The 3 Biggest Weight-Loss Challenges Standing In Your Way
It's about more than just eating less and working out.
To put it simply, losing weight is not easy. You've cut back on sweets, you're attending more fitness classes, and that's great, but it may not be enough to see the results you want-and there's a reason why.
If you're struggling to reach your fitness or health goals, three common problems may be standing in your way, according to Philip Stanforth, an exercise scientist and executive director of the Fitness Institute of Texas.
The health expert explained to Business Insider that most people struggle with the same three weight loss problems. And according to him, if you can overcome these challenges, then you'll really start to see a big difference in your efforts. According to Stanforth, here are the bad habits you're probably overlooking:
1. You're sitting too much.
If you have job where you spend most of the day sitting, then you're probably eating more calories than you burn off, according to Stanforth. And recent studies indicate that any time you're not moving (meaning you're sitting or standing), it's bad for your health.
The solution: make time to exercise every day and make an effort to move every hour. This simple shape-up plan is an easy workout you can do without a gym membership, and these easy moves let you work out while going about your daily routine.
2. You're giving yourself too much credit.
You may not remember that doughnut you ate during your morning meeting as you reach for a brownie after dinner, but your waistline didn't forget. Our memories aren't very accurate when remembering what we've eaten.
"People tend to overestimate their physical activity and underestimate how much food they eat," Stanforth told Business Insider. "They consistently think they've worked out more and consistently think they've eaten less."
It's also easy to underestimate how many calories are in what you eat-for example, many people think a daily cup of coffee is no big deal, but when you add cream and sugar, your daily cup can become a high-calorie treat.
The solution: Use these expert tips-like avoiding multi-tasking while you eat and picking the right snacks to stock up on-to stop overeating for good.
3. Your portions are way too big, and you don't even realize it.
Portions and food servings have drastically gone up over the years, and it's seriously affecting our waistlines. "Portion size is a big problem," Stanforth revealed in the article. "Most people would say 'well that looks like a serving' but in reality it's two or three servings." His tip: eat half of what you order at restaurants and bring the other half home.
The solution: Our handy guide shows you exactly what 100-calorie healthy snacks look like-use it to ensure snack portions are in-check. Also check out 14 popular foods you're probably overeating, and see their correct proportion sizes.
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