Ways to Win Your Battle with Weight Loss

Even with countless hours exercising and calorie deficit. Many will just tell you to exercise more and eat less! But that isn't the whole story! Yes to reduce fat and weight you MUST eat less than the energy you burn. But for some, even after following all of this, they see no change to their waistline and muffin top. Research shows that now such things as lifestyle behaviours and environmental factors can affect how well you will lose weight.
The following 10 factors may be things affecting your weight loss and health. Not to say that these may be the case but in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle it is a good start to follow the following:

1. You’re not getting enough sleep: A lack of sleep is very big influence that may be delaying your weight loss goals. Being sleep deprived slows your metabolism and can also affect your leptin and ghrelin (hunger) hormones. Leptin is the hormone which tells your body to stop eating where as ghrelin will stimulate hunger.

Solution: 30 minutes before bed is your primary time to let your body shut down. Turn off all technological equipment, get to bed early and make sure to keep your bedroom darkly lit.

2. Eating hidden sugars: Society today is surrounded by foods with hidden sugars. Such culprits are muesli bar, breakfast cereals, sauces, sport drinks and spreads. Added sugars are more damaging than dietary fat is to your weight and even health. Too much sugar can result in obesity, dental decay, diabetes and much more.

Solution: Be aware of what you eat and learn to read the labels. Avoid eating foods that contains high amounts of added sugar. These can be listed as corn syrup, sucrose, malt, glucose, molasses, fructose and juice concentrate.

3. You count calories, not nutrients: As mentioned previously you need to be eating smaller portions in order to lose weight. However following a calorie deficit plan can often overlook the nutrients of what you’re eating. You may be eating less than 1200 calories a day but if you’re not eating the correct amounts of nutrients your weight is very unlikely to budge.

Solution: It is all about the quality of food. You must think to nourish your body with the right nutrients, not just how many calories you are consuming. Choose nutrient-dense foods that nourish your body with the necessary vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in fruit, vegetables and wholefoods.

4. Be careful of your environmental surroundings: We are surrounded by synthetic chemicals and toxins. Xenoestrogens which are found in things as detergents, cosmetics, fertilisers and plastics can have some affect on the body Excess oestrogen can result in weight gain in both males and females.

Solution: Avoid using plastic drink bottles and containers. Aim to buy all organic products if possible.

5. Not moving enough during the day: Many of us are stuck on our rears with office and sedentary jobs 5 days a week. Many struggle to find time to exercise when doing the standard 9-5pm job. But in reality are bodies were made to move. We need constant moving for better blood flow and posture.

Solution: Fidget or stretch every hour. It may not seem conventional but research shows that even the smallest amount of fidgeting can help burn those extra calories. Fidgeting can be as small as crossing your legs to standing up and doing some stretches or jumping jacks.

6. No time to cook: With our busy lifestyles some may find it hard to have time cook a meal, therefore fast food or quick take out tends to be the easiest solution. Eating a fast meal is never good for your waistline.

Solution: Organise your weekly meals one day a week! Set up all your meals for the week and prep your meals. So when you get home you know you have something ready for you or don’t have to struggle looking for a quick and easy recipes online or worse get on the phone to your local dominoes.

7. May have a hormonal condition: There are many hormonal conditions that can cause weight gain and make it hard to lose weight. Such conditions could be polycystic ovarian syndrome and insulin resistance. However this does not mean you are unable to lose weight.

Solution: Go see your doctor and get tested. If you happen to have one of these conditions, a specific diet may help. Depending on your results you may be recommended to avoid refined carbohydrates, and increase good-quality proteins and essential fatty acids. This may be due to your body not being able to easily digest carbohydrates which in result can slow down your metabolism.

8. You’re not eating the right or enough good fats: Dietary fats were once considered the enemy when wanting to lose weight. However now a days the introduction of low-fat products have seen the increase of obesity in today’s society.

Solution: Let go of your negative views on fat and learn to include some good fats to your meals. The essential fatty acids in flaxseed oil, fish, nuts and seeds will not only keep you full for longer after a meal, but will also help facilitate fat breakdown.

 9. Don’t believe in the marketing food hype: A lot of today’s marketing tactics can make some foods seem confusing. But even if a product says ‘low carbs’ or ‘no artificial colours’ may be packed with hidden sugars we have mentioned before.

Solution: Learn to read the ingredient list. When listed the first three ingredients usually have a higher percentage in the product. So if your ingredient lists low in carbs but the first ingredient on the list is glucose, it is most likely loaded with bad sugars. So don’t buy it!

10. Your body has a set point: Set point determines that each body is programmed to be a certain weight and will fight to stay there. This may explain that no matter what calorie restriction you do you may never reach that long-term weight loss.

Solution: Maintaining a steady and balanced diet with exercise and eating the right amount of nutrients is the only proven way to lower your set point. Aiming for a loss of a kilo a week will give your body the time to adjust.