You’ve been ruthlessly watching those calories since the beginning of the year and faithfully coming to your workouts here at Overland Park Boot Camp. And although you know you have much more energy and have lost some weight, you haven’t lost as much weight as you’d been expecting to. Well, there could be a good reason for that, according to Jessica Bartfield, MD, a weight management specialist.
Speaking in this week’s Shape magazine, she says slow weight loss could be for one of four reasons – or a combination of all of them:
Counting Calories
It’s best to eat when you’re hungry and choose foods that are filling, says Jessica. She advises the obsession with calories counting just doesn’t work. Instead it’s better to focus your energies on making healthy filling meals such as omelete with roast vegetables at lunch or spaghetti squash with a side salad. Choose cottage cheese and peanut butter for snacks.
Burning Calories
It’s easy to believe you’re burning up more calories through exercise than you actually are. The point of exercise is to get fit and feel good. If you want to use it to lose weight then there are specific exercises you can use. Ask your coach here at Overland Park Boot Camp for ideas.
Poor meal scheduling
That means eating a main meal two hours within going to bed or eating when you’re not actually hungry but just because you believe you have to because it’s 1pm or 6pm. Your body tells you when it needs fuel so listen to it.
Not having a sleeping routine
Your body needs to know when it’s going to get rest and sometimes it needs help to achieve sleep such as avoiding caffeine and other stimulants a couple of hours before going to bed. It’s been proven time and again that sleep helps with weight loss as it produces an appetite suppressing hormone called leptin.
Other tips to lose weight include:
- Turning up at your gym session having fuelled up at least an hour or two beforehand and having had a good night’s sleep so that you’re raring to go.
- Drinking a glass or two of water next time you feel tired and lacking energy instead of reaching for a carb-based or sugary snack. You may simply be mildly dehydrated.
- Invest in decent gear for your gym workout, especially trainers, rather than borrowing your sister’s old school gym kit. You’ll look better which in turn makes you feel better and good trainers mean you’ll protect your ankles and legs better.
For more tips on weight loss or achieving fitness through training then contact us here at Overland Park Boot Camp.
