Have you been on a new diet for a couple of weeks and found that
you STILL can't lose weight? Have you actually GAINED a pound or
two since you've been on it? Are you just about ready to throw
this diet out the window and try something else? Well, hold on a
minute. There might be something else going on that's preventing
your diet from working. Getting your diet to work is like
planting a seed in a garden. In order for the seed to grow, you
have to plant it in good soil. You have to water it, fertilize
it, and protect it from weeds. In other words, a seed needs a
good environment if it's going to have any chance at all to
sprout, take root, and grow. Similarly, in order for your diet
to start showing results for you, it also needs a good
environment. Here are 10 "weeds" that will prevent the success
of any diet and may actually be the reason that yours isn't
working. 1. YOU'RE NOT REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT
For your diet to work, you obviously have to be serious about
losing weight. You need to have the right mental attitude about
weight loss. In other words, you have to get your "head right."
This includes: a. Making a firm commitment to lose the weight,
no matter what. b. Making sure you're doing this for the right
reasons. Trying to lose weight to please someone else never
works. c. Convincing yourself that you CAN lose the weight--and
that you WILL! If your diet isn't working, it could be because
you're not really serious about losing the weight in the first
place. 2. YOU'RE CHEATING ON YOUR DIET Cheating on your
diet and cheating on love both end in disappointment. Consistent
weight loss requires, well, consistency. Most of us work so hard
to stick to our diet during the week that we convince ourselves
that we can splurge on the weekend. Or we think that because we
skipped breakfast, we can have dessert with lunch. Both are a
bad choice. It's easy to convince yourself that having a small
snack won't hurt, or that you'll work it off later. The problem
is it does, and you never do. If your diet isn't working, it
could be because you're not following it consistently. 3.
YOU'RE NOT EATING FEWER CALORIES I heard of someone that
started one of those protein shake diets. He actually gained a
couple of pounds. When he was asked how often he was drinking
the shakes, he said, "I drink one with every meal." It never
occurred to him that the shakes were supposed to replace his
meals, not supplement them. Many dieters buy low-cal foods, and
then eat twice as much. Don't be one of them! The only way to
lose weight is to reduce your total caloric intake. Make sure
you reduce the size of your portions and cut out all snacks that
are not part of your diet plan. If your diet isn't working--or
if you've actually gained a pound or two--it could be because
you're not eating fewer total calories. 4. YOU'RE NOT EATING
THE RIGHT FOODS Eating fewer calories is only part of the
battle. You need to make sure that the foods you do eat are the
right types. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you get plenty
of fruits, salads, and dark green vegetables. Stay away from
refined foods and starches and eat meat in very small amounts
(sorry, I'm not an Atkins fan). Leafy, green, water-rich
vegetables will aid digestion, help keep you healthy, and will
actually help your body get rid of excess fat. If your diet
isn't working, it could be because you're not eating the right
foods. 5. YOU'RE NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER When you go on
a diet, your body goes into overdrive to get rid of the excess
fats and toxins that the diet liberates. Many diets (especially
the protein ones) put a strain on your body's organs, especially
the kidneys. Because of this, it's vital that you drink plenty
of water. Drinking 8 or so full glasses of water every day helps
to flush out the excess fats and toxins your body is trying to
eliminate. Drinking plenty of water has other benefits including
reducing headaches and improving your hair and skin. If your
diet isn't working, it could be because you're not drinking
enough water. 6. YOU'RE NOT EXERCISING ENOUGH The best
way to increase the number of calories you burn is through
exercise. Pick walking, running, playing sports, swimming, or
whatever--just make sure that when you exercise, you actually
exercise. Some people go to the gym to socialize, not to
exercise. Make sure you're not one of them! Get to work and make
sure you stay with it long enough to burn off some excess
calories. To lose weight, shoot for 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic
exercise, every other day. Note that these 20-30 minutes do not
include stretching, warm ups, cool downs, or checking yourself
out in front of the mirror. Sure, these are an important part of
your exercise routine but you're not going to lose any weight by
stretching. At least 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, every
other day. If you've reduced the amount of calories you're
eating and your diet isn't working, it could be because you're
not exercising enough. 7. YOU'RE EXERCISING TOO HARD This
may be counterintuitive but it's true. If you exercise too hard,
your body goes into an ANAEROBIC state (without oxygen). This is
when you get so out of breath that you can't seem to take in
enough air. When the body is in this state, it burns mostly
carbohydrates and very little fat. This is why runners "carb up"
before a big race--and also why runners have just as much body
fat as the rest of us. Slow your exercise down to no more than
85% of your maximum heart rate (subtract your age from 220 to
get your max heart rate). At this pace, your body is in an
AEROBIC state (with oxygen) and most of the calories that are
burned are from fat, not carbs. An added benefit is that aerobic
exercise tends to be low impact making it easy on your joints.
If you already get plenty of exercise and your diet still isn't
working, it could be because you're exercising too hard. 8.
YOU'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH REST We all live stressful lives.
Dieting typically changes your eating and exercise habits-- two
more stressor's your body has to deal with. The only chance your
body has to relieve tension, rejuvenate and rebuild itself is
during sleep so it's important to get enough when dieting. Not
getting enough sleep can actually slow your metabolism making
weight loss difficult. It can also make you feel "groggy," which
means you probably won't make the best food choices throughout
the day. If your diet isn't working, it could be because you're
not getting enough rest. 9. YOU'RE FIGHTING TOO MANY BATTLES
AT ONCE Weight loss requires both consistent effort and
focus. You won't have either if you're trying to diet and deal
with other "major events" in your life at the same time. Major
events include things like changing jobs, moving to new house or
city, trying to stop smoking, a death, accident, or sickness in
the family, and so on. All of these things create a disruption
in our lives and cause us to put everything--including our
diets--on hold. To make matters worse, how do most of us deal
with the stress caused by these major events? By snacking! Your
diet doesn't have a chance. So don't even try. Give yourself
permission to put your diet on hold until you can give it the
consistent energy and focus it needs. Choose your battles
carefully and fight only one at a time. If your diet isn't
working, it may be because you're trying to fight too many at
once. 10. YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOAL IS NOT REALISTIC Like all
good things, healthy weight loss takes time. Make sure you're
not setting yourself up for disappointment by setting a weight
loss goal that is totally unrealistic. This includes not only
the amount of weight you want to lose, but also the amount of
time you think it will take. If you're doing all the right
things and your diet isn't working, it may be because your
weight loss goal-or the time required to reach it-isn't
realistic. Once you get all of these issues resolved, you've
cleared the way to get your diet back on track. As your diet
takes root and begins to work, you should start to see the
weight come off easily and naturally.
About the author:
Hiram Perez has made good health and wellbeing a lifelong study.
He has developed the "Little Things You Can Do to Make a Big
Difference In Your Health" audio program to help people improve
and balance their overall health by taking simple, common sense
steps. You can sample this program by signing up for a free
5-part mini-course at www.Balance-Your-Health.com
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