Dieting and Exercising But Not Losing Weight?
There are many people that have dieted and exercised in an attempt to lose weight, but have found their efforts produce no results. This is very discouraging and disheartening. You begin to feel as if you will never be able to realize your goals regardless of the effort you put forth. And once you find yourself believing that, you give up trying. For those of you that find yourself in this situation don’t give up! Your dedication will prevail and your efforts will be rewarded. You may just need to make some adjustments to your diet and your exercise routine.
To lose weight, you must eat right. This doesn’t mean deprive yourself. If you reduce your food intake by too much, your metabolism will slow down. Your body will think it is in danger of starving and begin storing calories as fat. The calories it does burn, will burn slowly. Instead, evaluate your current diet. Be sure to:
•Choose healthier options. Instead of eating white pasta, choose whole grain. Instead of M&M’s for a snack, eat carrots and low fat dip.
•Watch your portion sizes. Make sure you are not eating too much during your meals.
•Pay attention to what you are drinking. You could be adding many additional calories to your daily intake through liquids.
•Plan your meals ahead of time. If you decide in advance what you will eat for meals and snacks in advance, you will be less likely to make poor, impulsive choices.
•Keep a food journal. Writing down everything you eat and drink during the day can help you identify where you could be making mistakes.
The exercise program you currently have may not be enough to promote weight loss. You have to push your body to be rewarded. One of the most common mistakes women make with exercise is not working hard enough. When you are exercising, you should be exerting yourself to a point that is uncomfortable (not painful).
•Make sure you are performing aerobic exercise 3 to 4 days per week.
•You need to include resistance training in your weekly exercise program at least 2 days per week. Muscle increases your resting metabolic rate so you will burn more calories on a daily basis.
•Vary your routine. If you have been doing the same exercise routine without increasing the level of difficulty and without adding or changing exercises, you will plateau. This means you will not lose any more weight because your body has become accustomed to your current routine and adjusted itself accordingly.