Why You Aren't Losing Weight

Losing weight is not easy, by any means, and keeping it off is even harder. Many of us dream of beach-body perfection... toned thighs and ripped abs... But, alas, it has happened again: you had a bad day and now you're standing at the kitchen counter with the remains of a chocolate gateaux in one hand, and a glass of red in the other, wondering why your diet never makes it past the first week. Don't worry. Here are two Golden Rules that should get you back on track... and keep you there.

Golden Rule #1:

DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF.

Hungry for success? Don't be. Staving yourself is not a sustainable way to lose weight. It is unhealthy, and more often than not, it doesn't work.

1. Not eating will make you tired. When you're tired, your body craves sugar, and your sense of self-control is likely to diminish. You may be successful in starving yourself all day, but you are more likely to binge-eat or snack on sugary, highly-calorific items late at night. This will contribute to more weight-gain than eating well-balanced meals throughout the day.

2. Starving yourself will also negatively effect your mood and your levels of productivity. Your motivation to exercise (a fundamental part of healthy weight-loss) is likely to suffer because your body is sapped of energy, and daily tasks could feel like more of a burden, resulting in irritation and overall exhaustion. Be Happy, not Hangry.

3. Lastly, depriving yourself of nutrients will encourage your body to STORE FAT. If you don't eat properly, your body will think that you are literally 'starving' and so it will try to conserve energy by storing, rather than burning, any calories that you DO consume. This means that you might eat less than before without making any real progress in your weight-loss.

Golden Rule #2:

CHANGE BAD HABITS, BUT CHANGE THEM SLOWLY.

The transition from couch-potato to 'lean and loving-it' does not happen over night. If you want results that will last, you need to commit to a steady life-style change that you can maintain with ease. No amount of 'quick-fix-fat-busting-shakes' or 'super-duper-diet-pills' are going to help you in the long run. You need to break up with bad habits if you want to devote yourself to healthy-living.

1. Take it slow. Trying to change too much at once often ends in disaster. If you've spent the last fifteen years sitting in front of the TV eating nothing but donuts, I can tell you that your sudden vow to go running 7 days a week, drink nothing but kale, and eat nothing but broccoli, is likely to be a short-lived escapade.

Instead, introduce healthy habits gradually. If you eat a chocolate bar every day after work, try eating only half for a while. When you get used to that, try substituting the chocolate bar with a healthy alternative, like grapes (a natural source of sugar). Do the same with things like take-aways. Don't cut them out all-together (a little bit of a good thing is fine) but instead of eating them 3 times a week, save them for Saturday nights. By continuing to eat the food that you like, but in a more moderate way, you will satisfy your cravings without sacrificing your health, and you'll feel better as a result.

2. Exercise. This is the best way to kick-start the weight-loss process. Regular exercise will speed up your metabolism. This means that your body will use up food energy faster, so you can EAT MORE and WEIGH LESS.

Like changing your diet, however, it is important that you don't try to do too much at once. Over-doing it can result in serious injury, so be mindful of your limits. If you haven't done any exercise for a long time, try long walks, swimming, or yoga. These are all low-impact exercises that will raise your heart-beat and get your muscles moving without putting too much strain on your body. When you feel like you can do a long walk with ease, for example, try going for a slow jog instead. Increase the intensity of your work-outs over time as your fitness improves.

A Few Tasty Tidbits to Keep You Going:

Making, changing, or breaking a habit takes approximately two to three weeks. Often, the first three days can be the most challenging, but stay strong! Two weeks really isn't that long, and once the two-weeks threshold is past, the new habit that you are trying to enforce will feel more natural. And remember—if you slip up and eat half a box of donuts five days in, DO NOT GIVE UP. Ignore the evil little voice that tells you 'Oh well, I've ruined it now, I might as well carry on eating rubbish'. That's a poor excuse and you know it. Acknowledge the 'blip' and move on. Focus on the future and make sure that the next meal that you eat is a healthy one.