This is a pretty cliche title, I know, but bear with me for a second. Diet culture and the fitness industry seem to have brainwashed us into thinking that everything needs to be extreme, hard and fast or it isn't worth it, so I'm here to remind you of what's really important.
1. STOP cutting everything out and INSTEAD make small, gradual changes one step at a time.
Cutting food groups (or even just one item) that you enjoy out from your diet just isn't sustainable. When you tell yourself you can't have something, your brain and body wants it more leading to a lower compliance rate. Instead of cutting things out completely, make small and gradual changes. For example, start by adding more vegetables to your meals, and then you can start swapping oil for low-calorie oil sprays and so on. Overtime, these small changes will add up without being too much to handle.
2. STOP spending money on detoxes, fat burners and meal replacements and INSTEAD try slightly decreasing your portion sizes.
If you're trying to lose weight, spending money on detoxes, fat burners and meal replacements shouldn't be high up on your list. Stop wasting money on products with very little scientific backing and instead try decreasing your portion sizes. As above, an easy way to do this is by adding more fruits and vegetables into your diet. By increasing your fibre intake, you'll also stay fuller for longer which will result in less snacking throughout the day.
3. STOP over-exercising and INSTEAD try aiming for a small increase in your daily steps.
The more you exercise, the more food you need to consume to keep up with a higher demand for energy. When dieting, this usually leads to over-eating. The other problem with over-exercising is the increased risk of injury, particularly at the beginning of your journey. Instead of increasing the number of 'workouts' per day, try aiming for a slightly higher step count each day. If you currently do 5000 steps per day, next week try 6000 steps. Once you consistently hit 6000, you can increase to 7000 steps and so on until you're at a comfortable level for your lifestyle.
4. STOP making no time for rest and recovery and INSTEAD prioritise 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
Without rest and recovery, your body can't function optimally. When we don't function optimally we push our body so hard that we risk getting injured, catching illness and burning out. In terms of weight loss, when we don't rest appropriately our bodies respond by mixing up the level of hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin, in our systems, causing us to overeat.
5. STOP expecting instant results and INSTEAD stay consistent and try being patient.
Put simply, we don't gain weight or lose our health/fitness overnight, so it wont happen in reverse either. Be patient, focus on consistency and listen to what your body's telling you.
How many of these mistakes have you been making? Which changes are you going to make first? Always here,
Beth x
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