Most choose to lose weight for either health or other personal reasons. But, because of product endorsers, social media influencers, and celebrities who shed a dramatic amount of weight, more and more people continue to try weight loss strategies that do more harm than good to their bodies.
Why not challenge yourself to restructure your mindset and adhere to practical, safe, proven, and effective weight loss practices to help you achieve your mind and body health goals?
READ: 5 ways to safely exercise and diet amid the summer heat
1. Trying so hard not to eat breakfast despite hunger and an exercise lifestyle
Avoiding breakfast or your first meal, which is the most important meal of the day, can backfire due to:
- Too much hunger: Low blood sugar levels can cause you to eat more than usual without considering the quality and quantity of food
- Without a recovery meal, which should be eaten 30 to 60 minutes after an exercise, the effects of your strength training program can be difficult to achieve
- Hunger in the morning can contribute to more stress in the body since we have the highest cortisol levels in the morning. High levels of stress can significantly contribute to hormonal imbalances, weight gain, and other physical and mental illnesses
How to correct:
- Adjust time-restricted eating (intermittent fasting) to an earlier part of the day
- If you’re not used to having a heavy breakfast, at least have 20 to 30 grams of protein (protein shake and/or meals with eggs, chia seeds, nuts, Greek yogurt, or leftover viands with fibrous carbs such as oatmeal or whole grain bread) after your workout
- If your first meal is at 7 a.m., your last one should be 10 to 12 hours later, between 6 and 8 p.m., and you can sleep between 9 and 11 p.m. Eating within one to two hours upon waking up has also been shown to manage the stress hormone cortisol
READ: What to know about blood sugar spikes, time-restricted eating, and light dinners
2. Doing long workouts that don’t match your lifestyle
Moving is good for your body, but doing too much, especially without proper nutrition and recovery, can lead to overeating, stress, and weight gain. Engaging in several workouts in a day is not only stressful for the body, but it will also consume much of your time and may not be sustainable for a busy person.
How to correct:
- Commit to 45 minutes to one hour of workouts daily to target your fitness concerns
- Exercise at home to avoid wasted time
- Focus on full-body compound workouts that improve functional strength, with a good amount of calorie burn as an added bonus. Think of circuit training or fusion classes (yoga with strength, Pilates with cardio, and strength training with dance)
- Instead of focusing on completing 10,000 steps without reaching a specific heart rate, progress to increasing the pace and elevation
- Emphasize intensity by trying 20- to 45-minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on some days of the week
- Limit your exercise rest periods to 30 to 60 seconds, especially if you don’t lift heavy weights
3. Using weight loss drugs for fast results
Diet pills or weight loss drugs can suppress your appetite, resulting in physical and mental energy drain. Unless prescribed by the doctor due to health issues such as Type 2 diabetes, taking a weight loss drug for vanity reasons can do more harm than good for health and well-being.
Drastic weight loss can disrupt the overall balance in your body and affect your overall immune system, leading to significant stress. Stress hormones also negatively affect other hormones in the body, such as insulin (belly fat gain), thyroid (metabolism), and melatonin (sleep deprivation).
How to correct:
- Choose stress-free foods (whole foods and unprocessed, fibrous, lean protein, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables) that can help balance your hormones while promoting a healthy gut and a strong immune system
- Engage in mood-uplifting workouts such as walking, hiking, running, dancing, or boxing
- Try mind and body awareness activities like tai chi, moving meditation, breathwork, Pilates, and yoga sessions
4. Purchasing healthy food products from healthy food stores
Buying expensive food products as an alternative to junk and ultra-processed foods has become a trending strategy for some people trying to lose weight. However, it can cost a lot of money, and other products may contain sugar, artificial sweeteners, and other unfamiliar ingredients that may cause harm to the body.
How to correct:
- Make your own healthier snack alternatives at home. These can cost less, especially if you buy the ingredients in bulk.
Here are some of my snack and breakfast recipes that can be completed in 15 minutes or less you can try at home:
- Protein pancakes or bread: Combine 1 tbsp. chia seeds, 1 tsp. flaxseed, 1 tbsp. buckwheat flour or oats (regular or gluten-free), 1/2 banana, one egg, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 scoop protein powder, or 1/4 cup milk and cinnamon powder
- High-protein trail mix snack: Mix together walnuts, almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs, and homemade granola (baked oats with honey)
- Air-fried sweet potato: Dip in a homemade hummus or chicken avocado spread
5. Resorting to zero or extremely low-carb diets
Eliminating a particular food group (carbohydrate, protein, or fat), or even restricting intake of fruits and vegetables, can result in fast weight loss due to the body’s water loss, plus calorie restriction. But, these aren’t optional, rather, they’re sources of energy and nutrition our bodies constantly look for.
How to correct:
- Consume more vegetables with each meal
- If you will eat complex carbs, choose high-fiber bread (wheat, whole grain, or multi-grain), rice (brown, red, or black), pasta (whole wheat, or lentil), and soba noodles (buckwheat)
- You can try low-calorie carb rice options like cauliflower, shirataki, or konjac rice, but ensure you combine these rice alternatives with vegetables to get a good amount of fiber
- You can have fruits, but if you are sensitive due to diabetes, insulin resistance, and chronic stress, consume them at the end of your meal and choose fruits with a lower glycemic index, such as avocado and berries
- Always consume your carbs with good-quality proteins such as chicken, seafood, lean meat, eggs, tofu, lentils, nuts, and seeds, and healthy fats such as fatty fish, olive oil, avocado, and nuts and seeds
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