What you Need to Know Wednesday: Diet Destroyers

You're sticking to your healthy regimen, you've lost some weight but are now at a standstill. Or maybe, you haven't lost anything at all. You've put in the effort to stick to your plan to a "T" and you can't understand why those pounds aren't coming off! Before starting this healthy weight loss kick, you may have thought about the important things to do while trying lose weight such as exercise more, eat breakfast, drink a lot of water. But, have you thought about those things in which you definitely want to avoid while trying to kick start and maintain a healthy lifestyle change? Here are my top diet destroyers, sure to tip that scale in the wrong direction. Get some of these in check and you might just see that things start going your way!

Common Diet Destroyers

1. You have unsupportive friends/family: Make it a point to sit down with those close to you in your life and tell them your plan and your goals. Ask for their support up front. For additional support, maybe they might even want to join in on your healthy lifestyle changes!

2. You're working too much: Creating healthy habits that will last a lifetime has to be a priority just like showing up for work. Even when we don't feel like working, we still go because we would likely lose our jobs if we didn't. Keep the same approach for diet and exercise. Even when you don't feel like eating healthy or getting that workout in, think how sorry you'll be later if you don't. The only workout you'll ever regret, is the one that didn't happen!

3. You stress over diet and exercise: At the opposite end of the spectrum, if your diet and exercise are all you think about, you've also got a problem. So you didn't have time for that full hour bike ride you planned on this morning? Be happy with the 30 minutes you got in and make a goal to walk for 10 minutes on your lunch hour and maybe take the dog on extra outing tonight. If counting calories increases your stress levels to the point you can't enjoy your food, that stress is going to ultimately come back to bite you in the butt. Exercise should be fun and eating healthy is a choice! A choice you get to make, not have to- because you want to be healthier and happier. 

4. You practice negative self-talk or a poor attitude: Let me guess, you wont be happy with yourself until you lose 20 pounds, right? Having this negative body image or attitude about your current state is not going to help get you where you want to be. Commit to taking on a positive attitude, be happy that you are enforcing these healthy changes and take a second to celebrate every small stepping stone you reach.

5. You do the same exact routine every single day: We have to keep our bodies guessing. If we eat the same exact foods at the same exact time each day or do the exact same exercise routine every morning at 7am, your body will eventually get to a point where it is no longer being challenged. A body that is not challenged, is not changed. My best tip on this would be to change up your routine every 4-6 weeks whether it be mixing up the order of exercises, the type or duration. Find new recipes that still focus around your favorite healthy foods and be flexible with meal/snack times.

If things don't change, things wont change!

6. You assume that what worked 10 years ago will work for you now: The human body is amazing in it's ability to adapt and change. As we grow older each year, our bodies are a little different. Not only the aging process, but mental and physical stressors that we face every day change the way our bodies react to exercise and diet. You may have to play around with diet and exercise to find what is going to work most efficiently for you. We are all different. So what works for your best friend, is not necessarily going to be the best thing for you.

7. You have a goal to completely omit certain foods: We all know that complete deprivation of any foods, especially foods we love, will ultimately result in binging on them at some point. Allow yourself a treat every now and then. 

8. You throw in the towel after one mistake: So you started off the day with pancakes and maple syrup and butter and powdered sugar. Now you feel awful and like your day is completely ruined. Why not just call it a day and start again tomorrow? We've all heard that before. Remember, every health choice we make, matters. So don't throw in the towel for the day just because you went overboard in one meal. Make your next choice, a healthy one.

9. You want results right NOW: Be patient. Your healthy lifestyle change is a project that is going to continue to grow and get better overtime. As your body adapts, your routine may have to adapt too. Just be patient.

10. You cut calories but don't exercise: Can you lose weight without exercise? Absolutely. However, being physically active not only increases your caloric expenditure (the amount of calories you burn) but also increases muscles mass which in turn, allows you to burn calories more efficiently. Not to mention all of the other fantastic benefits exercise has on the mind and body. Exercise should be a regular part of everyone's life. No matter how you like to get moving, find a way to get physical!

Tell us!

Do you have personal experience with any of these common diet destroyers?