved as well; weekends are YOUR time to enjoy physical activity—without watching the clock or keeping a strict schedule!
…you make exercise excuses.
No doubt, it’s difficult to make exercise a priority in your life. Perhaps you had an extra busy week and didn’t have a spare moment to get the gym. Soon thereafter, that exercise-free week turned into two, then three weeks and so on. Exercise can help you reach your weight loss goals much faster than dieting alone. Plus, strength training builds lean muscle that fires up your metabolism so you burn more calories all day long. Are you really “too busy” to include even a little exercise, a few times a week, or are your priorities elsewhere? Taking a 10-minute walk IS better than no exercise at all. Anything that gets your heart rate up and blood flowing is a good start.
…you don’t care where calories come from, as long as you are under your goal.
It’s easy (and important) to focus on the calories, but you should also focus on the quality of foods your calories are coming from, as well as meeting other nutrient goals. There is a huge difference between eating 400 calories of chocolate for lunch and enjoying a 400-calorie salad, loaded with leafy greens, beans, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers. For one, the salad will fill you up longer, and boost your protein, fiber, vitamin, mineral, and health-enhancing phytochemical intakes. Chocolate, on the other hand, will leave you hungry for the same number of calories.
Is Your Diet Making You Fat? was originally published on blackdoctor.org
