exercise routine on a permanent basis can be a formidable
challenge and the level of bad information floating around
does not make it any easier for you. On the TV you see
weight loss pills, plans and programs endorsed by your
favourite celebrity or backed by "new ground breaking
research". In the supermarket you see low fat, low sugar
and low calorie foods often accompanied by similar
recommendations. So how do you know what to choose?
Whilst I cannot make any specific product recommendations,
in this article I will outline six things that you should
avoid as part of a weight loss plan.
1) FAD DIETS:- Fad diets are a perfect example of what I
discussed above. You will regularly see celebrities
promoting a fad diet with claims such as "I lost 14lb in 1
week whilst on this diet". What's more is that these
claims are often true. Yes, fad diets can lead to
significant weight loss in small periods of time. So
what's the catch and why should they be avoided?
Well whilst fad diets work in the short term they often
pose significant risks to your health in the long term
because they require you to stick to certain foods and
therefore make you miss out on the full nutritional
benefits of a balanced diet. Plus, the weight lost on a
fad diet often goes straight back on as soon as you come
off the diet.
2) UNHEALTHY FOODS:- I know this is a very broad term but
you need to avoid unhealthy foods and eat more healthy
foods if you want to lose weight in the long term.
Unhealthy foods include; highly processed foods, foods that
are high in fat, foods that are high in sugar, foods that
are high in calories and foods that contain little or no
nutritional value. Even some food products that claim to
be low in fat or low in sugar can still be high in calories
so you need to be careful not to read these claims and
instantly assume the foods are healthy. If you look at all
the nutritional information on the food's packaging you can
usually tell whether the food is healthy or not.
3) WEIGHT LOSS PILLS AND PATCHES:- Weight loss pills and
patches are another example of products that are often
heavily endorsed or backed by research. However, the truth
is that the majority of these products have a very moderate
effect on your weight loss and without a proper diet and
exercise plan you will barely notice the impact of weight
loss pills or patches. In my opinion a gym membership or
some healthy food is a much wiser investment than weight
loss pills or patches.
4) ARTIFICIAL PRESERVATIVES AND SWEETENERS:- These can
include; aspartame, saccharin and stevia. Although they
help make foods last for longer and often improve their
flavour, they can also be toxic and hinder your weight loss
efforts.
5) SODIUM RICH FOODS:- It is quite well publicised that
sodium (salt) is bad for your health. Sodium can also make
you retain excess water making you seem heavier than you
actually are. Therefore, if you want to lose weight and
improve your health you should keep your sodium intake to a
bare minimum.
6) NEGATIVE THINKING:- Negative thinking can be more
damaging to your weight loss efforts than any of the above
factors. If you start thinking about your weight loss plan
in a negative way you are making yourself fail before you
have even begun. Try to look at all the weight loss
dilemmas you encounter in a positive light. For example,
don't think "WHY can't I drop that extra 10lb?" By
thinking in this way you are admitting failure. Instead,
think "HOW can I drop that extra 10lb?" By thinking in
this way you are looking for solutions to your weight loss
dilemma.
Losing weight can be a struggle and the increasing amount
of bad information in the industry does not help matters.
However, with the right tools weight loss is possible. I
hope this article keeps you focussed on your weight loss
goals by identifying some of the obstacles that you need to
avoid.
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The Free Fitness Tips Blog provides you with fantastic,
free advice on all aspects of fitness. For more detailed
information on weight loss please visit
http://blog.freefitnesstips.co.uk/
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