REASONS YOUR DIET SEEMS INEFFECTIVE

    If the situation you are in right now involves you having spent some time being disciplined with your diet and by now probably experiencing frustration from a lack of satisfying results. This scenario could be possible particularly when the responsible issue is not a question of your self-discipline. Did you know that there might be some diet-sabotaging mistakes?  These mistakes could completely hinder you from achieving your weight loss goals. Here, we will be analyzing some of the reasons according to research on why your diet might not be working as effectively.  

Consuming Too Many or Too Few Calories

  Reducing your calorie intake is necessary for weight loss. In other words, the number of calories you burn should be more than the amount you consume. Current analysis reports reveal the number of calories to be avoided varying according to person. You might feel like you are not consuming very many calories but in fact, a lot of people tend to underestimate what they eat. You are possibly eating a lot of foods that are healthy but as well have high-calorie content, foods such as nuts and cheese. Portion control is important. Meanwhile, reducing your calorie consumption more than required might result in the opposite of your goal. Research reveals that it can result in the reduction of muscle mass and greatly inhibit metabolism.  

Choices on low-fat foods

  Low-fat or “diet” foods that are processed are most of the time regarded as excellent choices for weight loss, but these foods could sometimes actually give the opposite effect. A lot of these food products are filled with sugar and artificial sweeteners to make them taste better. For example, one cup of low-fat, fruit-flavored yogurt can have about 12 teaspoons of sugar. Instead of keeping you filled, products advertised to be low-fat are more likely going to increase your appetite, resulting in you consuming more. Rather than looking for low-fat or “diet” foods, select a group of richly nutritious, less processed food options.  

Estimating how many calories you burn during a workout

  A lot of people think that exercise speeds up their metabolism enough to burn as many calories. Even with the fact that exercising raises metabolic rates, it might not be as much as you think. Research reveals that normal and obese people have a habit of overestimating the number of calories they burn when exercising, sometimes by a huge difference. In a particular report, some people burned 200-300 calories in a workout session and when they were asked how many calories they burned, each of them had estimated that they burned over 800 calories, therefore,  giving them the impression that they could eat more. It is important to note from all this that exercise is important for your well-being and can support weight loss. It should just not jeopardize your diet by you thinking you burn a lot of calories during exercise.  

Not consuming sufficient protein

  Acquiring sufficient protein is significantly important if you are looking to lose weight. Protein has been revealed to aid weight loss in many ways. Its appetite inhibiting properties increases feelings of satiety, reduces calorie consumption, steps up the metabolic rate of the system, and protects muscle mass while trying to lose weight. Research as well revealed that more protein diets, having 0.6–0.8 grams of protein per lb, might be beneficial in appetite control and entire body composition. To achieve optimal weight loss, make sure each meal consumed contains high-protein content.  

Lack of sufficient fiber

  A diet low in fiber may be damaging your weight loss efforts. The research found a kind of soluble fiber referred to as viscous fiber aids the reduction of appetite by the formation of a gel that retains water. The gel formed slowly goes through your digestive tract, giving you a feeling of satiety. It is suggested that all sorts of fiber are beneficial to losing weight. A particular report discovered viscous fiber lowered appetite and calorie consumption much greater compared to other types. If the entire fiber content consumed is high, most of the calories in combined meals are not absorbed. It is estimated that increasing daily fiber consumed by 2 can lead to 130 fewer calories absorbed by the body.  

Eating too much fat on a low-carbohydrate diet

  A lot of Low-carbohydrate diets allow for the consumption of fatty foods, with the assumption that the resulting lowering appetite will lead to low-calorie consumption. Some people do not experience any reduction in their appetite; therefore, they might end up consuming more calories than necessary.