We get onto weight loss diets and exercise every single day sincerely hoping to shed all the extra fat and get into a dream body within a few weeks. All of us are trying to become fitter or at least trying to maintain the current weight. To achieve our goals, we stick to the diet, exercise on a daily basis, but even then, when the results aren’t visible, it would be prudent to find out whether you are obstructing your own weight loss by committing certain mistakes. These miscalculations would not only prevent one from burning fat, they can in fact lead to weight gain. So, let’s find out whether you are actually obstructing your own weight loss and if yes, how to not do so.

1. Loads of Empty Calories that you do not Calculate: That bag of yummy potato chips that you grab while watching Netflix or a few cookies through the day that you nibbled on when you were plain bored may not seem much in terms of calories, but they do flood your body with hundreds of empty calories that are most probably going to be stored as fat instead of getting utilized. We diligently calculate calories of major meals but do not lay much importance on calculating calories from snacks (most of the times, they are empty calories). In fact, cutting out empty calories can fast forward your journey to goal weight. Replace empty calories with nutrient-dense food that would supply the body with vitamins, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and other essential minerals that the body needs to function properly. Maintaining a food journal to jot down every single item that one eats would also help in eliminating these empty calories. Do check out Rati Beauty weight loss diets on the Rati Beauty app to find out how you can cut calories, eat healthy, and lose weight in the process.
2. Not Drinking Enough Water: If there’s one golden rule you should absolutely follow while trying to drop extra pounds – it’s “drink at least 8 glasses of water each day!” There’s hardly any dispute that drinking water throughout the day helps with weight loss. Plain water affects fat loss in more ways than one – it helps to flush out toxins, has absolutely no calories, boosts metabolism, and keeps hunger pangs in check. Also, drinking water at these times would speed up the weight loss process.
3. You have Switched from Soft Drinks to Diet Sodas: So, you have given up soft drinks because you know they aren’t healthy and definitely not good while trying to lose weight. But wait, have you have taken a liking to diet soda assuming it to be a healthier alternative to those calorie-laden fizzy drinks. Most diet soda versions that claim to have zero calories and no “real sugar,” has artificial sweeteners like aspartame or saccharin to match up to the sweetness of refined sugar, and artificial color, flavour, and other additives which can raise inflammation in the body, triggering weight gain. Also, a high amount of caffeine found in such drinks can make you dehydrated, making you retain water as well.
4. Too Much Stress: Losing weight can be a stressful process and if you are chronically under stress (personal, professional, psychosocial, physical, etc.), it can prove to be an uphill battle. Studies have found a direct link between stress and weight gain, hence stress can become a bane in multiple ways – it can not only prevent weight loss, it can add extra pounds too. Apart from lowering metabolism, the stress hormone “cortisol” increases appetite, cravings, and also directs the body to store fat around the belly region, and that’s why it becomes extremely important to find ways to lower stress. Read about “7 Ways To Beat Stress Related Weight Gain.”
5. Not Fixing a Sluggish Gut: Poor digestion, sluggish gut, imbalance in gut flora – would lead to weight gain and throw important fat-burning hormones out of whack. A robust gut is one of the prerequisites in order to lose weight. Fermented food, probiotics all help build a strong gut. Additionally, do read How Fermented Indian Food Can Help with Weight Loss.
6. You Don’t Sleep Enough: We have always maintained that sleeping for 7 hours or more is absolutely necessary to burn fat. Not having a sound sleep has a spiralling effect when it comes to weight and health – it reduces leptin (satiety hormone) level, increases cortisol production, makes metabolism sluggish, lowers fat-burning enzymes, increases level of the hunger hormone “ghrelin.”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. Concentrating only on Short-Term Goals: When we diet, we often think that this is just for a week or for a month. Instead of trying to lose 15 kg in one month, start making lifestyle changes, eat healthy, exercise regularly, and you can lose weight as well as remain lean for life.
8. Being Impatient: Slow and steady wins the race! Just like you didn’t gain all that weight overnight, you will not lose it all in a week. Aim to lose one kg per week. If you lose too much and too fast, by following the wrong methods, you would feel lethargic and fatigued. Also, most of the times, fad diets target your muscles and water weight, instead of burning real fat. Do check out Rati Beauty weight loss diets to burn fat instead of just water weight.
9. Stress Eating: It’s easier said than done. We all eat when we’re stressed, we tend to turn towards comfort food for solace. Stop attaching emotions with food and comfort. Engage in fun activities such as decorating your room, or pursuing a hobby when you are plain bored or stressed out to avoid weight gain.
10. Overeating on Weekends: If you have stuck to your diet throughout the week, but stretch the cheat meal into a cheat weekend, you are undoing a week’s worth of effort. Do practice mindful eating during weekends and keep a tabs on calorie intake even while socializing or getting together with friends. Most importantly, keep “cheat meal” as a single time indulgence, avoid stretching it into a two-day affair.
11. Eating Less But Most of it is Unhealthy Food: Okay, so you do count every calorie through the day, and remain within the calorie count to lose weight, but a major chunk of those calories come from unhealthy food such as transfat, sugar, and oily food. In the long term, such a strategy would not work because transfat, sugar, do not provide any nourishment to the body, and on the contrary, trigger weight gain in all individuals. Switch to healthy, whole foods, check out such weight loss diets on Rati Beauty app.
12. Not Enough Fiber in the Diet: Fiber is an important category in a healthy diet because it helps to maintain a healthy digestive system, regulate blood sugar levels, and improves overall health. Fiber helps to reduce appetite, reduces belly fat, and thus helps with weight loss too. Since fiber has low glycemic index, it also does not spike up insulin and thus reduces the chance of extra calories getting stored up as fat in the body. Here are “12 Handy Tips to Add More Fiber to your Diet.”
13. Making Lifestyle Changes: Don’t eat late at night. Sleep early. Prepare your own meals so you know how much is at stake. Don’t keep tempting snacks around. Move around more. Spend more time outdoors. Cut out sugary foods, eat more of local produce – and all of these things would add up!

14. Keep yourself Motivated: Losing weight is a process and it takes time see visible results. It’s a long journey and do find a way to keep yourself motivated. Check your weight frequently, but don’t get obsessed with it. Stick to your weight loss diet, be active through the day, and sleep well, and you can flaunt a lighter version of yourself soon.

Additionally, drink more water, exercise, sleep early and wake up early!

10 Ways to Cut Hundreds of Empty Calories Through The Day
Best Times to Drink Water to Speed Up Weight Loss
7 Ways To Beat Stress Related Weight Gain
How Fermented Indian Food Can Help with Weight Loss

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