How not to lose weight
If you want a simple guide on how to avoid certain weight loss mistakes and start losing weight, you’ve come to the right place because I’m going to let you in on the mistakes to avoid when it comes to losing weight.
Let me tell you! The heat summer is bringing us right now is hotter than a habanero, and I am not here for it at all! I wake up at 5:15 every morning to walk my dog for a reason…I want to avoid being outside as much as possible unless I’m going hiking.
See, there’s this thing with clothes and heat; they don’t mix well! You feel sticky, you don’t have anything to wear ever, and what’s the point in getting all pretty if you’re just going o sweat it out? For me, summer was starting to be a reminder of how I wished I was in better shape, just so I didn’t feel so yucky, lazy, and cranky!
Does anyone else feel this way?
It makes you want to lose weight or at least shed a couple of pounds off fast.
But before you get started, let’s dive in on a couple of weight loss mistakes you should NOT be doing if you’re trying to lose weight and answer common weight loss questions.
1. Buying foods that scream “sugar-free” “non-GMO” “organic” or “fat-free” at the grocery store
Ah, weight loss mistake number 1. T.V, social, media, and the famous “They say” (who is “they” anyway!?!) tell us that everything considered fat, has sugar, isn’t organic, or probably anything NOT green is bad for us.
But you know what’s actually bad? All these pricey products being thrown at you as soon as you walk into the grocery store. After paying off over $36,000 in debt and losing weight on a budget – let me tell you that you do not need these foods.
Ok, yes, some of us can be bougie with our food, and that’s not a problem, but being bougie about your food and thinking you HAVE to buy foods that have SCREAMING labels to lose weight are two different things.
Stick to the basics like whole foods.
2. drinking your calories.
Speaking of labels that scream at us, there are a ton of “healthy” drinks out there making empty promises. Some of these drinks are packed with a ton of calories.
For example, would you rather have a 200 calorie drink or a mix of 100 to 200 hundred-calorie snacks?
Next time, save your money, check out that nutrition label, go a glass of water, zero-calorie soda, or even some of those sugar-free flavor mixes you can add to your water.
3. following a diet trend, Paleo, vegan, vegetarian.
2017 was the first time I ever followed a diet trend. I ate a PALEO diet for 21 days, and it was also the first time I tried counting macros with my best friend (I convinced her to let me experiment on her).
Do you want to know what happened and the end of those 21 days?
We both lost weight!
But am I still following a Paleo diet today? Not at all, I love fruit too much. I actually had watermelon, frozen cherries, and a plum earlier this morning.
But wait, there’s more.
I’ve gone vegan for a year – and lost weight
I’ve gone vegetarian – and lost weight
So what am I trying to say here? It’s not hard to lose weight and following a specific diet isn’t the reason why you’ll lose weight. In the end, it will come down to how much you eat. If you eat less, you’ll lose weight.
4. avoiding fats
I get why fatty foods can intimidate people – I mean the word is there, FAT haha. But before you go ditching fat foods, there’s something you should know. Your body needs fat. It helps your hormones out, they make you feel fuller longer, and they taste good.
But wait, Im not talking about fatty foods like french friends, a pizza, or a burger. I’m talking about healthy fats, try a couple of these out:
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Nut butters
- Oils
- Seeds
- Salmon
- Egg yolk
And if you want to see more, check out this list of healthy fats and their benefits at Med News Today.
5. not eating after 6 PM at night
Does this mean that everyone who works a night shift or forgets to eat during the day is overweight? Of course not.
This myth about eating after 6 PM has been dragging along over the years, and to be honest, eating past six is not going to make you gain weight.
Do you ever notice how after a meal, you’re ready for a nap? Recent studies have actually shown that eating late at night actually helps you sleep better.
I’ve sat in my kitchen eating at 2 in the morning after a ton of late-night bartending shift in my day, and the only way you’re going to gain weight is if you eat more than your body can burn in a day.
6. avoiding carbs
I don’t know why, but even before I started reading up on a ton of fitness and nutrition stuff, I found it hard to believe that to be fit, feel good, and look good, you had to give up carbs.
Why? Because I’m Mexican-American and I grew up eating tortillas with almost every meal. And who would I be if I always said no to all the good food all over the world if I avoided carbs? The best part about traveling is trying new foods, duh!
And I was right! You don’t need to give up carbs. The only reason you’ve come to believe that carbs are bad is that, well, carbs are everywhere, especially in all the yummy stuff we like, like cake, ice cream, & of course, bread!
But what about veggies? Those are carbs too, yet you don’t see anyone trying to avoid vegetables when it comes to losing weight.
Let me put it to you this way! Protein sounds healthier, right? Well, Protein is worth 4 calories per gram, and carbs are worth the exact amount. They are equal.
The only difference is they each play different roles. Protein grows, repairs, and hold on to your muscle while carbs give you energy!
Again, the only reason you’ll gain weight is because you’ve eaten more calories than your body uses (burns) in a day. Plus, even though your body technically doesn’t need carbs, they taste good, aren’t bad for you, & again carbs give you energy.
7. skipping out on fruits
Did you know fruits are carbs? And yes, they have sugar, but it’s nothing you run away from. Don’t ditch the fruit when you’re trying to lose weight.
There’s also a ton of low-calorie fruit you can snack on and benefits from in nutrients like berries.
8. forcing yourself to eat breakfast
Some people just don’t do breakfast. Is this you? You see, for me, it depends, sometimes I’d rather be late than skip breakfast, and sometimes I don’t eat “breakfast” the next day because I’m still full from the night before.
But have you ever look at the word breakfast carefully? BREAK FAST! It literally means breaking your fast. You’re’ breaking the fast between last night’s dinner and the next day’s meal.
So, do you have to have breakfast in order to be healthy? Technically whatever you eat first the next day is considered “breakfast,” so I guess a better question would be, “Do you have to eat early in the morning to lose weight”? The answer is no.
9. Dieting for the weekend
Does anyone else do this? I can say I’ve been guilty of this in the past. But in the end, all that’s happening is that you’re creating a bad relationship with food and telling yourself that “being healthy” sucks when it doesn’t have to be that way.
Make sure you’re still enjoying foods you love throughout the week in moderation. If this means having a glass of wine, go for it. Cheers!
The conclusion to weight loss mistakes
Losing weight can suck! It sounds hard to lose weight, complicated, and discouraging when you don’t see results. But I mean, when you create so many rules that do SUCK, I can completely see why.
I hope these tips helped you out. Let me know what weight loss mistakes are you making?
Related Articles to Weight Loss Mistakes
- How to Shop for Healthy Groceries on a Budget (+ Stop Throwing Your Money Away)
- The Best Quick and Easy Healthy Snacks Under 100 Calories
- 4 Reasons Macros Are Not Helping You Lose Weight
- 9 Tips to Conquer Feeling Beatdown by Unhealthy Weekends
9 Painful Weight Loss Mistakes Stopping You From Losing Weight
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