12 Mental Tricks to Beat Cravings and Lose Weight

Mind over matter

Using pure willpower to overcome cravings doesn't always work. (If it did, dieting would be easy and we'd all be at our own healthy, feel-great weights.) Guess what? You don't have to tough out an unrelenting yen to house a box of Cheez-Its, you just need to fool yourself into thinking you didn't actually want to eat the junk food in the first place. It's easier than you think; here are tips from experts and recent studies to help you stay on track.

Visualize an internal pause button

The next time you want to reach for a big bowl of Chunky Monkey, picture yourself hitting a pause button in your brain. "If someone were to ask to borrow a lot of money, most people can stop and say, 'I'll think about it,'" says Coral Arvon, PhD, director of behavioral health and wellness at Pritikin Longevity in Miami, FL. But when that chocolate cake or bottle of wine is in front of us at the end of day, the majority of us don't hesitate to indulge. "Think 'pause,' and consider your decision for 10 minutes before making an actual decision," Arvon suggests.

Substitute junk food with healthy foods that resemble junk food

Find a healthy alternative that shares some of the same qualities as the fatty food you've got a craving for, says Jonathan Alpert, a New York City-based psychotherapist and author of Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days. Craving the crunch and salt of potato chips? Make a batch of satisfyingly crispy kale chips. Eyeing the carton of ice cream in your freezer? Whip up a fruit-packed smoothie bowl instead. "Over time your taste buds and brain will adjust and learn to like these healthier options," says Alpert.

Imagine yourself eating

Thinking about eating a bag of candy makes it more likely you'll eat less of it when you actually start eating it, according to a 2010 study by Carnegie Mellon University researchers. Study participants who visualized eating 30 M&Ms before indulging in a bowl of the candies ate fewer M&Ms than two other groups who imagined eating only three candies or no treats at all. Researchers say the key lies in thinking about eating the food versus merely thinking about or visualizing it.

Tell yourself you can have anything

When you think about going on a diet, hunger pangs, deprivation, and waving goodbye to your favorite foods probably come to mind. Problem is, denying yourself your favorite foods immediately sets you up for failure, says Amy Goodson, RD, sports dietitian for the Dallas Cowboys and co-author of Swim, Bike, Run, Eat: The Complete Guide to Fueling Your Triathlon. "You want to make changes you can do for the rest of your life. The key is to eat what you want, but not everything you want," says Goodson. "You can still enjoy one to two splurges during the week as long as you stay on track the rest of the time."

Weight Loss Psychology: Why Your Brain Might be Holding You Back PART 1

Why Your Brain Might be Holding You Back?

If you gave a test to a million people and three-quarters of them flunked, would you attribute their failure to a lack of willpower or laziness? Or would you wonder if the test was flawed?

If the test measured the ability to lose weight, the results would parallel the failure rates for Americans who are trying to reduce their girth. According to the 2011 Food & Health Survey conducted by the International Food Information Council Foundation, 77 percent of Americans are trying to lose weight or avoid gaining weight. Despite their efforts, nearly 70 percent of Americans are overweight or obese.

Given the inability of the majority of us to manage our weight, are we all just weak-willed slackers? Or are other factors operating to make failure the most likely outcome?

For the most part, the test takers do not blame others for their failure; they blame themselves. Desperate to succeed despite a history of dangerous scams and diet schemes, consumers continue their search for a magical solution to weight loss and willingly throw money at the problem. Growing at an annual rate of nearly 11 percent for the past five years, the market for weight-loss products (food, drugs, supplements, services, ingredients, devices, accessories and cosmetics) in 2014 is projected to reach $586 billion.

Designed to Eat

So why is it so difficult to lose weight? Obesity psychologist Jim Keller, Director of Behavioral Health at the WeightWise Bariatric Program in Oklahoma City, asserts that the human body and brain are designed to eat — thus explaining why losing weight proves so challenging for so many.

