Think you are immune to losing weight? Here are 6 things you might not be doing as per an expert fitness trainer! Read on to find out…
Been trying to lose some weight since a considerably long time now? Apparently you think you are checking off everything you know about “losing weight to do list”? Not eating “junk”? Hitting the gym every single day and truly staying dedicated to the treadmill? Still no lost inches or kgs? But the only thing you have now lost is the determination and motivation to become fit? Telling everybody how you are probably just immune to losing weight, have a slow metabolism or can’t overcome the weight plateau?
Hmm, we hear you. But let’s give that a second thought. Are you really checking off everything on the losing weight list according to an expert fitness trainer or you might have majorly missed the most important things? We spoke to Uzair Atiq who is an entrepreneur, a fitness and sports guru. He has over eight years of experience in helping people with their body image problems, getting to their ideal weight and loving themselves. His certifications include professional sports management, sports nutrition and exercise physiology all from the international Olympics committee (Sweden) and he is also an expert in weight management, functional training, Tabatta, Endurance training, muscle shredding and strength training.
We contacted him to get down to the basics of what majority of the people get wrong about losing weight and here is what he broke down for us on what we might be doing wrong, so everybody, take notes!
1. Doing Too Much Cardio (Yep)
He says it’s a common but rather silly myth how people think doing too much cardio will definitely lead to weight loss BUT that’s not the case. What will happen is, you lose muscle mass when you do too much cardio and no one wants that, so for losing weight you must combine cardio and strength training.
2. Not Following A “Calorie Deficit Diet”
No, skipping meals is not the strategy to lose weight. You are only devoiding yourself of nutrients and setting yourself up for failure while on your way to being hangry. Uzair says the only formula for weight loss that works is a calorie deficit diet. So for e.g you require 1500 calories a day, you need to consume 1200 calories which will give you a deficit of 300 calories. you need to reduce your calorie count, an optimal level required by the body, found as per your BMI. The diet plus workout both work together to bring you the best results!
3. Skipping Meals!
It is very often seen that females mostly resort to a much prevalent concept of skipping meals, thinking it will help to reduce weight. He emphasised on consuming your 3 meals during the day, the only change in the formula he adds, is reducing your portion size. Control your calories and make sure to develop clean eating habits.
4. Not Lifting Weights / Strength Training
Females have a misconception, a highly prevalent one at that – if they lift weight they will build muscles, that’s a myth! The muscle building element and the hormone responsible for bulking or building muscle are your testosterone levels which, in females is very low as compared to males so when they lift weight they can not build muscle, they will definitely have a good muscle but they will not bulk up. So strength training is equally important for females, specially after your mid and late 30’s and early 40’s.
5. Not Consuming A Proper Amount Of Protein
Intake of protein is crucial because it is the basic building block of your muscle, so whenever you want to increase your strength and build muscle, and convert your fat into muscle you need to have a good protein in take.
6. Stressing About Not Losing Weight
Even though being a no-brainer, he says it’s often when females start losing weight, they keep checking their weight on the scale after every 3rd, 4th, day during the week. No miracle is going to happen so soon, if you want to lose weight, you have to wait and have patience and a consistent approach! Don’t stress about losing weight, focus on a regular workout and a good diet.
Well, this sure must have boosted your spirits to not give up so quickly and dread the process while complaining about not losing weight. Let’s hit rewind and see if we are truly incorporating the above in our weight loss approach!
