Are You Sabotaging Your Weight Loss? By Jessica Girdwain If you just started an exercise plan or are getting your butt in gear by working out more consistently, you may need to change how you fuel your body to get the most out of it. Common nutrition mistakes such as drinking your calories or eating too much postworkout may be the reason why you cant lose weight (or inches) even though youre giving it your all. Although getting fit isnt just about the scale, its still an important factor, so well break down 5 common problems—and how to fix them—to get you back on the path to results Woman eating an Apple Problem 1: You have no idea how many calories youre really eating Its common to think more exercise = more calories. But if youre trying to lose weight, you may be adding on as many calories as youre burning—or more. Think about the food that youre eating to fuel your workouts and ask yourself how it fits into your total calorie allotment for the day, advises Felicia Stoler, MS, RD, a nutritionist and exercise physiologist. Just because you hit the cardio hard today doesnt automatically mean you can supersize dinner. Most people have no idea how much theyre really eating. To get honest with yourself about your calorie needs, write down everything you eat for a day (yes, even that handful of nuts youre holding right now) or use a site like MyFitnessPal®. Youll probably be surprised by your final number. Problem 2: Youre hydrating with a sports drink Man Drinking Sports DrinkIf youre doing a hard, prolonged workout, then hydrating with a sports drink can be a good thing, but for your standard, at-home program, youre usually better off with water. Sports drinks contain about 50 calories per 8 oz., and 14 grams of sugar (about 3.5 teaspoons). Your body will probably burn though that in an hour-long workout, but then you wont be mobilizing fat stores as much. As for the electrolytes, yes, an hour-long program depletes them, but its nothing a good recovery drink cant fix. Problem 3: Youre addicted to that preworkout snack As long as theyre getting enough balanced calories in their diet, the average person should have all the glycogen stores they need to get through an hour-long workout, even first thing in the morning. Eating something beforehand might give your performance a little boost, but if you skip it youre better off—teaching your body how to mobilize fat stores for energy (just like in Problem 2). The exception to this is if you bonk or run out of glycogen and blood sugar partway through your workout. When this happens, you dont just feel a little pooped; you feel as though youve just run into a brick wall. If this happens, 50–100 calories of simple carbs, 10 minutes before you start, should fix it. Half a banana would be ideal. If youre looking for a boost with minimal calories, Beachbodys E&E Energy and Endurance® Formula or a strong cup of coffee are two great ergogenic aids. Problem 4: Youre eliminating all carbs CarbsSo many exercisers try to eliminate starchy carbs—including whole grains and starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn—when theyre trying to lose weight. But its water weight youre losing, not fat. Not only that, the strategy can backfire. Depleting carbs from your diet means that you have to tap into your lean protein stores for energy, which ultimately can decrease your lean muscle mass. Muscle is critical for upping your metabolism—and burning more calories even while you sit around—so you may see your weight plateau. The lesson? Dont be afraid to incorporate some whole grains and starchy veggies into your daily diet. Problem 5: Youre not working out hard enough If you notice you come home from a run only to find that youre noticeably hungrier, consider upping the intensity of that run. A recent study in the International Journal of Obesity looked at sedentary, overweight men who either worked out at a moderate pace for 30 minutes or completed a high-intensity interval workout for the same amount of time.1 Those who did the intense interval exercise ate less at a subsequent meal, as well as the next day. Not every workout should be an intense interval session, but fitting in one or two a week can help turn the dial down on your appetite.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 20:14:12 +0000
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