As a woman in her mid-twenties, life can feel a bit like a circus act trying to simultaneously balance a full-time job, a college schedule, and a tiny bit of a social life. Adding on a fitness and health regimen feels like an additional 10 pounds on my shoulders (at least it's not on my belly). Standing on my bathroom scale first thing in the morning and seeing next to no results is just the thing to send me straight from frustrated all the way to feeling completely defeated. There are one million and one things in this world that are out of our control and weight-loss is not one of them. Here are some weight-loss tricks that you're doing wrong.
Cutting Carbs.
When anyone decides that it is time to lose a few pounds, usually the first place that gets the axe is their carbohydrate intake. While anyone could benefit from a little less pizza and a little more green juice, our bodies beg to differ. To make a science lesson short, fat = energy and our bodies need energy. When we send our bodies into a spiraling carbohydrate deficit, our systems go into survival mode and hold on tight to any fat or energy source it can. This results from over-exercising and a caloric deficit. This slows our bodies production of energy and, voila! You have hit a weight-loss plateau.
Processed Food.
Remember mom saying "breakfast is the most important meal of the day"? Well, she kinda had a point. Skipping meals will send you on a one-way track to fat storage. Our bodies are smart, they know when they are being deprived of the nutrients that they need, and they will do what is necessary to save their energy sources.
The 4 Letter Word...Diet.
No-carb, Atkins, Paleo, no-fun, you name it, there is a diet for it. One thing most people don't realize about diets is that they are temporary. A balanced and whole food lifestyle outweighs temporary and unhealthy results. Stepping on a scale every morning is another unhealthy habit of picking up. Results take time, quick diet schemes, such as detox teas, waste time and money. There will not be a quick fix or a magic potion that works better than hard work!
We are HUMAN.
We are all different, beautiful, and complicated. A fitness plan that works for that incredibly lean girl in your math class might not work for you. Just because you are different does not mean you are hopeless. The best part about fitness and nutrition is it gives you a chance to get to know yourself, and your own body. Try different workout routines, try new recipes. Some will work and some won't. They key to all of this craziness is patience. There is no such thing as a perfect body, but there is such a thing as dedication, a balanced life, and happiness.
