10 Things You Should Never Do To Lose Weight

Losing weight seems to be getting harder and harder in this day and age, where media is obsessed with a certain type of look; one that’s thin, flawless, and perfect. This drives people to search high and low for a quick way to lose weight. Unfortunately, things are rarely that simple.

Compromising your health and well-being isn’t going to guarantee that you lose any weight. In fact, all that’s guaranteed is that you’re taking a toll on your health, which can lead to serious side effects, and even death. Read on to find out 10 things that should never be done when fighting the battle of the bulge.

1. Doubt yourself
If you believe it, it will happen.Doubting yourself is counterintuitive and kills off your self-confidence, and without self-confidence, it’s unlikely you’ll be motivated to lose any weight.

2. Compare
Everyone is different in how their bodies react to different foods because of genes, family history, and eating habits that go as far back as when you were in your mother’s womb. So don’t waste your time comparing your weight progress with other anyone else’s.

3. Expect miracles
Setting yourself up for unrealistic goals will only waste your time and energy. Listen to your body and be honest with yourself, and most importantly, don’t try to impress anyone but yourself. Be proud of all of your achievements, big and small, and focus on all the health benefits you’re reaping each single week.

4. Starvation, extreme fasting and skipping meals
Cutting back on too many calories in a short amount of time can lead to severe malnutrition, loss of muscle mass and even type 2 diabetes. Sure, there will be some weight loss, but it’ll quickly backfire. This is because when your daily caloric intake drops below a certain level, mainly 1200, then the body starts storing fat for fear of starvation. It goes back to our hunting days when people weren’t sure, when their next meal was going to be.

So, anything less than 1200 calories per day won’t provide you with the amount of nutrients you need for healthy development and to be able to sustain your energy levels throughout the day.

The same goes for skipping meals, which may make sense at first, but science has proven that it’s one of the worst ways to lose weight. This is because your metabolism increases after eating. Therefore, eating healthy foods means you’re consuming less or the same amount of energy being burned so nothing gets stored away as fat. On the other hand, if you skip meals, your metabolism slows down, so much so that if you repeatedly skip meals in an effort to burn off fat, you’ll find yourself gaining weight, rather than losing it.

5. Laxatives
Laxatives can come in the form of pills, powders, suppositories, and even tea. Even though they can result in the loss of a few pounds, laxatives can cause complications in the abdomen and can damage the digestive system. One of the side effects of laxatives is that those using them on a regular basis quickly find out that their bodies have become dependent on them and that they can’t have a bowel movement without taking a laxative.

Other side effects include an imbalance of electrolytes in the body, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain.

6. Supplements
Companies that manufacture supplements aren’t required to prove the safety or effectiveness before putting them on the market. This means that what they claim to do is, more often than not, completely untrue. And just like any other type of medication, they have serious risks and side effects, some of which include flatulence, diarrhea, headaches, insomnia, and constipation just to name a few.

7. Diet Pills
It’s time to be honest about things: there is no pill that will magically make you thin and physically fit. The only thing these drugs are good for is wreaking havoc on your nervous system, damaging brain cells and causing heart problems. Other side effects include insomnia, high blood pressure, dizziness, stroke, blurred vision, and unhealthy bowel movements, among others.

If supplements or certain pills are taken to aid in the fat-burning process, they must be prescribed by your doctor and they must be go hand-in-hand with regular exercise and healthy food choices.

They can come in the form of pills, as appetite suppressants and caffeine, or herbal supplements. Yet no matter what forms they come in, they stimulate the nervous system, which can be an extreme health hazard with severe risks and side effects.

8. Detox and Cleanses
Getting rid of harmful toxins and processed chemicals is a great idea, but done via a diet that hasn’t been health certified is another matter. While cleansing may help you shed a couple of pounds, the truth is, you’re only losing water and actual fat.

Moreover, in the process, you’re subjecting your body to vitamin deficiencies, heart palpitations, hair fall, mood swings, and abdominal pain. All of that plus the fact that you’ll eventually gain back the weight you lost, if not more. Moreover, there are medical experts who aren’t fully convinced that these plans actually remove toxins from your body or improve your health in any way.

9. Diuretics
Also known as, ‘water pills’, diuretics increase the amount of urine you produce and discharge. However, all these pills do is get rid of extra fluids in your body, as well as electrolytes and vital minerals, as zinc. One of the most serious and common side effects of diuretics is dehydration, which can quickly become a life-threatening situation if not taken care of in time.

10. Quit
No matter how slow you may think your progress is, never give up. Slow progress is better than no progress at all. Have faith in yourself and know that all your hard work will pay off sooner or later.

Conclusion
Focusing on moderation and mindful eating is more important than reaching a certain number on the scale. Your health is your most precious commodity, and reaching lasting weight-loss and a healthy, happy lifestyle.