2013

Ever gone on a serious diet only to find that after months of effort you still hadn't lost any weight? This happens to the majority of people when they start trying to lose weight. It's an extremely frustrating experience and can cause a severe drop in motivation. Thankfully, we can help you avoid this by listing the 5 most common reasons why that extra fat just won't go away.

Not Eating Right

Losing weight involves more than just exercise. The most common mistake people make is not eating right. Too often people will assume that they will lose weight by simply using the treadmill a few times a week and continuing to eat unhealthy foods. Try to lower the amount of calories you are consuming by at least 500 below your normal amount. In addition to this, make sure you are getting your calories from healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables and meat.

Not Exercising Enough

On the other hand, weight loss is not usually achieved just by going on a diet and eating healthy foods. You should also be exercising more and forcing your body to burn off extra calories. Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes light exercise a day (this includes walking). Three times a week you should try to fit in at least 45 minutes of medium-high intensity exercise such as jogging or swimming.

Not Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is essential to weight loss. Your body needs time to get rid of all that fat, and it works best at doing this while you're asleep. Lack of sleep also affects your metabolism which in turn makes you more hungry. Try to get at least 7 (aim for 8) hours of sleep a night for maximum weight loss.

Too Many Cheat Meals

Having one or two cheat meals a week is fine if it will help keep you motivated (it often does). However, some people think that a cheat meal a day is OK when it really isn't. Even worse, some people think they can binge on the weekends and "go on a break" from their diet. This is always bad news for your weight loss routine. You need to be consistent with your diet and exercise, and keep cheat meals to a minimum.

You're Starving Yourself

This may seem unintuitive to some, but skipping meals will help to prevent you from losing weight. This is bad for your physical and mental health, and often causes people to consume more calories than they usually would throughout the day (often without realing it). If you feel hungry you should try to eat something small and healthy, such as an apple. Many fitness experts recommend having 6 meals spaced out throughout the day rather than 3 because this helps to prevent you from feeling hungry. This means you are eating more often, but consuming less with each meal.