Hi! We have all tried to fight our weights and bulges and at some point most of reach a plateau having tried all the fad diets etc. What could be some of the things we think we are doing right, that could actually not be good for us and work on the contrary to weight loss? Let’s take a look:
1. Do not crash diet: Crash diets don’t work. Period. It calls for huge reduction in calorie intake in a crashed period of time, so the body and metabolism is shocked out of it’s routine. Sometimes, crash diets will cut your calories to approximately 500 calories a day – a body can neither get all the nutrients it requires to function at this calorie level nor give enough for the brain to function at its optimum. This mis-triggers eating patterns and the type of food we eat. To keep it healthy, do not resort to diuretics excessively either which crash diets recommend often – body needs fluids for proper organ function.
2. Cut down on processed and refined foods: Processed foods not only contain the harmful nitrites and sulphites but are loaded with calories that fresh foods generally do not have. Processed foods also contain higher salts and sugars to add to their shelf life. In addition, they contain the harmful taste and flavour enhancers like MSG. Keep your diet as processed-free as possible.
3. Exercise: This is an obvious one. Exercising steps up your metabolism and increases your BMR even in the rest phase. Exercises help us burn more calories. Exercises promote overall wellbeing.
4. Get enough sleep: Inadequate sleep causes the body to function on reduced leptin levels and as a result crave for carbohydrates. Other reasons are that lack of optimum sleep hours interfere with the body’s ability to metabolise the carbohydrates it craves for thus strong more fat. It also changes the person’s BMR and decreased non-exercise related thermogenesis.
5. De-stress: Stress releases cortisol that slows metabolism causing you to gain weight. It also makes you crave for high sugar and carbohydrate foods. The body does this as a defence to fight against the stress. Insulin release to tackle this sugar or high carb intake is in tandem with serotonin release which aids relaxing. Stress may also trigger emotional eating.
6. Eat small portions frequently: It is now proven that eating the same quantum of food in 2 large meals burns fewer calories than spread out across 5-6 meals of smaller sizes. This is so because between 2 meals, the metabolism of the body slows down. It also staves you off high-calorie, sugar based snacking that you will crave for with very few meals in the day.
So, until next week, indulge in some erudite living!