With so many health websites, magazines and gurus telling you what to eat and what not to eat, it’s hard to know who to listen to. Staying healthy is a matter of knowledge and application but most don’t have the time to research daily. Others have the knowledge but choose to sabotage their weight loss, and health daily. Stop the insanity and get on the winning side of things with our 10 ways you’re sabotaging your health list!
8 Ways Your Sabotaging Your Diet
- Eating Your Largest Meal At Night – About 80% of the world does this, yet it should be the opposite! A good rule of thumb is to eat the most calories (and carbs) when the sun is the brightest. As the sun goes down, so do your calories and carbs.
- Skipping Breakfast – SO you opted for coffee while on the run but completely missed eating breakfast? Now you’re starving at lunch and you NEED something packed full of fat and sugar. This leads you to eating a horrible lunch and a hardy dinner packed full of carbs. These (unused) carbs could then lead to that muffin top you hate so much (see #3)
- Eating Carbs Late At Night – I was always taught it’s all about the calories (not the carbs). However, research has shown time and time again that a hormone known as leptin controls your body’s ability to store fat. Leptin does’t release when there’s high amounts of carb overload. This leads to resistance. This resistance over time inhibits your body from releasing fat (source).
- Not Drinking Enough Water – Are you hungry or are you thirsty? You could be consuming 20 – 30 % more calories then your body needs just based on thirst! Fitness Tip: Drink water before you reach for food!
- Eating Too Much Soy – If you love your soy then it’s time you rethink your diet! It’s a well known fact that Body Builders won’t touch soy! Why? Soy is a precursor to estrogen. Increased estrogen levels lead to excess body fat. In men, this can show up as “man boobs” and excess weight on their hips and other areas where men don’t usually store fat. On women, it stores in the hips and lower abdominal area. Do you need any more reasons NOT to eat soy?
- Forgetting Your Protein – There’s so much attention on portion size and calorie intake that people forget that they need a certain amount of protein to maintain the muscle on their body! Muscle is the fountain of youth! It burns calories without you even moving! Take care of it and it will take care of you, your weight, and your energy. Fitness Tip: You can figure out how much protein you need by dividing you weight by 2.2. That’s a good estimation for an active person.
- Avoiding Cardio – Cardio isn’t just to burn fat and lean up. The real reason you’re supposed to do cardio is to strengthen your heart! A strong heart leads to proper circulation and energy. People who do cardio 4 -5 times a week are more active in their everyday life. They burn more calories and have more energy then those who don’t.
- Not Minding Your Carbs – You can work out till your blue in the face, watch your calories, and still be stuck with a budha belly. Too many carbs can cause leptin problems, blood sugar spikes and loads of frustration. As a general rule. I tell clients to put the most carbs before and after your workout. Then shoot for 125 – 150 of grams per day with one cheat day that has more carbohydrates.
Hopefully this article has been an eye opener. Stop sabotaging your diet and health and end the frustration. Use these 8 tips to help you on your way to healthier body!
Adria Ali
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