Are You Sabotaging Your Weight Loss?
Did you make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, but instead the scale is moving in the wrong direction? You could be sabotaging your weight loss with these six pitfalls:
Juice cleanses
Juice cleanses are very high in sugar and low in protein. Increased intake of sugar can cause weight gain, and protein deficiency can lead to muscle breakdown. “Severely restricting your calories can also lead to bingeing in the long run,” said Audra Wilson. She is a dietitian at Northwestern Medicine Metabolic Health and Surgical Weight Loss Center at Delnor Hospital. “Your body cleanses itself through your liver and kidneys, so no extra help is necessary or effective.”
‘Saving up’ your calories
While you may think skipping a few meals will decrease your total calorie intake, it usually leads to overeating at your next meal or increased snacking throughout the day. “Skipping meals can slow down your metabolism which is the opposite of what we are striving for with weight loss,” says Wilson. “Eating a meal or snack containing protein every 4-5 hours can help keep your metabolism humming and hunger at bay.”
Excerpted from the Daily Herald
