Everybody knows that shedding off even a few extra pounds is a challenging process that takes real effort and commitment, or results will probably be disappointing. If you have tried dieting already for a while, but don’t seem to make much progress, you may be doing something wrong, either in your diet or your exercise. Since we have already mentioned in a previous article why you may not get results from your workouts, here are some reasons why your weight loss diet simply doesn’t work as expected:
You consume too little or too many calories. This is the most common reason people struggle to lose weight from their diets. The problem with too many calories is more than obvious--you will simply gain weight instead of losing it, no matter how “healthy” the foods you eat seem to be. And the issue with too little calories is that your system will starve yourself and you will have sudden cravings of fattening food and hunger episodes, as your body tries to counteract this starvation mode. The exact amount of calories you consume depend on your existing weight, height, and the amount of fat or weight you want to lose. Since the average woman requires around 2000 calories daily (according to official resources), in order to lose weight, you have to consume around 30-50% fewer calories than the ones your body needs. In most cases, that would be 1000-1500 calories. Anything more or less than that is a recipe for disaster.
You only buy products with low-fat and “light” labels. Another common mistake people do is buying products that are labeled as “low-fat” and “light”. The problem though with these products is that they are often loaded with salt, sugars, and other bad stuff (minus the fat) that makes them taste better so you can pleasantly eat them, but in reality, they are not as healthy and lean as you may think. What you should do instead is read all ingredients carefully and avoid anything that seems to have a high amount of sodium, sugar, or sneaky preservatives that boost appetite, no matter how “light” it claims to be. Going for fresh and wholesome foods e.g kale or avocados is a much better option compared to buy ready-made products with “low-fat” labels.
You put salad dressings and sauces on everything. Nobody likes dry food, however, putting rich sauces and dressings over everything will skyrocket your calorie intake before you can realize it. Think that a single Caesar salad dressing of 2-3 tbsps is a whopping 190 calories alone. Sauces and dressings with high amounts of vegetable fat and dairy are big no-nos when it comes to weight loss. If you still want to enjoy saucy and moistful foods without wondering about calories and fat, here are some good suggestions: homemade tomato sauce with basil and only one 1 tbsp of olive oil, homemade pesto sauce, hot sauce, and of course, good old lemon juice and herbs.
You don’t pay attention to what you drink. While the solid food you eat every day makes 70-80% of your diet, the things you choose to drink also matter when it comes to losing weight. By drinking fizzy drinks, sweetened iced teas, and even fruity smoothies and juices all the time, you aren’t doing yourself any favors. What you should do instead is to choose low-calorie and healthy drinks that will keep your body hydrated, minus the sugar, carbs, and calories. Some good suggestions: water, pure cocoa mixed with plain hot water, dark coffee (in moderate amounts) and unsweetened herbal tea.