best of 2017
In the month of December, there are thirty-one days, and four of those are holidays. The remaining twenty-seven days are days like any other days, which are much more important than that handful of holidays. What I mean is that you won't gain weight from Christmas, but you will from those ginger nuts that are already in stores in September, those bowls of Christmas cookies that we are tempted with from November, and I haven't even mentioned the many drinks that are on the agenda. The damage has already been done.
But it has been shown that it occupies your minds. My weight loss lesson was one of the highlights of the year. So if you don't know how on earth to pick up the thread again tomorrow, read this again. And especially enjoy all the treats that await you today. Merry Christmas.
This is not how you lose weight
Just like a lot of ladies who think they will get a pair of super nice buttocks by squatting themselves to death, there are a lot of mistakes made in the ‘diet phase’. We must not forget that every person is different and therefore every body functions differently. While some lose pounds by cutting out carbohydrates, others get thin by reducing fats. It can also very well be that you see no difference on your scale, while your favorite jeans tell you something else. Are you struggling to lose weight and have no idea why? Then it could very well be that these are the causes:
1. Blind trust
Nowadays, you are bombarded in the supermarket with ‘low-fat’ and ‘sugar-free’ labels. And it's better to steer clear of this, girlfriend. Because where fat and calories are removed from products, sugar is often added. And whether that helps in the fight against those extra pounds... Not at all; you know it, I know it.
2. Portion control
So you have filled your fridge with healthy stuff? You have learned that avocado is a source of good fats and that hummus is a good vegetarian alternative to supplement your proteins. But that doesn't mean you can eat an infinite amount of it. Even with more conscious choices, the ‘everything in moderation’ rule applies. Portion control is key. And even though that date filled with a spoon of almond paste is a much healthier choice than that piece of brownie, it remains a bomb of sugar and fat. So think twice before you pop three in your mouth.
3. Denying yourself too much
So you want to diet and immediately clear out all the kitchen cabinets down to the last crumb of that open pack of chocolate chip cookies. Sound familiar? Because it’s all or nothing. But girlfriend, you don’t have to diet. Not for anyone. It’s better to be kind to yourself and just take it a bit easier. Don’t starve yourself but keep eating. Just do it consciously and the right things. Not eating means no energy, not even for the gym.
4. Seeing carbohydrates as your biggest enemy
What’s up with those carbohydrates? Poor things. Everyone just abandons them the moment they need to lose pounds. But there are also a lot of good ones in this category. And those carbohydrates actually give you energy, which you desperately need during your workout. Skip the fast ones and go for the slow carbohydrates, then there’s nothing wrong. A little pasta now and then is fine, but make sure it’s whole grain. Rice? Sure, but not that delicious sticky white variety from the Thai place on the corner. Go for a plate of brown rice, nice with stir-fried vegetables and my all-time favorite sweet & spicy tempeh. Swap that white ball of peanut butter for a bowl of oatmeal or a smoothie bowl topped with a handful of breakfast cereals.
5. Skipping breakfast
There are a thousand reasons why people skip their breakfast, the most important meal of the day. No time, breakfast causes stomach pain, or simply not hungry. The dumbest reason is definitely ‘because I lose weight from that’. Complete nonsense. Research shows that skipping breakfast actually leads to weight gain, especially around the belly. And that's exactly the place where you'd prefer to see some lines. Skipping meals causes a spike in your blood sugar levels, which in turn leads to that little roll of fat over your pants.
6. Not seeing the difference between calories
Nothing wrong with counting calories, but do take quality into account and not quantity. 300 kcal is not the same as 300 kcal in a well-filled salad. Moreover, that well-filled salad will fill you up much more than that bag of chips.
7. Not eating anything ‘unhealthy’ anymore
The 80/20 rule was not created for nothing. The moment you forbid yourself something, you will only become obsessed with it. It's better to allow yourself that piece of Tony’s once a week than for the bomb to burst once and you eat the whole bar at once.
8. Sneaky calories
That juice is of course incredibly tasty and that one glass of wine can really do no harm now and then. But do realize that those are also calories. Treat that latte macchiato as a snack and have it once a day instead of five times.
9. Going all out on the trend
Just because that acai bowl is so hip & happening or The Avocado Show is the place to be doesn’t mean it matches your goals. Such an intensely Instagrammable bowl topped with very nice granola, banana slices, and coconut flakes may seem very healthy, but secretly, such a superfood bowl can easily contain around 700 kcal and a lot of sugar. Better make it yourself, then you can easily halve that number by blending in some vegetables and making the toppings a bit less calorie-dense.
10. Eating too much protein
Proteins are essential components of your healthy lifestyle, but your body can only handle a certain amount of proteins. If you exceed that, you won't lose weight, but rather gain it.