Keller, who has conducted 14,000 psychological interviews of individuals considering bariatric surgery, says that the causes of obesity are complex. Obesity is not simply a function of laziness or an indication of emotional instability. In addition, genetic and biological factors do not act in isolation, but are constantly interacting with an array of environmental factors. Keller notes that both the availability and persuasive advertising of unhealthy food contribute to the obesity epidemic.

Why Is Changing Eating Habits So Difficult?

While external and genetic factors play a role, no one questions that individuals are in charge of their daily decisions about what and how much to eat. So once we make up our minds to change a habit, why do we find ourselves falling back into old ones? Why can’t we simply make a decision and get on with it? What puzzles and frustrates many trying to lose weight is why changing one’s eating habits is so darn hard.

According to Dr. Howard Rankin, an expert on behavioral change, a key part of the problem is that we believe we have more control over our behavior than we really do. Stress, anxiety and addiction can limit the conscious control we have over our choices. Dr. Rankin asserts:

What drives our behavior is not logic but brain biochemistry, habits and addiction, states of consciousness and what we see people around us doing. We are emotional beings with the ability to rationalize — not rational beings with emotions. If we are stressed, depressed or addicted, no matter how good the advice we are given, chances are that we will not be able to act on it. The more primitive, emotional brain generally has precedence over the newer, more rational brain.

But even if we removed those individuals who are stressed, depressed or addicted from the test group, we still would be left with a large population of individuals who are unable to stick with their resolve to lose weight.

I speak from personal experience. I’ve started many a day resolved to eat healthfully for the rest of my life. But by late evening, a piece of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream has somehow found its way into my stomach.

One possibility is that I have multiple personalities. Another is that resolve is not constant. According to Dr. Rankin, resolve ebbs and flows like the tide. One moment we can be fired up to be mindful of our eating, but in the next instant, our mood, our state of consciousness or the context has changed. Much to our chagrin, we find ourselves indulging in unhealthy treats.

Dr. Rankin also has a healthy respect for people’s extraordinary ability to rationalize almost any behavior. We can persuade ourselves to do almost anything we want to do — especially when the behaviors are ones that our brains are used to doing. But trying to persuade ourselves to do things that we don’t really want to do — behaviors our brain is not used to — is not easy. We are very adept at making wonderful (and plausible) excuses as to why we can’t do what we don’t want to do.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carole-carson/weight-loss-psychology_b_881706.html

15 Things Nobody Tells You About Losing Weight

Unexpected effects of weight loss

Losing weight does more than give you an excuse to buy new clothes. Dropping just 5 to 10% of your body weight can improve your overall health and reduce your risk for chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes. But shedding unwanted pounds can also have less-obvious effects, and not always for the better, says Adam Tsai, MD, a physician at Kaiser Permanente Colorado and a spokesperson for the Obesity Society. Here are the good things—and the bad—that you don't normally hear about losing weight.

Your energy levels will skyrocket

A big energy boost is often the first thing people notice when they start dropping weight. Why? When you're carrying around fewer pounds, you use less energy to simply go about your day, says Dr. Tsai. Weight loss also improves oxygen efficiency, so you won't find yourself out of breath so easily when climbing stairs or hustling to catch the bus.

Your memory may improve

In a 2013 Swedish study, older women scored better on memory tests after six months of following a weight-loss plan. Brain scans showed more activity during the encoding process (when memories are formed) and less activity during memory retrieval, suggesting greater recall efficiency. "The altered brain activity after weight loss suggests that the brain becomes more active while storing new memories and therefore needs fewer brain resources to recollect stored information," said study author Andreas Pettersson, MD, in a press release. Previous research has also linked obesity to poor memory, especially in pear-shaped women who carry extra pounds around their hips.

