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Most people make the same dieting mistakes over and over, not recognizing them until someone else points it out. If you’ve been yo-yo dieting for years now, now is the time to correct those mistakes. Here’s how.
Don’t Skip Breakfast
When you’re hungry, you should eat. But, many people skip breakfast when they’re hungry and only eat when they’re famished. Big mistake. Skipping a meal like this can send your blood sugar into a tizzy. So, if you stop eating at 5PM or 6PM at night, make sure you’re eating breakfast.
Skip Breakfast
Wait. What? You thought you were supposed to eat breakfast? Yes, you are, unless you’re a late-night eater. Some new research confirms that late-night binging can pack on the pounds. But, in the study, researchers found that sticking to an 8-hour eating window was more important than the actual time of the meal.
So, if you like to eat dinner at 8PM, make sure you’re skipping breakfast and use lunch as your first meal of the day (at noon). Of course, you can shift your eating window to an 8AM to 4PM “window.†Just make sure you’re consistent, whatever you do.
If you’re on the fence about which is better for you, use a LifeScan blood glucose meter to test your blood sugar after a meal. Find the “window†that creates the most favorable blood-glucose levels for you, monitor how you feel post-meal, and go from there.
Watch Your Carbs
For some, carbohydrates are the linchpin of a successful diet. Specifically, cutting them down to a more reasonable portion size is key to losing weight. You don’t have to go full Atkins, but reducing dietary intake of carbs until the scale starts moving could be just what you need to lose those excess pounds.
If you want to actually lose weight quickly, you might consider eliminating carbs all together and do the Dukan Diet. I lost 18 pounds in 8 weeks on The Dukan Diet! Read more about that here.
Include Multiple Types Of Exercise
Most people only do one type of exercise: aerobics. And, while running is certainly one way to ramp up your metabolism, it’s not the only way. In fact, it can be quite inefficient. Weightlifting, on the other hand, burns through glycogen stores very quickly, because you have to expend a lot of energy moving heavy weights, and that’s the key. You have to move heavy (for you) weights to burn up energy (and fat).
A good program, like Starting Strength, will get you going with easy-to-learn moves that you can do in almost any gym.
As for the cardio, switch it up a bit. Try walking with a weight-vest on, try walking, try running, try swimming or rowing. Get off the stairmaster and actually climb a flight of stairs. Go hiking in the woods, or get a bike.
Use the seasons to guide you. In the winter, go ice skating or skiing. In the summer, take up boating (rowing). The sky’s the limit. You can do this.
Theresa Nelson is a health club worker of many years. She likes to help others get healthy at work and by writing online. You can find her helpful and informative articles mostly on lifestyle, health and fitness websites and blogs.