Top Reasons Why Your Diet Isn’t Working

You feel like you’re doing everything right. You’ve dropped your nightly cake habit. You’ve refilled your cupboards with all-natural food. You’re counting the number of almonds you’re consuming. You’ve taken to eating sticks of celery for lunch. But why is your diet not working?

There could be many reasons why you’re not getting the results you want. Let’s go back to the top of your diet and find out where exactly you’re getting it wrong.

1. You’re not eating enough.

We’re not going to lie: eating less or not eating at all will lead to tremendous and hasty weight loss, but it will also lead to tremendous and hasty health detriments. Not only will skipping meals and starving yourself cause hunger pangs, fatigue, and ulcers, it will also trigger your metabolic rate to go haywire.

A yo-yo diet is one of the adverse consequences of food deprivation. When people lose weight by not eating, they gain a false sense of assurance that hunger is effective. The lack of nutrition will trigger your body to go on survival mode: slowing down the metabolic rate so you exert less energy. 

By the time you eat again—and you’ll probably over-eat because you’re starving. Your metabolism has already conked-out and is working at a sluggish pace. This can lead to a horrendous spiral of unhealthiness.

2. You’re eating too much.

The math is simple: if you consume more calories than you expend, you’re bound to gain weight. This is the entire premise of weight gain and loss. Many people believe that it’s not about the quantity of food you consume, but the quality. This is true: replacing carrot sticks with French fries, for example, will likely lead to better eating habits. However, it is also wrong to believe that you can have the license to eat 10,000 calories just because you’re consuming fruits and vegetables. Grapes and figs, for example, have extremely high sugar content. 

3. You don’t understand what you’re eating.

Just like we mentioned above, people assume they get a free pass to indulge on food just because they’re noshing on fruits and vegetables. Yes, you can probably have more slices of apple than apple pie, but proceed with caution when it comes to food disguising themselves as better alternatives. This can be one of the leading factors as to why your diet isn't working. 

Studies have shown that people who get into the health-food craze are oversold by products with a “health halo,” or items that are marketed as better for you. Some examples are store-bought veggie chips, dried fruit, and granola, which can contain just as much oil and sugar as the bad stuff you’re trying to avoid. Moreover, shiny promises of diet products like all-natural, organic, fat-free tend to entice weight watchers into eating more. However, reading the fine print would reveal that companies overcompensate on other, not-so-nice ingredients to pick up the slack.

4.You lack sleep.

When you lack sleep, you lack energy, and when you lack energy, what are you going to do? Grab a doughnut. Sip an energy drink. Sugar will give you the energy you crave, but a very fleeting one, which will cause you to grab another candy bar just to cope and last throughout the day.

Lack of sleep has also been linked to obesity in adults and children. When it comes to appetite, there are two hormones at play during sleep: ghrelin, which tells the brain that the stomach is hungry; and leptin, which tells the brain it’s full. Without adequate sleep, the body produces more ghrelin and less leptin, thus making you feel hungrier.

5. You need to change your perspective.

More often than not, dieters want quick results without comprehending that losing weight the healthy way takes time, patience, effort, and consistency. Wanting a nippy fix will drive you towards poor eating habits and crash diets. Before proceeding towards a lifestyle of fitness, make sure your body and mind are wholeheartedly up for it.  

6. You’re following trendy but questionable diets.

Trends come and go. But with dieting, it’s the reverse—weight goes away then comes back. There’s Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, Cohen, Keto. When the detox fad took over, people resorted to drinking their calories instead of eating them. 

The problem is, these diets cut off whole categories of food, which is neither nourishing nor sustainable. If you must subscribe to a menu plan, make sure it’s wholesome and ticks off all the nutrients your body needs. It’s possible! At BodySlims, we can also guide you on eating better, healthier as you start on your food journey with us. And we promise that we won’t leave you feeling deprived!

7. You’re not drinking enough water.

Imagine you’re in a tight-fitting dress. You look gorgeous, curves in all the right places. To maintain this illusion, you take measured sips of water to avoid the dreaded water weight. You’ll look good in the meantime, yes, but the problem is dehydration actually contributes to weight gain.

The human body is practically 70% water and water is much required to perform bodily functions, including metabolic maintenance. According to clinical nutritionist Dr. Lovneet Batra in an article for Health Shots, when the body is deprived of water, the hormones break down and instead of sending thirst signals, it transmits hunger signals. 

8. You’re too focused on your weight.

Perhaps try to think of this journey as a road to overall fitness instead of just weight loss. Many people are too focused on the kilos and just the kilos, without realising that they’re opting for unsavoury practices just to move the dial counter clockwise. 

Remember that there’s never one method to measuring health; the scale is just one way. Another thing to bear in mind? You want to lose fat, not weight. If you’re exercising more, you might gain a few pounds as your fat turns to muscle.

9. You’re forgetting your body type.

We can all lose the same amount of fat and carry the same weight, but we won’t all suddenly look like supermodels. When composing health goals, it’s important to look inwards at yourself and not compare to others.

Moreover, there are certain medical conditions like thyroidism, sleep apnea, and other hormonal disorders that can affect weight.

10. What you’re doing is not sustainable.

Crash diets aren’t sustainable. Over exercising isn’t sustainable. Food restrictive diets aren’t sustainable. Fitness is a lifestyle—and it’s something you do for the long term, so you need a plan that you can and you are willing to maintain. Look at fitness comprehensively—you need to train your mind and your body to commit. You need to be willing to eat well and work hard.

It’s time to lose weight the right way!

Losing weight and getting fit are not easy tasks. Moreover, there’s so much information out there that can confuse you. Let’s not forget the amount of pressure that comes with needing to look good. You’re going to need help.

At BodySlims, our inspiring programmes, complete with motivational talks, community chats, and live coaching, are what you need to put you on a holistic path to health. The difference with BodySlims lies in our own understanding that being fit isn’t just about the body. It’s about the mind, too.

Do you finally want to try something that works? Trust our success stories and enrol now in BodySlims!

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