There are habits that are clear-cut bad for your efforts to slim down, like skipping breakfast or cutting your workout duration, and then there are those that sabotage you without you knowing. These routines are disguised as “good,” so you mistakenly adopt them in your lifestyle in an effort to add impact to your weight loss effort. Therefore, you might be dieting and exercising like crazy, but the weight just won’t budge.
Beware of the following “good” habits, which are in truth the culprits behind that same number on the weighing scale:
1. Overeating healthy snacks
Many people think that because something is healthy, they’re free to eat it without limits. They binge on quinoa, almonds, and avocados while being oblivious to the fact that these have high-calorie content.
You could be spending all your calorie budget for the day in one sitting just by eating three cups of quinoa. Weight loss is all about moderation, regardless of what you’re eating or drinking. Healthy juices and smoothies contain high amounts of sugar and calories as well, so control is important.
Be especially cautious of products in groceries that are labeled healthy. Beware of items that have zero-calories, no added sugars, or those that have fat-free labels. Check the ingredients of the products to know for sure. It’s also good if you work with a nutrition coach, so you can have expert advice on which healthy food to get from groceries.
2. Exercising aggressively
Many people who want to speed up their weight loss often work out so hard — training two or three times a day, extending the duration, or adding intensity to their routine. It looks like a good habit, commendable even.
The truth, however, is this can only hurt your fitness routine. When you overtrain, you’re not giving your body ample time to recuperate and rebuild. The result? The progress halts. Plus, you’re more at risk of injuries, which would then keep you from going to the gym for days or weeks, leaving you vulnerable to weight gain.
It’s important to take a break — probably one or two days off from your routine. Get In Shape For Women and other experts noted that it’s also best to go to a weight loss studio to get advice on just how much exercise is needed to hit your weight loss goals.
3. Sticking to the same routine
It’s great that you’ve fully committed to your cardio routine for months now. The consistency of that kind is good for your weight loss journey. If you do the same exercise for a certain period, though, you would likely not see any difference with your weight since the body isn’t challenged anymore. It has gone familiar to the routine that it won’t produce new results.
Plus, you’ll quickly get bored and eventually grow lazy when there’s no variety in what you do. Switch up your exercises. If you’ve been comfortable already at the treadmill, perhaps it’s time to venture into kickboxing or yoga. Sign up for classes in your gym to try social exercises. The bottom line is, avoid sticking to only one routine.
Apparently, there are “good” things that are secretly ruining your weight loss efforts. Kick these ‘good’ habits already to get the best out of your routines.