Your relationship will be tested

Losing weight can make you feel sexier, but your slimmed-down body—and that newfound confidence—won't necessarily strengthen your bond with your spouse. In a 2013 study from North Carolina State University, researchers found that although dropping 60 pounds or more in two years or less usually improved couples' relationships, occasionally a dieter's partner felt jealous or threatened. Why? Your body transformation may force your significant other to consider his or her own health choices, says Gail Saltz, MD, Health‘s contributing psychology editor. Another problem: Your partner may worry about how your personality might change. “You feeling great, sexy, or confident could shift the balance of the relationship,” Dr. Saltz says. “They fear losing the identity of the more confident one or losing the upper hand.” Many of these challenges could apply to friendships, too.

Your risk of cancer will be lower

You know that smoking, sun exposure, and radiation can cause cancer, but obesity has been linked to several types of cancers as well, says Dr. Tsai. Being overweight causes inflammation that triggers cell changes within the body. Dangerous levels of inflammation can be lowered, however, by losing just 5% of your body weight, according to a 2012 study on post-menopausal women published in the journal Cancer Research. And a 2014 study published in Obesity Research found that morbidly obese men who underwent bariatric surgery reduced their cancer risk over the following years to roughly that of normal-weight people.

If you were depressed before, that may not change

Does being overweight make you depressed—or does being depressed lead to weight gain? It's not always possible to tell what comes first, says Dr. Tsai. And while most people feel happier after they've lost weight, it's not a cure-all. "For a smaller percentage of people, mood will not improve even after they lose 100 pounds," he says. That may be because weight loss doesn't address any underlying problems you may have, says Dr. Saltz.

Foods may taste different

Losing a lot of weight in a small amount of time may alter your taste buds. A recent Stanford University study revealed that after bariatric surgery, 87% of patients reported a change in their sense of taste. About half said food tasted sharper, while the other half said food tasted duller. The upshot: those who tasted food less intensely after surgery lost 20% more weight over three months than those who said foods tasted stronger. The study authors say more research is needed to determine why the change in taste occurs, but another recent study did have similar findings. The study, from Leicester Royal Infirmary in the United Kingdom, found that three quarters of weight loss surgery patients developed a dislike for certain foods after their operations, most often meat and dairy products.

Working out will be more fun

When you're carrying around extra pounds, exercising can make your joints hurt and lungs burn more than someone who's at a normal weight, says Dr. Tsai. Once you start to slim down, exercise will start to feel less like a chore and more like the fun, energizing experience that it should be. Plus, being lighter can also make you faster and stronger. Take running, for example: It's generally believed that for every pound lost, an athlete can shave two seconds off the time it takes to run a mile.

Your bones may change

Ever heard that losing weight weakens your bones? While it's true that weight loss is associated with bone loss, it's only a big concern if you become underweight or follow an unhealthy diet, and the National Osteoporosis Foundation says that the benefits of weight loss usually outweigh the risks. Extra weight can make your bones stronger (they have to be, to carry the extra pounds) but it also damages joints. And new research suggests that visceral fat around the belly is particularly bad for bones, for both men and women. Losing weight can help, as well as reduce arthritis symptoms, according to a 2013 review published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

You'll probably spend less on health care

Normal-weight people spend less money on medical bills and expenses than their overweight peers, according to a 2009 study published in the journal Health Affairs. Specifically, researchers found obese people spent $1,429 more—that's 42% higher—than their normal-weight peers, most of which went toward prescription medications needed to manage chronic conditions. And a 2014 report on Michigan residents found that annual health care costs for people who were extremely obese were a whopping 90% higher than those of normal-weight individuals. 

In related sad-but-true news, you might notice something else when you lose weight, as well: Doctors (whose bias against obese patients has been well documented) may treat you better, too.

You may get a raise

It's not just doctors who may treat you better after losing weight; your employer might, too. Studies have shown that obese people make less money than normal-weight workers, especially among women. In fact, a 2004 study published in Health Economics found that the average paycheck for an obese worker was about 2.5% lower than that of a thinner employee. Dropping down to a healthy weight may also get you more job offers, according to a 2014 British study.

