Don’t Destroy Your Weight Loss Diet Plan
All the good work that you’ve done with your weight loss diet plan can be put back several steps when you give in to cravings for unhealthy, high calorie foods. Cravings can be caused when your blood sugar is low or when your emotions are running high. For example, if you have a bad day at work, you may find yourself craving sweets, chocolate or ice cream.
But don’t worry, there are ways to keep your diet plan on track when the cravings hit. Here are 5 weight loss blunders that can ruin your weight loss diet plan and how to beat them.
The 5 Biggest Weight Loss Diet Plan Blunders
1. Not Being Prepared
One of the most common causes for cravings is low blood sugar. It’s caused by eating a food high in sugar. Your blood sugar spikes and then an hour later it’s back at rock bottom so you reach for more sweet foods. To keep your weight loss diet plan on track and combat low blood sugar always keep a healthy snack handy. It could be in your bag, your desk drawer at work or your car. Good snacks include nuts, rice crackers, vegetables, fruit, or seeds. Natural snack bars are also a good option but make sure the bar doesn’t have any added sugar.
2. Not Enough Protein In Your Diet
Protein helps you stay full longer and it’s a great way to balance your blood sugar level and keep your metabolism steady. Unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body does not store protein so it can only be obtained from food, so ensure you eat lean protein foods like fish (especially salmon), chicken and turkey (white meat) , eggs, dairy products such as low-fat cheese, milk and yogurt and beans, peas and lentils. You can also supplement your protein intake with whey protein powder.
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3. Becoming Dehydrated
We often misinterpret the signals our body is sending us and although we may think we’re hungry, we are, in fact actually dehydrated. The sensation of hunger and thirst are very similar and you may just need to hydrate your body. Drinking water can help you to feel fewer hunger pangs, so you’ll eat less and that will help your weight loss diet plan. Water is one of the few drinks that has no preservatives, no sodium, and no calories. You can drink plenty of it without adding to your caloric intake.
4. You’re Too Stressed
When we are stressed it’s much more difficult to manage depression, fear, and even anger and frustration. These are the emotions that lead to emotional eating which can really set back your weight loss plan. Take a B-Complex vitamin, get plenty of rest and consider adopting some stress management techniques. Take a good look at your life and decide which things you can cause stressful situations. Learn to cut out what you can and delegate what you can to lighten your load. Find a hobby or form of relaxation that allows you to forget the troubles for just a time.
5. You’re Too Hard On Yourself
Setbacks are something that almost everyone experiences when trying to lose weight. When you do experience a setback, accept it, strive to improve going forward and then move on. Also, your food plan for weight loss doesn’t mean cutting out all your favourite treats. You can still enjoy a treat in moderation and lose weight. For example, if your favourite food is chocolate then, as part of your weight loss plan, allow yourself have a small bit of chocolate each day or on a Friday after you have finished work.
How To Monitor Your Weight Loss Diet Plan
Take a hard look at your diet and workout plan as well as your calorie-tracking system to ensure everything is on the right track. Take advantage of apps like My Food Diary. This highly-acclaimed food database contains over 100,000 foods to improve your diet and the exercise log can calculate calories burned for over 700 activities to help you achieve your weight loss goal.