Saboteur

You want to lose weight and you have put all your arsenal at the ready. You are all set. However, to your surprise, things are not going according to plan. What could you be doing wrong?

The journey to weight loss is paved with pitfalls. To reach your goal, you have to maneuver around these obstacles.

Following is a list of situations, beliefs, and attitudes that could kill your weight loss plan.

1. Lack of a supportive system

To lose weight successfully, you need the support of your family and friends. If, for instance, you need to wake up half an hour earlier than before to exercise, you need the encouragement of your spouse.

Better still, imagine how good it would be if your partner could accompany you on your daily walk or run.

Then at social and family gatherings, there’s always that well-meaning relative or friend who asks, “Is that all you’re eating?” Some hosts even take offense when you eat little.

When you have to go through this, it’s easy to abandon your diet and exercise regime.

The solution? Explain to your significant other the importance of your weight loss plan and get them to your side. Let your partner speak out for you when you cannot or when you choose not to.

2. You turn to punishing diets and excessive workouts

You embark on fad diets and training to the point of pain, all in the hope of getting rapid results. These diets and extreme exercises are not sustainable. Ultimately, losing weight becomes too painful and unnatural, and you give up.

While diets may work in the short term, the weight will most likely creep back as soon as you go off the diet. According to findings presented in 2016 at the annual Endocrine Society meeting, within two years, between 18 and 30 percent of dieters regain over half the weight lost.

To get life-long weight loss results, you need to make lifestyle changes that you can live with.

3. You classify food as “good” and “bad” and cut off all “bad” food

When you deprive yourself of certain “bad” foods, you are more likely to crave them and one bite could lead to over-indulging. Instead of worrying about “bad” foods, focus on creating delicious and nutritional dishes.

Direct your energy onto the abundant healthy options – like a grilled chicken breast or see how you can create the most delicious salad.

Plan carefully, listen to your body, and indulge your cravings within reason. Make informed decisions that include reducing the amount of calories and maintaining the calorific deficit.

Eat a balanced diet that covers all food groups.

However, give yourself treats from time to time. Don’t live a life of deprivation.

4. You force yourself to do things you don’t enjoy

Explore different types of exercises and even different ways of doing the same exercise. You are bound to find weight loss activities that you enjoy.

You can exercise at home, in a gym, in your neighborhood, with friends, with a partner, or alone. You can go dancing, hiking, running, jogging, walking, or you can play organized games – the list is long. Find an activity you enjoy.

5. You think exercise is more important than diet

What’s more important for weight loss, diet or exercise? To lose weight, you need to use more calories than you take in, so it’s important to watch your diet.

However, eating a nutritious diet will not lead to heart conditioning, make you fit, strong, agile, or shape your body. To achieve that, you need cardiovascular, strength, balance, and flexibility training.

Both exercise and diet are needed for total health, fitness, and weight loss.

However, don’t sabotage your weight loss efforts by adopting an all-or-nothing attitude. If at some point in your life you can’t train, still go ahead and watch your diet. You don’t need to do both at the same time.

And if, for instance, you are on a heavy travel schedule and can’t control what you eat, go ahead and train, even if it’s in your hotel room.

Bottom line

While nutrition and exercise are important for weight loss, sleep, and stress management are other considerations. If you’re stressed and tired most of the time, you’re unlikely to be motivated to exercise.

You are also likely to reach out for comfort foods, which has the potential to scatter your calorie-watching plans. If this happens repeatedly, you may give up on your weight loss plans entirely.

So, manage your stress levels, even as you train and watch your diet. This will ultimately work in favor of your weight loss plans.