Pitfalls to avoid for weight loss

Lack of intensity is one of the biggest traits when you struggle to lose weight but even if you're motivated and consistent with training and diet you might need to look at other factors that might be hindering your progress. This post is a little long but hopefully, if you read it you'll get a better insight into what you should be doing.

Don't eliminate fat - This might sound strange as fat contains more calories per gram than protein and carbs but you have to look at what type of fat. Yes, get rid of trans-fat, they will ultimately make you sick and kill you but if you swap the 'whole fat' version of dairy products for 'fat-free' you will lose valuable nutrients and flavour which will be replaced with hidden sweeteners to re-flavour. You also need a decent amount of good fat to help your cells become more sensitive to insulin which is necessary for good metabolism and energy production.

Eliminate stress and inflammation and sleep more - Take at least 2 liters of water a day and an adequate amount of fiber to lower your cortisol (stress hormone) levels. Chronically high levels are associated with higher body fat, especially around your belly. Also, if you don't sleep, and I mean a good night's sleep, nothing happens overnight. No repair, no re-building, no reducing of inflammation, etc.

Fix your gut health - tied in with above, eating plenty of probiotic foods will help you lose fat, have more energy and generally feel better. probiotics are tiny bacteria that occur in the gastrointestinal tract (GI). If your gut isn't healthy, your production of neurotransmitters is negatively affected, leading to poor cognitive function, low mood, depression and little motivation. A healthy gut improves digestion, gives you more energy and fires your metabolism. You also absorb all the nutrients from your food.

Eat your first meal with protein - No breakfast cereal! cereal is packed with processed carbs and refined, or added sugar and tends to be low in protein. Opt for protein and healthy fats. Protein helps set up energetic neurotransmitters and keeps blood sugar steady. It, along with good fats will prime the chemicals that send messages from the brain to your muscles and tissues.
Cereals and liquid sugars like orange juice triggers a big insulin response. It also elevates serotonin and you'll end up with low energy and brain fog soon after. hen you reach for caffeine to counter this which raises cortisol causing anxiety and poor energy production.

Don't believe everything you read and see on social media! - This is slightly ironic as I'm writing this for social media but my only agenda is getting you healthy. A lot of information put out there is misrepresented as the writers are often trying to sell you something, whether its a product or service. 6-8 week miracle plans don't set you up for a healthy, quality life and that magic pill or topical cream most certainly will not burn your belly fat!. Also, claiming that running beats resistance training for fat loss is flawed because variables such as how fast you are running, how much weight you are lifting and what rep and set ranges you are doing aren't considered in the statement. It's just a broad sweeping announcement that explains nothing.

Don't trust food labels - They lie, end of. Artificial sweeteners don't have to be classified as sugar on labels. Fat content doesn't tell you what type of fat it is. Do you even know what a polyol is? Stick to whole foods with a decent protein content, plenty of veg and healthy fats and you won't go wrong.

Finally, move! - Everyone should be doing some sort of strength training. It will burn fat, improve insulin sensitivity, glucose uptake and make you stronger. But it doesn't end there. That session takes about an hour in the gym but if you spend the other 23 hours of the day sitting down then your probably overeating for the amount of movement that you actually do. If you look at that person in the gym that has a good body-shape then chances are they move more outside the gym then they do inside it. They definitely burn more calories outside the gym than in.

Move more.
Eat less.
Eat whole foods.
Drink water.
Sleep well.

By doing these you'll notice a big difference.