Nalisha Patel HealthMastery Head Personal Trainer

Weight-loss sabotage On a new weight-loss program, are you doing your required weights routine, jogging 3 times a week and eating as healthy as you can and still not losing the weight you set out to lose? Sometimes the littlest things can put a spanner so to speak in your effort to lose weight. Outlined below are 6 weight-loss sabotages and what you can do about them. Weight-loss sabotage 1: You work overtime You may need to work overtime to move up the ranks or put in the extra effort for your own business. But as your career grows, so can your waistline. Many people who work late into the evening (7-9pm) end up sabotaging their weight-loss plans by eating fast food or hastily thrown together (i.e. unhealthy) meals due to being fatigued and famished. All these ‘just this once’ days turn into a bigger waist-line and a habit that may be hard to break. Action Task: Plan your meals for the upcoming week. If you know exactly what your meal plan is and you stock up on the required ingredients, then you are more likely to cook those meals. If you have a few late nights planned at the office, cook your dinner the night before. Set a goal to eat less fast food each week until you are down to once per week, or better yet once or twice per month. Also look at how you are working throughout the day. What are you doing that is making you work overtime to get tasks completed? If you are taking on more than you can manage, talk to your boss. If you run your own business, then plan your day and time better so that you can eat a decent meal. It all really comes down to self management. Weight-loss sabotage 2: You grocery shop when hungry We are all guilty of this. Shopping straight after work when  you are tired and hungry is not a good way to shop! We are more likely to impulse buy and grab that oh so tempting chocolate bar as we wait at the checkout counter or grab a jumbo sized potato chip packet on our way to pick up items on our grocery list.  Action task: Many of us know that shopping when hungry and tired leads to impulse buying, but sometimes there is no other option. Plan your shopping list each week and set 2-3 particular days you plan to shop. On those days, pack a mini snack such as a muesli bar or a homemade mixed nut scroggin to take away your hunger edge. Better yet, order your groceries online. Not only will this save you time, it really will save you money as you will only order the basics and not impulse (i.e. fatty, junky foods) purchases. What you cannot see, you are less likely to buy. Weight-loss sabotage 3: Sneaky extra calories In my experience as a personal trainer, it is very common to have some clients who do all the right things exercise and nutrition-wise, yet wonder why they are not losing any weight. The answer usually lies with unsuspecting habits that slowly add on extra calories. Your daily coffee with the ‘small’ shot of caramel, the ‘small’ handful of chocolate peanuts each day after work and the ‘one’ biscuit that eventuates into an empty bag every time you watch your favorite programme, is usually to blame for the kilos creeping back on. Action task: I recommend to all clients to fill out a food diary every few weeks or so to really look at what they are eating. It is a great way to check for any weak areas or patterns that lead to you sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. Most commonly emotions have a huge part to play in eating higher calorie foods. Look over your week long food diary and then look at ways you can cut out extra calories by substituting it with a healthier alternative. For example, if you consume a whole packet of biscuits every time you sit down to watch your favorite TV programme, stop buying biscuits and realise that you just wanting to keep your hands distracted as you watch! Instead choose to eat a portion of fruit at these times to get in your daily intake of fruit. Weight-loss sabotage 4: Same workouts day after day If it has been a while since you have changed your workout routine, you probably are not working your body very effectively. It usually takes 6 weeks for your body to hit a plateau with a set routine and it is less challenged, therefore your results will be minimal. Action task: If you have been walking the same circuit for weeks now, change the scenery to change how your body responds to your walks. If you can, add some hills and up the intensity by setting points to interval train. For example, lightly jog to a bench and then walk to a lamp post. Alternative between high and low intensity as you feel comfortable, but push yourself! This type of workout will get you better results than steady walking ever will. With your weights routine, it is important to increase the weight as you get stronger. The aim is to always completely fatigue your muscles on 1-2 sets. Better yet, try a new sport like squash or badminton for a different challenge. If you can, rope in a friend for more fun and accountability. Weight-loss sabotage 5: Lacking accountability Many of us secretly diet or change our routine with the fantasy that we will someday reveal our desired body to our friends and family without them ever have knowing that we were trying to lose weight. Some of us fear that if we tell others that we are trying to lose weight or get healthier, they will ridicule us or tell us we are being silly. The thing is, we all need support especially when it comes to making health and fitness changes. Action task: Tell a close friend or family member that you are planning to start a new routine to lose weight or just get healthier. Tell them to keep you accountable or keep an eye on your progress. Better yet, get them involved so you both work together to reach a goal. If you can pair up your healthy eating and workouts with a family member, the better it is. You could be the change that everyone is secretly wishing for. Most studies show that the more accountability you have when trying to reach a goal, the more successful you will be. If you need to, hire a professional trainer to get you on the right path and to act as your accountability for the best success! Nalisha Patel Head Personal Trainer, HealthMastery www.healthmastery.co.nz : FREE Report "How to lose 4 kilos in 4 weeks!"