So you’ve been trying to lose weight for some time now but nothing seems to work. Then you hear from your friends about a diet plan that works wonders. You decide to give it a try. Already two of your closest friends have used it and they have managed to shed off the pounds so quickly it made you jealous. You go on the diet plan, and this time you promise yourself you’d stick to it come hell or high water. And you do. At least at first, it seems to be working. You lose a few pounds and you’re proud of yourself. Then something happens. You’ve stopped losing weight. In fact, you’re actually gaining the pounds you’ve already lost back again. What’s wrong? Is it the diet or is it you?
Well, most diet plans work for different people. Some people go on an intermittent fasting diet and it helps them lose weight. Others choose specific diet plans like Nutrisystem diet plan or something alike. So why can’t you lose weight? It’s not the diet plan, it’s these tricky moments that can mess up your diet and prevent you from losing weight.
How Stress Tricks you into Eating More
Life can be stressful sometimes. And one of the major sources of stress is work. Your job is too demanding or that looming deadline is freaking you out. And for some reason, your feet take you to the pantry where you help yourself to a sugary snack. But you’re on a diet? So why would you do that? Well, you’re not weak, it’s Cortisol. Stress releases this hormone which creates this unreal need for energy. In reality, you don’t need a snack, you just need to deal with the stress. A few minutes of deep breathing away from the causes of stress or a short walk to clear your head should be enough to kill the urge for sugar and help you cope better.
The Insatiable Morning Hunger
Many times you wake up in the morning and the first thing you think of is food. That’s normal, you’re on a diet and you need to have breakfast. But the problem is your hunger is intense you need to feed it now with anything handy. Such as cookies. You don’t feel like you can wait to cook a healthy breakfast. So a few cookies with coffee would do. And we all know how the few cookies turn into a bunch of cookies. By the time you’re done with your quick breakfast, the cookie jar is empty, your stomach is full, and you’re already regretting your decision. To avoid this very common diet mistake, drink a tall glass of water first thing in the morning. Water will suppress your hunger and give you time to make a wholesome meal that will keep you going until lunchtime.
The Mid-Morning and Afternoon Snacks
You’ve had a good breakfast in the morning that made you feel full and ready to start your day. But by 10 AM you’re already hungry and there’s no way you can keep going without a snack. The same thing might happen in the afternoon. But you had lunch like a couple of hours ago. So why are you hungry again? If this happens to you even though you’re on a diet, it might be that your breakfast and lunch don’t have enough protein and fiber to keep your stomach busy for hours. Have oats in the morning and have a side dish of kidney beans and chickpeas with your lunch. These foods are rich in fiber which takes longer time in your digestive system. That way you won’t get hungry so quickly and you can do away with the snacks that would ruin your diet.
Poor Quality Sleep and Hunger
If you feel hungry often even though you eat healthy meals, you should look elsewhere for the cause of this hunger. If you don’t get enough sleep at night, you’re more likely to feel hungry throughout the day. Lack of sleep tricks your brain into releasing the hunger hormone Ghrelin. It’s not that your brain is working against you to sabotage your diet. When you don’t get enough sleep your levels of energy go down which triggers the release of Ghrelin. It’s your brain’s way of saying you need energy, go eat something. So now you know that it’s the poor quality of your sleep that’s making you hungry, you need to get enough sleep at night. And when you feel hungry during the day, drink some water. It neutralizes the effects of Ghrelin and helps you reduce the pangs of hunger.
Choosing the right diet plan for you is important. But to help yourself stick to the diet plan you chose, you need to be aware of certain tricky moments that might ruin your diet. Staying ahead of those missteps will help you achieve you weight-losing goals and build your self-confidence.
