Obesity is defined as the condition of having excess body fat. To be considered obese, you need to have a body mass index of 30 or above. From 1980 to 2008, the number of obese individuals has doubled. Obesity is a dangerous condition that affects millions of individuals annually. According to the WHO, 2.8 million individuals die each year because of obesity.
Why do people become obese? There are several reasons why people become obese, but some of the factors include both genetics and your habits.
Given the seriousness of the condition, a lot of obese individuals attempt to make a positive change for themselves. It is important that you have a smart approach if you are going to lose a great amount of weight. Here are six biggest mistakes obese individuals make when they try to lose weight.
1. Starve and binge
It seems that when you don’t put food in your mouth, you are not adding calories. This is a simple logic that most people follow. Unfortunately, starving isn’t a good practice in the long run. You may see massive results during the first week; however, don’t be surprised if you gain more weight after.
After starving, it is a common scenario to binge. This makes matters worse. Your body stores fats in order to tolerate the absence of food for long periods of time. What you want to do is to make sure that you eat small healthy meals frequently throughout the day. Not only does this increase your metabolism, it also fights off cravings.
2. Just count the calories
Another common mistake that you can make when you are trying to lose weight is to simply count the calories when you eat. You have to consider not only the calories but to also check the nutritional value of the food you are eating.
As rule of thumb, stick to high fiber and high protein diet. White meat, whole grains like brown rice and a lot of fruits and vegetables usually make a great meal.
3. Focusing on small muscle groups
If you are obese and you really want to trim your weight, you will need to sweat in the gym. It is important that you burn more calories than what you eat in order to lose weight. However, you need to have a smart approach whenever you are inside the gym.
A lot of people commit the error of focusing on smaller muscle groups. When you simply focus on small muscle groups, these muscles could only burn a small amount of calories. For instance, if you will compare the legs and the arms, the legs will most likely burn more calories.
4. Not having enough sleep
Sleep is a physiologic requirement. You have to make sure that you take enough rest if you wish to cut weight. One of the most common problems today is that we are distracted on so many things. It can be your work, or even your gadgets.
What you need is to sleep at least 8 hours every night. This way, you can increase your metabolic rate and allow the body to fully recover especially when you just finished a workout from the gym.
5. Not having supplements
If you want to get the best results to combat obesity, you need to make sure that you also have the necessary supplements. There are instances when you will not have enough protein from your food. This is where supplementation could get tricky. Whey, L-carnitine and BCAAs could come in handy for these scenarios.
For those that are on caloric deficit, branched chain amino acid supplements make a great option. It allows muscle growth and prevents catabolism despite low caloric environment. This means you don’t have to worry about losing the muscles that you worked for when you are about to cut weight.
6. Surrounding yourself with negative individuals
For obese individuals, your path towards wellness will not be easy. A toxic environment could easily make things difficult for you. If you want to live a healthy life, find yourself a buddy who you can go to the gym with. You can also find friends who are having the same healthy lifestyle.
Conclusion
Losing weight isn’t easy. It is an accumulation of bad habits and even genetics. You have to make sure that you implement a smart approach to get the best results.