You may be able to toss your meds

Maintaining a healthy weight can protect you against diabetes and heart disease—but what if you're already overweight and suffering from these conditions? Good news: Slimming down can still help. "These conditions won't necessarily go away, but you may be able to reduce your symptoms and the amount of medication you take," says Dr. Tsai.

You may be able to take less blood pressure or cholesterol medication, for example, or learn to manage your type 2 diabetes without giving yourself daily injections. Studies also show that losing weight may allow you control chronic conditions like asthma and heartburn without (or with less) medication, as well. In related sad-but-true news, you might notice something else when you lose weight, as well: Doctors (whose bias against obese patients has been well documented) may treat you better, too.

Your skin may sag

One thing many people aren't prepared for after a dramatic weight loss is the loose, sagging skin. It won't go away overnight—or perhaps ever—and it may leave you feeling disappointed with your new body. Some opt for body contouring procedures like a facelift, breast lift, or tummy tuck, but any surgery carries risks, and in most cases insurance will not cover these cosmetic surgeries.

You'll catch more zzz's

People who lost at least 5% of their body weight over a six-month period slept an average of 22 minutes longerthan they had previously in a 2014 University of Pennsylvania study. And earlier in the year, Finnish researchers reported that modest weight loss significantly improved symptoms of sleep apnea.

"Losing weight usually means there's less there to physically constrict your breathing and less soft tissue to block the upper airways," says Dr. Tsai. Better sleep also helps your body burn fat more efficiently, so getting a good night's sleep means you'll be more likely to keep those pounds off.

You could boost your chances of having a baby

If you've been trying to get pregnant, losing a few pounds may help. A 2009 study published in Fertility and Sterility found that obesity in women is associated with infertility and polycystic ovary syndrome, and that the younger a woman is when she becomes obese, the harder it could be for her to get pregnant.

Slimming down can also help ensure that you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, since a mom's weight during (and even before) has been linked to all sorts of health outcomes for her kids.

Your eye health will improve

Matthew McConaughey told interviewers that his rapid weight-loss in preparation for his role as an AIDS victim in Dallas Buyers Club caused him to start losing his eyesight. That may be the result of extreme calorie restriction or nutritional deficiencies—but for most people, weight loss can actually protect their vision from obesity-related conditions like type 2 diabetes.

A 2013 University of Georgia study, for example, found that higher body fat percentage was associated with lower levels of the antioxidants lutien and zeaxanthin in retinal tissue. "The results indicate that adiposity may affect the nutritional state of the retina," the authors wrote. "Such links may be one of the reasons that obesity promotes age-related degenerative conditions."

 

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20888773,00.html#unexpected-effects-of-weight-loss-0

How to Keep Weight Off Forever?

You've hit that magic number; now what? 

You've hit that magic number at last; now what do you do? The goal is to lose the extra weight and never find it again. Unfortunately, only about of third of dieters are successful at maintaining their loss. Seasoned dieters know that keeping it off takes vigilance, and for some folks, that's more difficult than the actual weight loss.

Maintaining weight loss requires continued modification of your lifestyle. If you go back to the habits that caused you to be overweight in the first place, weight gain is inevitable. Permanent weight loss calls for healthy eating and exercise routines, just like the ones you developed while you lost the weight. Many people relax their vigilance too much after they lose weight, then gain it right back. You can relax a little once you've reached your goal -- but only a little.

Practice Makes Perfect

The more you practice something, the easier it becomes. It takes time to etch those healthy habits into a routine. Be patient with yourself, and don't let all your hard work go down the tubes. Know your weaknesses and be prepared. You will be tempted by certain foods and in certain situations, but if you keep your resolve strong, you can overcome temptations. Moderation is a great approach in those tough situations.

