When it comes to weight loss everyone wants a quick fix, but in doing so people tend to pick up some not-so-healthy habits in order to shed kilos fast. What works for some, might not work for others, but at the end of the day what you really need is a plan that is sustainable and will help to keep the weight off long term. Say goodbye to the diet gimmicks and diet pills, and make sure you avoid these seven things during your slim-down journey. Because as it goes, slow and steady wins the race. Always.
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Eat less than 1200 Calories
It might often feel like calories are the enemy, making you feel guilty for eating a bit extra at the dinner table, but it's impossible to survive without them. As a general rule if you're looking to lose weight you should consume between 1400 to 1800 calories, and never drop below 1200. Why is that? Because it's bad, very bad.
No seriously. Not only do you get shortchanged on important nutrients and minerals, but your body eventually kicks into the flight or fight stress response, breaking down muscle to help fuel the body with glucose to maintain a steady blood sugar. Eventually your body wears out and slows down your metabolic and heart to compensate. You'll feel listless and less likely have the energy to do much at all.
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Weigh each day
Firstly, you need to realise you're more than just a number. There's a crazy obsession that comes from weighing in each day, and for some, multiple times. But it's not healthy, and will definitely not help you lose weight any quicker.
Your weight can fluctuate at different times of the day and can be dependent on whether you've eaten certain foods of drunk lots of water. It also doesn't tell the whole story. The number you see isn't just the amount of fat you have, it also takes into account bone density, muscle mass and the weight of your organs.
If you're trying to lose weight it's best to pick a certain time each week like Monday morning and weigh in the same time the following weeks. That way you won't be disappointed if you haven't lost a kilo in a day, and less likely to create unrealistic expectations.
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Take diet pills
So you're looking to the little pills to help you lose weight, but do they actually work? It's very unlikely. Whether they're store bought or prescribed, there just isn't enough evidence to suggest that they follow through with the promise to shed kilos, not to mention we think they're incredibly unsafe.
Most of these so called diet pills are loaded with caffeine and other diuretics that leave you dehydrated, tired and cause your electrolytes to be imbalanced. So just forget these and stick to losing weight the healthy way, with regular exercise and good food choices.
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Ditch the weights
Weights often get a bad rap as making you "bulky", but this is so untrue. In fact, it's actually the opposite. Doing weight exercises, consisting of low weights and high reps can actually aid weight loss. This is because muscles burns away fat. If you're working out three to five times a week make sure you're at least getting in one full session with the weight room. Or trying doing this dumbbell circuit workout to melt fat and build muscle, quick smart.
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Do too much cardio
OK, so there is such a thing as too much cardio. Don't get us wrong, regular cardio sessions are as important to weight loss as it is to your health, but you don't want to overdo it. Too much cardio can lead to injury and burn muscle instead of fat. Don't do more than 60 minutes five times a week, and try mixing it up with strength training and interval training.
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Smoke it away
People often think that smoking is going to help them lose weight, and while the nicotine might suppress appetite here and there, the harm that cigarettes do to your body most definitely out weighs this. If you feel like you're just ravenous all the time, try eating foods that are low GI and contain lots of fibre like nuts, seeds and yoghurt. These are they healthy ways to help with satiety.
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Go on a juice cleanse
Don't get us wrong, we think fresh juices are great. But going on a week long juice cleanse to lose weight is a big no, no. Why? It's hard to measure how much calories you're getting in each glass, so you could be getting anywhere from 100 to 300 calories, which isn't much at all. When you're just drinking juice you're also missing out on some very important nutrients that unfortunately that cucumber and spinach just can't give.
