Those awkward moves are only for your bathroom mirror to bear as you try to fit into them.
#The struggle is real.
Thankfully it’s not you, its your dryer 🙂
Now lets move on the real reasons “You”are not losing those pesky kilos despite doing everything right according to you. These are the reasons which personally affect me and most of the times, despite knowing about them…..I still do. After all that makes me a human :).
So let’s delve into them…..
 1. SLEEP
I cannot stress enough on the importance of sleep. Now actual studies have emerged which show what havoc the lack of sleep does to our body. You feel groggy, tired and mentally absent if you don’t sleep the previous night. That is an external affect. Imagine how the lack of sleep affects us internally.
We all know that our body repairs itself while we sleep. So even if you are working out enthusiastically, but not giving enough time to your body to heal, you will not see the desired results.
While yes, you might be able to function on a 4-hour sleep routine ,regularly, it is not healthy and a disastrous emergency waiting to happen.
The days I am sleep deprived I make horrible choices all over. More caffeine and more sugar to keep the body going.
Lack of sleep messes with your brain leading to junk choices and binge eating. So give the brain the nutrition it needs….SLEEP.
Bring the bed back.!!!!
2. AGE
Before you start screaming at me, this has nothing to do with the numerical value.
Often times we try to follow the diet/workout routine of some fab instagrammer/ youtuber/blogger.
There is nothing wrong with that.
What’s wrong is that you might be following someone whose lifestyle is completely different from yours and expecting the same results on your body.
I have been there.
Compare…..Me, In my 30’s, with kids, not on a special diet, average person.
Following…..A 20- something old…. not married…..no kids….college student, on a restricted diet, aiming to enter the swim suit competition.
What do you think was the result.
disappointment. Ending in a much lower self-esteem and throwing the hard lost pounds back on the waist or was it belly or was it my arm….Oh well….Every where
Now before you all tell me, how dumb can I be to do something like that. I already know 🙂
But let’s be honest. Those ripped bodies and fancy, colorful plates do attract you but learn the lesson from me that do a bit of research before starting on a journey which looks attractive but is so not you. Stick to what you know is best for your body and believe in yourself. Trust in the slow gradual system of letting go of the extra you.
3. BUT IT’S HEALTHY SO I CAN EAT AS MUCH AS I WANT…..RIGHT?
WRONG!!!!
Just because something is healthy, does not mean you can start stuffing your mouth with it.
The food industry is getting smarter by the day. On my last visit to the grocery store, I saw a bar labelled “Guilt Free”.
Well “Hello”, it was a whopping 200 calorie bar but since it was gluten-free, dairy free, organic, natural and labelled “Guilt Free” I could see how it was being randomly picked up and shoved into the mouths, mindlessly.
So remember the rule, everything in moderation.
Anything, no matter how healthy, when taken in large amounts, adds inches. That holds true for fruits and nuts too. I’m Sorry!
Measure out and portion your snacks.
4. EATING OUT OFTEN
Let’s face it. We are all busy. Sometime too busy to cook food and in that case the best option is eating out.
Fancy restaurants, drive-thrus, home delivery, pre-packaged dinners………all the same. When we enjoy these options for special occasions, weekends, treats, celebrations etc. its fine, but making them a ritual is when things go wrong.
Often the food at fast food chains has additives, the main reason we crave more of it. It is not only high in calories but the nutritional value is lower too. You pick up the food via a drive-thru and by the time you get home you have already munched on half of the fries.
Other main problem is portion size. The average portion sizes has increased over the years. So yes while you might just be eating a burger or a wrap but unknowingly you will be consuming more calories than you should be and then wondering why you are not dropping the weight.
5. DRINKING CALORIES
With the latest juices and smoothies trend, a lot of people are turning to juices. While healthy and good in moderation, in excess leads to spike in the sugar level which in turn actually make your more hungry leading to mindless eating ending in weight gain.
And not to forget about those specialty coffees concoctions from major coffee chains which at times are more than 600 calories each.
Ouch!
It’s literally like drinking your meal with a straw.
This is a major pitfall for a lot of people, because in your mind it’s just coffee or smoothie or juice but in reality its empty calories.
Hydrate yourself with water. This is something I’ve started doing recently too. Unfortunately I don’t drink a lot of water which leads to dehydration. Dehydration leads to a slower metabolism which makes it hard to lose weight.
For me it was an eye opener to realize that dehydration is a major source of muscle cramps and headaches which I am very much prone to. For now, I have put reminders on my phone to drink more water till I actually develop this habit.
6. STRESS
This in my opinion is the biggest culprit.
Studies have now proved that Stress can lead to weight gain.
Stress is the main reason for weight gain especially in women and especially around the belly area.
You go on a vacation. Relaxed, happy. Well-rested. You eat more than you normally do and when you come back you realize that you haven’t gained a single pound.
How?
When our bodies our well rested and calm, our hormones are balanced. There is lesser unnecessary cravings and your appetite too remains in your control.
Today everyone is dealing with some kind of stress. Learn how to manage it rather than give in to it. Yes, there will be bad days, but learn the tools how to navigate yourself around them.
If stress seems to be controlling your life, first and foremost see a doctor. Make sure that there isn’t an underlying factor leading to your problems and when stress does occur, turn to activities and foods which will help you calm down.
7. STARVING or RESTRICTING
You need to eat breakfast! You need to eat real food!
That being said I don’t mean a huge feast but something decent which comes in the category of food.
I just don’t understand the latest diet trends telling people to starve themselves till mid-morning.
Our bodies our most active an hour or two after waking up. If you don’t give it the necessary fuel how do you expect it to function well. Yes, you might suppress your appetite for a while and you might end up losing a few kilos here and there but what will happen in the long run?
Same goes for all those restrictive diets. You go online and its impressive to see how people have dropped 30- 40 even 50 pounds in just six months or so but have you seen those people later, in like 2 years?? For most of them, they gain more than they lose.