One of my favorite strategies for weight maintenance is to assign a day of the week when I let myself indulge -- a little. This day cannot change from week to week; otherwise, you could find yourself with more than one day "off" every week due to circumstances. On that designated day off -- mine is Saturday for obvious reasons -- I give myself permission to indulge in my favorite foods, within reason. A small piece of cheesecake is fine, but not the whole cake! It's basically controlled cheating. Works like a charm for me, and it may work for you, too. Just knowing that I can loosen up on Saturday helps me stay on top of my game all week.

Successful Losers

We can take a page from people who've succeeded at the weight-loss game. The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) tracks people who've lost at least 60 pounds and kept it off for a minimum of five years. Here are some of the things they do:

• Write it down. Journaling your food intake is a powerful tool to keep you on track.
• Eat light and right. Most successful losers follow low-fat diets -- no gimmicks, special diet foods, or magic pills -- because they simply don't work for the long term.
• Exercise daily. Walking is the preferred activity, and these folks build it into their day, making it a must-do just like brushing their teeth. NWCR members engage in about an hour of exercise per day.
• Start the day with breakfast. All the research supports the role of starting your day the healthy way.
• Weigh in regularly. If they gain a few pounds, they immediately make adjustments to get back to their healthy weight.

According to the NWCR's James O. Hill, PhD, the longer people keep the weight off, the easier it becomes to maintain the loss. Successful losers find pleasure in their new lifestyles and it no longer feels like a chore to live a healthy life. It needs to be a way of life, not a diet. And weight maintenance does get easier over time. If you can hit the two-year mark, chances are, you're golden.

Stay the Course

Keep your motivation high and don't let setbacks get you off track: If you fall off the wagon, just brush yourself off and return to your winning ways. If you can learn to think like a thin person and act accordingly, you'll stay thin forever. And the more you practice, the easier it becomes. By the time you get to the maintenance level, chances are you have identified patterns, techniques, and skills that have proved to be helpful in keeping you on track.

Reward yourself. You should be commended for making healthy changes in your diet and exercise routines that not only serve as an inspiration to your friends and family but also have tremendous health benefits

Research has shown that keeping in contact with the people or programs (like WebMD's Weight Loss Clinic) that helped you lose the weight is linked to long-term weight maintenance. It makes sense to stay connected with the people who helped you succeed in the first place. So stick around and let us help you maintain your weight loss!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/features/how-to-keep-weight-off-forever#1

Diet Mistakes Wrecking Your Fat Loss Results Part 2

Dieting Mistake #4: You’re Too Worried About Your Actual Weight

Unfortunately, too many people are concerned more so with their actual weight, rather than changes in body composition or fat loss – which is the goal 99% of the time, right?

The truth is, apart from your initial weigh in, the actual amount you weigh is fairly meaningless if you use advanced workout techniques such as those in the 90 Day Bikini plan.

Of course decreasing your actual weight can be a measure of progress if you weigh 200 or 250lb and have a large amount of excess body fat, but if you just have 10-20lb to lose it can often deceive you into believing that your diet isn’t successful.

For example, muscle is much more dense than fat, meaning it weighs more. If you’re just beginning an exercise plan, there is a distinct possibility you are increasing muscle mass, while decreasing fat mass, all while giving you the perception that your weight isn’t changing much or is even increasing.

As you can see, focusing on the weight would give you the perception that your diet and exercise is doing the opposite of what you hoped. For example, losing 10lb of fat and adding 10lb of muscle would show as no weight loss on the scales, but you would look visually very different.

Additionally for females, hormonal changes and the menstrual cycle fluctuations can lead to water retention at the worst times, giving you the perception of weight gain, when it’s really just water.

Rather than specifically focusing on your scale weight alone, take bi-weekly photos and tape measurements as we teach people in our transformation plans.

Dieting Mistake #5: You’re Consuming The Wrong Foods

While the amount of calories you are consuming is the number one factor determining your diet success, the types of food you are consuming can make or break your attempts.

Simply eating the amount of calories you need won’t cut it if doing so means you feel miserable and hungry all the time.

