What's Standing In Your Way?
By QuestionEverything.com
You think you’re doing everything you can to lose weight. You’re making sacrifices, adding exercise into your routine, but the weight just isn’t coming off. Why?
Stress is…well, stressful.
It’s not just in your head. It’s a scientific fact: How you respond to and cope with stress influences your appetite, body composition and overall fitness level.
Research has shown that a sustained high level of cortisol, which the body creates during chronic, unrelenting stress, can have dangerous, even life-threatening effects on the body. It literally poisons your body, making you more vulnerable to colds, flu, fatigue and infections. It can affect your memory and concentration. New evidence proves that it can also increase your appetite. Researchers have concluded that cortisol helps refuel the body during and after stress by ramping up your appetite.
Are you a slave to the scale?
There are lots of recommendations out there for the "perfect weight." But the reality is that there are so many variables involved, like your height, bone structure, environment, activity level, etc. Your perfect weight really depends on your own body.
However, many specialists in the health and nutrition field think the Body Mass Index gets pretty close. BMI. You’ve heard of it. Your doctor may have mentioned it to you. It’s the measure of the percentage of fat and muscle mass in your body. You might even know what your BMI is, but do you know where the healthy range is for you? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that healthy weights fall into the 18.5-24.9 BMI range. BMIs 25 and above are classified as overweight.
If it’s not helping you, let it go.
A habit is defined as an action or behavior pattern that is regular, repetitive and often unconscious. If you have bad habits that are preventing you from losing weight, identify them, and let them go.
What habits are keeping you from losing weight?
Habits are learned, not inherent.
You need to recognize that you are in control. Then determine what habits you have. And finally, try to reverse bad habits and start making positive changes.
Good intentions. Bad habits. Even the best intentioned dieter can make mistakes. These are the most common:
Skipping breakfast
Reacting to stress, anger or even happiness with comfort foods
Eating more than you need to
Do any of those habits ring true for you? If so, here are some simple ideas to help you turn them around.
So, how can you fix it?
Keep healthy, lower-fat foods stocked at home or in your purse. There are many low-fat, pre-packaged foods available today that you can eat on your drive to work or while dropping off the kids or running errands. Make it easy for yourself to start the day off right with a nutritious breakfast and healthy snacks.
No matter how you feel, before you put food in your mouth, count to 50. Ask yourself if you are hungry (i.e., your stomach is aching and hollow) or if you only think you want that food.
Keep a daily food journal. Experts say it’s a critical tool for effective weight loss. Document what you eat as you eat it, or just write it all down before you go to bed. Then review the journal. You might be surprised to see how much you are eating each day. You’ll become more aware of what you are eating in the moment. Try cutting foods in half and chewing just a little more slowly. It can really help in cutting down your daily calorie intake.
Ultimately, the next time you make an effort to lose weight, find a diet that includes behavior support to help you make permanent improvements to your health.
How many calories do you need to cut to lose weight?
We all know that the basics of losing weight are eating less and getting active. But how much less do we actually need to eat? There are so many numbers and formulas floating around the diet world, let’s try to make this one easy.
How many calories does it take to maintain what I’ve got?
Before you start cutting out calories to lose weight, you need to figure out how many calories it takes to hold onto the weight you have now. This is where your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) comes in. Your BMR represents the amount of calories you need each day to maintain your current weight.
How do I use the BMR to lose pounds?
To start losing weight, subtract calories from your BMR. First use the BMR (with your activity level) to determine how many calories you should eat each day to maintain your current weight. Then to lose weight safely (1-2 pounds per week), cut 500-1000 calories each day from your BMR. When you cut a total of 3,500 calories, you’ll lose one pound of body weight.
Since your body will require fewer calories as you get smaller, re-calculate your BMR along with your activity level as you lose weight, about every 10-15 pounds.
How low should you go? Don’t reduce too many calories thinking you will lose more. Going lower than 1200 calories a day isn’t anymore effective for long-term weight loss than just lowering your calories to achieve the recommended 1-2 pounds a week rate.
Missing a meal is missing the point.
People who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day can end up gaining weight. Think about it. If you skip a meal, you’ll end up hungrier later on, and you’ll settle for anything, instead of making a smart, healthy choice.
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