So this is a question I have asked myself A LOT over the years and I’ve done some research into WHY that is. If you want to be more fit, read the top 5 things that are preventing you from losing weight.
1) Skipping meals is making you fat
When we miss meals our bodies think we are starving! When our bodies are starving, it releases a hormone called Cortisol, which makes our bodies build fat around our midsection. Fat is what our bodies survive off of when we are starving, so this biologically makes sense. Eating 3 meals and two snacks a day is the perfect ratio for your body’s metabolism.
2) You are not eating often enough to lose weight
That’s right, I said it, eat more often! Every 2.5-3 hours helps remind our bodies that it is getting fueled so that it doesn’t go into starvation mode. This is actually more difficult that it sounds, so what I like to do is set a reminder in my phone. Eating more frequently (even up to every 3.5 hours) doesn’t let us get into that “i’m starving–feed me everything and the kitchen sink” mode.
3) You have no idea what you are eating
I don’t remember what shirt I wore yesterday unless I look in the hamper, how on earth can you remember what you ate? When I first started doing this, I thought, oh i’m good, I don’t eat that badly. When I added it up? Most days I was 200-300 over where I need to be to lose weight! Do you know why? My Portion size was too big! So even though I was eating healthy, I was simply eating too much. By simply over eating 100 calories a day for a year could make you gain between 10-20 lbs!
4) You don’t have a clear goal written down
If you want to make it happen, take out a pen and a paper and write that stuff down! Post it where you will see it every day. Tell someone about your goals so that it will make you accountable! Make sure you have people in your corner to cheer you on! Weight loss is a journey!
5) You make excuses
Now we all saw that picture that was viral with the mom of three, asking you what your excuse was. But seriously, when I had no kids, I thought I had no time, then I had one kid, and two kids, and now I have three kids and I have no time. But now? I make time. I spend half an hour less on facebook (which pains me), or I watch one less show. I want you to stop saying my genetics make me fat. NO!! Your genetics set the stage! YOU pull the trigger on what happens with your diet and your active lifestyle. I want you to schedule your workouts like they were meetings, and you are the boss. You know what bosses never do? THEY DON’T CANCEL. Stop cancelling on yourself.
The bottom line
There you have it folks, there is no secret to losing weight. It is basic math, you burn more calories than you consume! BUT we have so many things attached to eating that it has moved from fueling our bodies to a social event! Think about it, when you go out with your friends, it’s usually to a place to eat or drink. When you want to celebrate something what do you do? EAT! We need to start changing the way we reward our kids when they do well at things, or to make them feel better. We have created a society that is food-centric! And not salad-centric, Fat Food-centric. Start by making sure you have a support system to help you! If you don’t have one, GET ONE! Start by making small changes, even by cutting out 100 calories each day. I know you can do this! You’ve got this. Remember, you’re the boss of your life, and you can do this!