Additionally, consuming beverages such as fruit juice and peanut butter can significantly thwart your weight loss attempts as they are extremely calorie dense.

Unfortunately, mainstream media has often confused people into thinking that these foods are healthy, but really they are easy ways to accidentally consume far too many calories with little actual benefit. Fruit juice for example, is often touted as healthy but the truth is fruit juices provide all of the sugar, with none of the beneficial fiber.

While consuming fructose from fruit isn’t inherently bad, it can contribute to a large amount of calories, without affecting your appetite, leaving you hungry and dissatisfied, despite a large calorie intake.

As a result, you’re consuming an incomplete protein source with a very high calorie density, in a food source that is very easy to over consume. Foods like this are a recipe for a failed diet.

I suggest ensuring that you are consuming whole, natural and nutrient dense foods such as protein and vegetables while avoiding or limiting intake of highly processed, calorie dense foods that provide little benefit.

Dieting Mistake #6: You’re Avoiding Healthy Fatty Foods

Fat has been demonized for years and is also the most calorie dense of the three macronutrients. Unfortunately, this has led many people to believe that it is the reason behind obesity and so it is often avoided altogether.

This results in people opting for low fat, carbohydrate and specially sugar-laden foods, which inadvertently increase the amount of calories that are being consumed.

By consuming low fat foods, it’s very likely that you’re consuming far more processed carbohydrates than your body requires, which can lead excess calorie consumption and, of course, weight gain.

Additionally, studies have shown that increasing your fat intake, while maintaining a caloric deficit can be quite beneficial due to hormonal optimization, reduced hunger and increased calories burned from fat.

Additionally, research indicates that for women, specifically, consuming a diet high in fat may be more beneficial than other types (6, 7, 8). This is why so many females shred body fat quickly on my higher fat, lower carb Metabolic Advantage Diet

I suggest that rather than fearing fat intake, consider increasing the amount of fat you consume, while maintaining a caloric deficit to optimize hormones and continue losing body fat.

There Are Your 6 Common Dieting Mistakes

If you feel like you’re making the right strides to weight loss but aren’t seeing results, there is a good chance there is something diet-related sabotaging your results.

Remember, the key points are always:

– Total daily calorie intake

– Focusing on healthy but also LOW calorie dense foods

– Remove or closely monitor healthy but HIGH calorie dense foods such as nuts, fatty meats, butter, oils etc.

– Focus on body fat loss, photos and measurements and NOT the scale weight alone

– Being consistent over the long term

By using the above tips and tricks, it’s possible that you can rapidly increase fat loss progress and overcome any plateaus.

 References

1. Spiegelman, B. M., & Flier, J. S. (2001). Obesity and the regulation of energy balance. Cell, 104(4), 531-543.
2. Veldhorst, M., Smeets, A. J. P. G., Soenen, S., Hochstenbach-Waelen, A., Hursel, R., Diepvens, K., … & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. (2008). Protein-induced satiety: effects and mechanisms of different proteins. Physiology & behavior, 94(2), 300-307.
3. Westerterp, K. R. (2004). Diet induced thermogenesis. Nutrition & metabolism, 1(1), 5.
4. Cho, S. S., Case, I. L., & Nishi, S. (2009). Fiber and Satiety. Weight Control and Slimming Ingredients in Food Technology, 227.
5. Lefranc-Millot, C., Macioce, V., Guérin-Deremaux, L., Lee, A. W., & Cho, S. S. (2012). Fiber and Satiety. Dietary Fiber and Health, 83.
6. Venables, M. C., Achten, J., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2005). Determinants of fat oxidation during exercise in healthy men and women: a cross-sectional study. Journal of applied physiology, 98(1), 160-167.
7. Phelain, J. F., Reinke, E., Harris, M. A., & Melby, C. L. (1997). Postexercise energy expenditure and substrate oxidation in young women resulting from exercise bouts of different intensity. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 16(2), 140-146.
8. Tarnopolsky, M. A., Atkinson, S. A., Phillips, S. M., & MacDougall, J. D. (1995). Carbohydrate loading and metabolism during exercise in men and women. Journal of applied Physiology, 78(4), 1360-1368.

