Are you struggling to lose weight even after following a balanced weight loss regime? You are not alone! According to a 2022 research cited in Frontiers in Public Health, 23 per cent of the population in India gained weight by 5 per cent, women (65.7 per cent) and youth (54.5 per cent) due to a sedentary lifestyle.

 

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Weight loss is so much more than digits on the weighing scale. A 2016 study published in Frontiers of Science News revealed that changing certain habits like overeating, sitting at one place for long or uneven sleeping patterns can help live a healthier lifestyle. Since your old daily habits and lifestyle can influence your body weight, here are some hidden factors that could hinder your goals to become a healthier version of yourself.

 

Here is a list of common weight loss mistakes we make:

 

1. You Focus On What You Can’t Eat: Thinking too much about what you cannot eat is one of the first weight loss mistakes that can kill your mood. There is a strong correlation between mood and choice of foods. According to the research paper Food for Thought, 2020, the more you think about avoiding eating a certain food, the more likely you are to end up making poor decisions for yourself and thus, straying from your path of healthy and mindful eating.

 

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2. You Set Unrealistic Body Weight Goals: The majority of people set unreasonable body weight targets, according to a 2016 analysis that was published in Surgery For Obesity And Related Diseases. One study involved 284 participants (age 45+; BMI 50+ kg/m), 230 of whom were women and 54 of whom were men. Participants in the survey later disclosed that their "dream" weight for themselves was to lose their 89 per cent excess body weight. Not reaching their unrealistic expectations of weight loss can have a negative effect on obese people’s health goals and can lead to disappointment and weight gain.

 

3. Midnight Munching: Some people tend to eat unmindfully at night out of boredom or stress. This pattern can contribute to tremendous weight gain as it becomes an easy way to load more calories than needed, says the 2020 review in the journal Obesity.

 

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4. Ditching Breakfast And Lunch: A review issued in the journal Nurients, 2021, reveals that skipping breakfast is a risk factor for weight gain. Cutting out breakfast and lunch can make a person 4.5 times more obese. Neglecting meals slows metabolism and boosts hunger, making your body store fats and increasing circumstances of overeating.

 

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5. Going Overboard On Cheat Days: A 2016 study published in the journal Obesity, shows the research on 14 contestants for six years and noted that nearly all of the contestants (13 out of the 14) regained weight up to 100 pounds after starting their weight-loss journey. The research says junk foods can add an average of 200 calories more than what you'd eat at home. It is due to fast foods having poor nutritional value, excessive salt content, and the degree of saturated fats and trans-fatty acid.

 

6. Not Getting Enough Rest Post Workout: Rest days after a workout can prevent burnout, which occurs when a person trains their body beyond its ability to recover. If your body is deprived of adequate rest, exercise regimens can backfire and cause a severe miscommunication between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. This may lead to negative physical effects such as fatigue, insomnia, gut issues, and weight gain, says a 2015 research in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases.

 

7. Consuming Only Liquid Diet: A smoothie may be a great way to consume all the required nutrients. However, depending on liquids completely is not good for your healthy body goals. Calories present in beverages such as alcohol, coffee, juice, tea, and sodas directly contribute to 21 per cent more weight gain, reports a study in the Journal Of The Academy of Nutrition And Dietetics, 2012.

 

8. Skipping Your Favourite Snacks: Giving up your favourite snacks is not good practice as it can make it difficult to follow a healthy diet. Restraining can often trigger a relapse into unhealthy eating habits. Try to stay in moderation by having smaller snacks every three hours to decrease cravings.

 

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9. Over-Eating Even When Satiated: Eating when you do not feel hungry can hamper your weight loss progress. It slows down metabolism and makes it more challenging to shed those extra kilos. Focusing on what to eat rather than how much we eat is a better strategy for satiating and managing weight, says a 2021 research in Science Daily.

 

10. Including More Sugar In Your Diet: Food items like chocolate bars, confectionery items, fast foods and juices are loaded with saturated fats and added sugar, which can only make journey towards losing fat harder. According to a 2013 research published in the British Medical Journal, ingesting sugar, the energy balance disrupts and leads to body fatness. When Leptin (hunger hormones) is disrupted or when the body does not respond to leptin, it can lead to weight gain and obesity.

 

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