Exercise, diet not helping you lose weight? You could be making these 4 simple mistakes

Are you working out and following a diet, but not seeing results? The reason for this may be your unhealthy lifestyle. Or you may be going overboard with exercise, which is also harmful. We spoke to experts to find out four factors that can play spoilsport with your weight loss plans:

Lack of sleep

Sleep plays an important role in ensuring optimal functioning of the body, as well as our physiological and psychological health. “Sleep is a time of physical restoration, repair and renewal of tissues, neutralisation of toxins, restoring normal levels of various blood and tissue metabolites, and stabilising our internal environment. Good sleep ensures strong immunity, boosts metabolism, and improves exercise performance,” says nutrition consultant Karishma Chawla.

When you are sleep-deprived, your nutrition, fitness goals, mental clarity and hydration get out of sync. “Even the best fitness routine will not show desired results. Not sleeping enough (less than 6-7 hours of sleep) every night can undo the benefits of a nourishing salad, smoothie and an outstanding workout,” says integrative nutritionist Payal Kothari. In fact, sleep deprivation can even cause obesity, migraines, acidity and other chronic diseases, she says.

Going on weekend binges

Cheat days may be a great way to eat a lot of junk food without worrying about the consequences, but they are bad for your long-term weight loss efforts. “Binge eating must not be a part of any fitness enthusiast’s regime. It’s not a good idea to consume large quantities of food in a short period of time. The key is balance and not getting into binge-eating at any point of time,” says Chawla.

Binging can, in fact, even sabotage your entire week’s diet, and meal planning. “Unfortunately, calories add up whether they are spread out in the week or eaten during the weekend. So, planning your indulgences mindfully would help you stick to your fitness and nutrition goals in a balanced way,” says Kothari.

Exercising too much

Follow an exercise regime which is balanced and encompasses strength training, cardio and yoga, and ensure you allot a sufficient amount of time for each through the week. “Excess exercise can lead to muscle breakdown lowering the body’s BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is completely against the goal. It can lead to fat gain or lowering immunity, and increasing stress hormones,” says Chawla.

Too much exercise can also lead to injury, hormonal imbalances, malnutrition and exhaustion. “It can affect your heart, cause dehydration, insomnia, osteoporosis and deficiencies,” says Kothari.

Frequently changing the diet and fitness schedule

Are you someone who loves trying out different diets or workout regimes to keep the momentum going? It may be counterproductive for you. “The trick in terms of nutrition plans is to avoid fad diets. Instead, for variety, you can a new kind of food, or try a new recipe. Periodically, add a new veggie or juice or fruit and make it a part of the daily plan eventually,” says Chawla.

Kothari says that it takes a minimum of ten to twelve weeks to show good results from a diet or wellness plan. Changing the routine even before it shows results is a waste of time. “Stick to your recommended plan and give your body enough time to adapt and adjust to it to see results. Change the routine once you feel you have plateaued or not gotten your expected results,” says Kothari.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more