https://www.rudymawer.com/blog/6-common-diet-mistakes-wrecking-fat-loss-results/

Diet Mistakes Wrecking Your Fat Loss Results Part 1

Common Diet Mistakes Wrecking Your Fat Loss Results

Have you spent the last few months diligently watching what you eat, yet you’re not seeing amazing results?

If this describes your weight loss attempt, you’re not alone and I’m here to help by providing 6 common dieting mistakes

Here’s a review of 6 Common Diet Mistakes Wrecking Your Fat Loss Results (and how to fix them!).

Dieting Mistake #1: You’re Not
Effectively Reducing Calories
Consistently

 Without a doubt, the number one way to begin losing weight is to reduce calories.

The reason for this is the idea of energy balance. This theory postulates that in order for you to lose weight, you’ll need to expend more calories than you consume, creating a negative energy balance (1).

 If you end up eating more calories than you expend via daily metabolism and exercise, it’s extremely likely that you’ll actually gain weight.

In order to begin having a negative energy balance, you’ll need to first find your maintenance calorie intake, or the amount of calories you can consume to neither lose nor gain weight.

In order to do this, you’ll need to track your food intake for a couple days. If after the couple days of tracking, you haven’t gained or lost weight, you can average the total amount of calories and assume that’s your maintenance.

Afterwards, you can have a strong idea of how much or how little food you’ll need to consume in order to effectively lose weight.

The big problem is a yo-yo calorie intake. So, you may get it right Monday-Friday, or even for a few weeks but, a few days off or a few blowout weekends can mess up your progress.

There are 2 key points you need to action: the first one is you need to accurately monitor and assess calories, the next is you need to stay in a calorie deficit consistently for weeks and months, not a few days…

Dieting Mistake #2: You’re Not Eating Enough Protein

Despite all the benefits of protein being well known these days, many people still fail to reach the optimal amount on a daily basis.

Protein is unique in that it not only helps you maintain and build muscle but it also provides an appetite suppression effect and boosts fat loss even when calories are matched (2).

Interestingly, the way that proteins are structured actually makes them quite difficult to digest. In order for them to actually increase muscle, they need to be broken down into individual amino acids, which can take some time to accomplish.

Additionally, research has indicated that because of this difficulty in breaking them down, consuming large amounts of protein actually directly increases the amount of calories you are expending (3).

Since breaking down protein requires energy, having larger amounts of protein will increase the amount of energy needed.

If you find yourself in the situation of not consuming enough protein, I suggest attempting to add it into each meal and even consider using a supplement such as whey protein in between meals. Aim for 30-40g of protein per meal from sources such as meat, fish, eggs etc.

If you track your daily intake, aim for around 1g of protein per 1 pound bodyweight. For example, 120LB individual would consume 120g or more per day, split into 3-5 meals.

Dieting Mistake #3: You’re Not Eating Enough Vegetables

Do you get your 5 a day in? Truth is you probably don’t on a consistent basis and, if you are trying to shred body fat, you definitely need to eat more.

Vegetables are one of the best foods that you can eat as they are basically ‘free food’. They also offer some unique properties that many other foods do not:

1. They have a very large volume to calorie ratio
2. They have a lot of fiber
3. They are very high in water, further filling you up
4. Extremely high in antioxidants and micronutrients

Remember, for weight loss fiber is really important because it slows down the digestion of food and can significantly decrease feelings of hunger (4, 5).

Aim for 2-3 portions of vegetables per meal when dieting, as this will reduce hunger and keep you satiated between meals.

https://www.rudymawer.com/blog/6-common-diet-mistakes-wrecking-fat-loss-results/