Weight loss plans and diets can sometimes get tough and challenging, especially if you come from a family that boasts an extensive dining table laid with an array of Egyptian specialty food, well who can say no to stuffed vine leaves, koshary or mousaka’a?. Between several different types of diet emerging lately, calories count, and food choices, the process can get overwhelming. Oftentimes, we may feel we are doing everything right, yet, we do not notice any results and feel our objective is still far. In fact, several factors contribute together in hindering the process. Here are some common mistakes and pitfalls we fall into during our attempts to lose weight – in addition to snacking a melted roumi cheese sandwiches of course!
1. Skipping meals and starving yourself. This is a widely spread misbelief that the less we eat the more we lose weight. Skipping meals and starving yourself does not necessarily mean less calories, bearing in mind the type of food you eat. Chances are when you starve yourself, you end up becoming hungry, and consequently, eating bigger portions to feel full. In addition, skipping meals, especially breakfast, negatively affects your metabolism by slowing it down, but easy on the taameya please!
2. Stress. The way we deal with and manage our emotions differs from one person to another, and many people tend to escape stress by resorting to food, which is known as emotional eating or stress eating. In general, the type of food we crave when we are under stress are usually high in fat and sugar such as desserts, chips, munchies which will result in a significant weight gain.
3. Midnight Kitchen Visits. Eating directly before your sleep is one of the main reasons behind weight gain. Now imagine what that leftover piece of cake in your fridge can do to your body when midnight cravings start calling. Well, yes, winter nights can be long and sometimes boring, and food is good comfort, but don’t yield to all your temptations.
4. Excluding fats and carbs all together. Mostly, people cut out fat and carbs from their diet altogether. Bear in mind that your body still needs fat and carbs, - obviously not your pasta with bechamel kind of fat- otherwise you will end up feeling hungry most of the time. Instead, opt for healthy carbs and fats found in foods such as avocados, nuts, whole eggs, chia seeds, and olive oil.
5. Not eating enough fiber. Soluble fiber is vital for keeping your gut bacteria healthy. Additionally, foods containing fiber help curb your appetite and as a result you will feel full for longer hours. Foods such as oatmeal, bananas, apples, beans, nuts, pears, and berries are high in fiber content and should be included in your diet.
6. Ignoring the little things when counting calories. In counting calories, do not disregard the calories in your liquids or other little things. Bear in mind the calories in your salad dressings, guacamole, coffee creamer, juices, and hot chocolate. We know that a hot cup of sahlab will soothe your soul on a cold winter night, but trust us you will regret it later.
7. Ignoring Exercise. To achieve your weight-loss target, eating healthy and exercising go hand in hand. Besides the many benefits of exercising for our overall wellbeing, it is important to work out regularly to replace your fat mass with muscle mass.
Comments
Leave a Comment