By: Passant Omar
It’s no surprise that Egypt ranks 4th in the world’s top 10 obese countries. Has the problem been our food ingredients? Have our lifestyles been severely unhealthy? Or is the fast food too hard to quit? We all want to be healthy and fit that we try out different methods like working out, following a certain diet, drinking certain types of teas or even taking pills which promise weight loss. But what have been the main causes of our failure with diets? Here are 7 reasons why!
1. You’ve the wrong impression of diet
Being on a diet should not be set for a month or two just to lose the weight and then return to your normal eating habits. Dieting should be a lifestyle! We do know what is unhealthy to eat, but we still eat it because it’s too tempting. It’s time to do what is best for your body and not for your mind.
2. You have unrealistic expectations
You cannot just set a target for yourself and easily give up when you don’t achieve it; maybe you’re pushing your limits way too far when you should be taking it slow! You should follow up with a nutritionist. Following up with professional will make it easier to manage a healthy diet that your body can handle.
3. That small piece of fat differs
That one slice of pizza or one bite of your friend’s cake DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Stop the mentality of “a small piece will not hurt”. You have no idea how intense a workout you need to do in order to burn this slice of pizza or that piece of a cake. Especially during a conservative diet, a bite of carbs will affect your body.
4.You follow a diet without working out and the vise-versa
If you go on a diet without boosting it with working out, you will lose weight over a longer period of time. You do not necessarily have to hit the gym, but at least make sure to go for a walk or even do cardio at home. On the other hand, if you enjoy working out while targeting a certain shape for yourself, make sure you do not ruin that by following an unhealthy diet because the fatty food will cross out all the effort you pulled out during the workout.
5. You starve yourself
If you’re trying to strengthen your muscles while losing weight, starving yourself should not be an option. Starving yourself turns your stomach crazy and kills your motives. You suddenly lose your willpower and run to the fridge grabbing the closest treat you find. Do not push your tummy’s limits, so that it doesn’t turn against you.
6. You believe that diet means deprivation
Who said that healthy food is tasteless or that if you want to lose weight, you must stop eating everything except vegetables and fruits? Being on a healthy diet basically means eating more proteins and less carbohydrates and definitely less fast-food. Your mindset plays an important role; train your mind to believe that healthy food is not the monster! This will help a lot, because we tend to crave what we are deprived from. You could simply eat the same food while cooking it differently. You can use the grill more often instead of oil and butter.
7. You lose your motivation
There are times when your body will let you down along the journey. This does not mean that you failed; it only means that the road is bumpy! Whenever you feel like you’re about to give up, just remind yourself of your target and how badly you wanted to wear that outfit that never fits. Imagine how healthy your body will be when you reach your desired shape. Set daily targets and make sure to have a right tick next to them by the end of the day. Watch videos of people who succeeded the battles and other videos which will help you improve your diet by explaining how your body works and how to boost your metabolism. Learn about new food types that are delicious but have minimal calories.
Be your own motivator and be sure that nothing comes easy. When you reach your goal, you will finally realize that it was all worth the struggle.
