Weight loss is a lot more complicated than calories in vs calories out formula. Though a lot of diet experts place a great deal of importance on counting every single calorie and sticking to the diet plan, there are a lot of factors that contribute to weight gain, and a few of them have absolutely nothing to do with what’s on your plate! We often ignore these important factors and these maybe the reasons why you have not still hit your goal weight, and diet experts won’t tell you about them either. So, read on:
1. There are Obesogens Lurking in your Home: Obesogens are compounds that cause weight gain and most of them have nothing to do with calories. Unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle are largely blamed for weight gain and obesity; however, unknown to many, there are factors called as “obesogens” all around us, particularly lurking around in our homes, that disrupt endocrine activities, hamper hormonal function (mostly those that regulate weight), and encourage the body to store fat. These obesogens are also chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones and damage the body’s natural weight-control mechanisms. They also trigger creation of new fat cells as well as increase the storage capacity of existing fat cells. If you haven’t seen any progress in weight loss despite exercising and sticking to dieting routine strictly, blame it all on the inhibiting properties of “obesogens.” The outcome is usually lowered metabolism, thyroid malfunction, insulin resistance, and heightened inflammation – in all cases – where the body starts to store fat and slowly builds up weight, which is difficult to lose even with proper diet and exercise. House dust, phthalates, triclosan are some common obesogens that are lurking around in your home, so make sure your house is free of these obesogens.
2. Toxins/Antibiotics/Pollutants in Food Can Make you Obese: Toxins, pesticides, various chemicals in food and hormones that are injected into poultry, etc. interrupt with the normal functioning of hormones inside the body and when these hormones get altered, the body starts to put on weight. So, make sure you are picking organic and pesticide-free food in your daily diet.
3. Chemicals in Self-Care Products Can Make you Fat: Here’s one more reason to avoid phthalates in personal care products – it leads to weight gain! Phthalates are usually found in makeup, soaps, shower gels, and other products and these tend to alter functioning of hormones such as insulin (which by the way, is also promotes fat storage). So, what’s the solution? Make sure you pick phthalate-free products.
4. All Calories are Not Equal: It’s not prudent to treat all calories the same way because calories from refined and processed/junk food have empty calories with little to no nutritional value, and it’s not the same as eating calories from whole foods, vegetables, fruits, and organic food. Consider this, eating 500 calories of pizza is not equal to eating 500 calories of brown rice and vegetables where you are getting loads of healthy carbs, protein, vitamins, and minerals that would aid in the fat-burning process, whereas 500 calories of pizza is full of empty calories without any vitamin, protein or fiber content and would only add to the existing pounds.
5. Don’t Eat Too Quickly: When you eat too fast, your brain doesn’t get the signal to stop once you are full and that would mean that you would tend to eat more calories than you actually require. Another interesting fact is that the brain takes about 20 minutes to register that you have had sufficient food, and by slowing down, you can actually reach satiation point, maybe halfway through the meal itself, which would prevent overeating. When you eat too quickly, you actually lose count of the food intake and gradually put on weight – so eat food without distractions and have your meals in peace, and slowly.
6. Never Compromise on Sleep: Sleep deprivation is directly linked to weight gain and obesity. You can do intense exercise and literally have no food during the day, but don’t expect to lose any weight if you aren’t planning to get at least 7 hours of sleep in the night. Without 7 hours of sleep – leptin (satiety hormone) decreases, cortisol increases, metabolism dips, and hunger hormone ghrelin rises. Added to this, bad sleep can hamper the gut flora by hampering the physiological stress response, and an imbalanced gut can totally stall the whole weight loss process. In fact, in all seriousness, do nothing but sleep like a baby all through the night to shed extra flab!
7. Pick Local Produce: Pick locally-sourced ingredients rather than looking for exotic food because local produce is fresh and tends to contain the maximum amount of nutrition.
8. Fill Half of your Plate with Veggies: It’s the easiest way to feel full and get loads of nutrients – and that too without consuming a lot of calories during meals – cover half of your plate with vegetables!
9. Certain Medications Can Increase Weight: Steroids, certain high blood pressure medications, and even some migraine meds can have side effects that lead to weight gain. Talk to your doctor about the meds you are currently on and seek alternatives if your doctor detects weight gain through these medications.
10. Certain Nutrient Deficiencies Can Lower Metabolism: Vitamin D, iron, magnesium deficiencies can lower metabolism and prevent weight loss. Unless these deficieces are fixed, losing weight can be an uphill task. Talk to your doctor about nutrient deficiencies and supplementation to correct them. Also read: How Vitamin D Helps with Weight Loss.
To lose weight successfully, follow the diet plans on the Rati Beauty diet. Download the app for more details.
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