5 Things That Can Destroy Your Weight Loss Efforts

Running around with an endless list of “to-dos,” eating unhealthy, stressed-out and certain you are the busiest person you know…is this you?

Reality check: welcome to the club, everyone is busy. But that is not a reason to let your health go downhill or give up on losing weight.

By addressing these 5 Things That Can Destroy Your Weight Loss, you can keep striving toward a leaner you and a healthier lifestyle.

Skipping Meals – You’re busy and you need to make more time, which means not eating breakfast…Bad idea!

Missing meals can increase lethargy—that worn-out feeling you get during the day that inhibits your ability to complete all of your daily tasks—let alone add in a work out. It can also cause you to gorge later and overeat.

Solution: Eat at least four times per day to keep your energy level at a nice even keel. Try keeping some granola bars and snacks stashed in your car, desk, purse, etc. Staying “fueled-up” with healthy meals and snacks supports the peak performance of both your body and mind. This will help you to regulate your energy and avoid overeating due to insatiable hunger.

Lack of Sleep – Time is not on your side; your mind is reeling and it’s difficult to fall asleep. It’s even worse when you get into bed later than you hoped, right?

Solution: Limit your caffeine intake and avoid it all together in the evening. Give yourself 30 minutes to wind-down and relax with a book or some herbal tea each night. You will thank yourself in the morning.

Enablers – They hide in the shadows, behind corners with burgers, pizza and beer clutched in claws. They are everywhere and ready to suck you into their excuse-fest that allows them and their cronies to eat, drink, be merry…and gain weight.

Solution: Don’t give-in to peer-pressure. In fact, be a leader and help those around you by encouraging healthy habits. Create a common goal or competition to see who can keep-off or lose the most weight.

Neglecting Exercise – Life is stressful enough; don’t leave-out one of the best stress-reducers available.

Solution: Make time for high intensity workouts that you can blast-out in 20 or 30 minutes. There are many group classes  that leave you feeling great about your workout, while using up only minutes of your day. Interval training on a piece of cardio equipment or doing circuit training are time efficient ways to blast away calories.

Overeating – Let’s face it, you, me and the rest of the country face bountiful amounts of rich pastries, meats, cheeses and libations which all lead to inevitable temptations at parties. You are particularly susceptible on your busiest days, the weekends and when you skip meals and your appetite gets out of control…so pretty much all of the time.

Solution: Portion control, portion control…and did I mention portion control?! Have fun, enjoy the festivities and your weekends, but be aware of the overwhelming amount of food and drink that confronts you when you leave your house to dine and drink. Remember that sweet drinks and cocktails with mixers, like margaritas, are incredibly high in calories—as many as 600 calories per drink! Your busiest days are likely not a surprise. A day of work or school followed by grocery shopping and soccer can lead to bad choices. So plan ahead.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!