No matter how hard you exercise or diet, if there are factors that you’re forgetting, these could be enough to mean that your efforts are wasted and you won’t trim down properly. Here are a few examples of things that you might be forgetting about that could be the sole reasons why you aren’t losing the pounds properly. If you find the right one, chances are the fat will melt off!
You’re Forgetting Nutrients
In the calorie counting game, it’s easy to totally forget about eating foods that are nutritious, and not just foods that are low in calories. Obviously, calories are important in losing weight, critical even. But you need to make sure you aren’t forgetting about eating nutrient-packed foods that will balance your diet and make you healthier and slimmer. If you don’t get enough of the right nutrients, it could be inhibiting your goal.
Extra Sugar
Foods with a high content of sugar aren’t always obvious. Some breakfast cereals and sports drinks often have a lot more sugar in them than you might think. Even foods that proclaim themselves to be health foods could be sneaking in extra sugar to try to get extra sales. Some researchers are now saying that eating too much “added sugar” could be even worse than fat when it comes to weight gain and overall fitness.
Too Sedentary
Even if you exercise on a regular routine, you might not be moving enough. Our bodies are tuned towards movement, and those who sit down all day hanging out on computers aren’t doing that, and that will affect weight balances. One good solution to this is to do any kind of movement you can during the day. Even fidgeting actions like just crossing your legs, stretching, standing sometimes, taking a good quick pace, moving your limbs, anything can help. They actually have a name for it now; it’s called “Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.” You’d be really surprised just how many extra calories you can burn in a day just by doing this, even when compared to exercising.
Not Sleeping Enough
Studies have shown recently that sleep deprivation can have an effect on your metabolism. Specifically, it can slow it down and make you hungrier than you really need to be by changing hunger hormones like leptin and ghrelin. The hormone Leptin is what tells your brain that you’ve had enough to eat. In contrast, the opposite is ghrelin which makes you hungry. If you don’t sleep enough, studies show that leptin will be lower, and ghrelin higher. So basically, those who don’t sleep enough will gain weight due to being hungrier and not feeling full when they are. So all you have to do is sleep more and your levels will balance out, and losing weight will be much easier.
Overall, a little extra attention to making sure you haven’t missed anything could be all you need to get over the hump and start getting the weight off and keeping it off.
Author Bio:
Georgia Webster is a blogger and writer on health-related topics. She is currently writing on behalf of a Sydney mattress company sharing her views on various sites.