Let’s be honest: Losing weight is no easy, breezy walk in the park. It takes hard work, dedication, solid motivation and creating a game plan that works best for you. Whether you’re just starting your journey or weeks into it, there are certain habits you should absolutely avoid at all costs. In fact, you will never lose weight if you still do them as part of your routine. We’ve rounded up five bad weight loss habits that you should skip immediately.
- Advertisement -
If you want to speed up your progress, we’ve talked to Victoria Bradya personal trainer at Fitthe largest personal training service in the country, calling out five bad habits for weight loss that are big noses.
You eat or snack thoughtlessly.
According to Brady, mindless eating and grazing are a surefire way to hinder your weight loss. Why? You don’t keep track of the calories you take in, which can lead to you overeating.
“Whether it’s considered a ‘healthy’ food or not, too much of anything can be a bad thing,” Brady explains. “Instead, practice portion control [to] keep track of how many calories you consume throughout the day and minimize overeating.”
You skip meals.
Skipping meals puts your body in “survival mode,” Brady explains, meaning you stick to the calories you consume to conserve energy. “Plus, you’re more likely to make poor food choices out of hunger, like stopping at a fast-food restaurant because it’s the fastest option to get a meal,” she adds.
You drink your calories.
Whether you’re sipping on fruit juice or your go-to glass of wine, keep in mind that beverages can be loaded with extra calories. “A lot of people don’t realize how many calories most drinks have, along with lots of sugar that goes into the drinks to make them taste better,” says Brady. “Consuming too much sugar can not only lead to weight gain, but drinking alcohol, in particular, can slow down your metabolism.”
You don’t get enough rest.
Don’t underestimate the power of a good night’s rest and recovery after your workouts. Research shows that the more you cut back on your rest, the more likely you are to pack on the extra pounds.
“Your body is unable to recover, throwing off your hormone balance and triggering your appetite because the body tends to crave carbohydrates and high-calorie foods when it’s sleep-deprived,” explains Brady. “It’s also important to note that rest days are critical, and by exercising too much, you can plateau in your weight loss and increase your risk of injury.”
You prioritize exercise over diet.
Exercise is key in any weight loss program, but there should be a healthy balance between prioritizing both exercise and diet. Because, as Brady puts it, you won’t be able to “out-work a bad diet.”
She explains, “This is where the 80/20 rule of losing weight comes in. Eighty percent of weight loss is based on what you eat, while the other 20% is based on what you do, aka exercise. So, what this means you can’t exercise a bad diet No matter how long you exercise, if your diet is high in calories, you won’t lose weight You have to burn more calories than you consume people realize that only a small percentage of the calories you burn during the day comes from exercise.”
That being said, if you want to lose weight, you need to focus on proper diet and calorie consumption
