One of the evergreen themes on social media has been weight loss. People like to post images of workouts, healthy recipes, and foods that they are cooking or eating. However, this can also promote negative body image issues by making some people feel self-conscious about looking good, having a chiseled body or toned abs. In the attempt to reach these goals, they are misguided by diet fads and misinformation that can cause more harm than good, said Rohit Shelatkar, fitness and nutrition expert and VP at Vitabiotics.
Losing weight requires the right amount of foods packed with all essential nutrients, the correct form of exercise, good sleep, and most importantly, the consciousness to actually commit to being fit and looking fit, he told indianexpress.com.
Below, he listed the five common mistakes people tend to make while on their fitness journey:
Focusing on cardio and ignoring strength training: Some exercise is better than no exercise at all. But if your cardio workout is not showing any result despite watching your diet and leading an overall healthy lifestyle, it may be due to a lack of strength training. This misconception is quite common among women who think lifting weights will bulk them. On the contrary, resistance training or strength training will not only help build muscles but also boost your metabolism and promote belly fat loss. Weight loss is just an added bonus. One should combine cardio and resistance training for the best results.
Skipping meals: This is a common mistake. Many people skip meals in order to consume fewer calories. Not only are you losing out on essential nutritional intake, but your metabolism also slows down drastically, sending your body into survival mode. This actually makes it harder to lose weight and may even cause weight gain in the short term. One should consume 4-5 small/controlled portions through day which packed with nutrients. If one feels hungry, switch to healthier options like dry fruits, yogurt, and makhanas, he shared.
Not consuming enough protein: Getting enough protein is extremely important if youre trying to lose weight. Protein has been shown to help with weight loss in several ways. It can reduce appetite, increase feelings of fullness, decrease calorie intake, increase metabolic rate, and protect muscle mass during weight loss. Hence, high-protein food is recommended in weight-loss diets to make it more effective. Foods like paneer, chicken, eggs are great sources of protein. People with a plant-based diet can opt for lentils, chickpeas, peanuts quinoa, and soy-based products like tofu and tempeh.
Drinking sugar: Most people exercising diet control remove soft drinks and other sweetened beverages to lose weight. However, they still continue to take packaged drinking fruit juice. Even 100 per cent fruit juice is loaded with sugar and may lead to health and weight problems similar to those caused by sugar-sweetened beverages. One should instead consume 4-5 litres of water. You can add lemon or mint leaves to give it a different flavour. Unsweetened green tea is another suitable alternative, he shared.
Not getting enough sleep: Sleep deprivation can lead to a reduction of leptin (the fullness hormone) while boosting the production of ghrelin (the hunger hormone). As a result, when one is up late night or binge-watching one tends to always feel hungry. Besides, the less sleep one is getting, the more one craves high-fat and high-carb foods. Make sure to get enough sleep. Adults should get at least seven-nine hours of sleep in order to stay healthy.
While you may lose weight in the short term by certain quick-fix methods, like following a fad diet, sustained weight loss is a journey and must be seen more as a quest for good health, he concluded.
Continued here:
Five common mistakes people make while trying to lose weight - The Indian Express
