If you're trying to shed pounds, there's nothing more frustrating than looking like the before picture when you're aiming for the after. Before you fall to your knees in an overly dramatic WHY ME?! moment (but, hey, do some squats while you're down there), consider this: You might just be dieting incorrectly. Yes, that's a thing — and yes, we can help. Make sure you're not guilty of committing any of these cardinal weight loss sins.
YOU'RE NOT EATING ENOUGH.
You read that right: You actually have to eat to lose weight. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, women should eat at least 1,200 calories a day, and dipping below that isn't going to make you skinny: It'll make your body think it's starving, which in turn slows down your metabolism. Plus, there's that whole "you're not you when you're hungry" thing. (Just don't grab a Snickers.)
YOU'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP.
TLDR: You have a greater chance of being obese if you don't get enough sleep. Here's the nitty gritty: A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when people are tired, they're more likely to snack at night — and on high-carb snacks, at that. Nutritionists also say that sleep-deprivation and stress usually go hand in hand, and stress can cause your body to hold on to fat. Looks like beauty sleep isn't just a myth.
YOU'RE TOO FOCUSED ON YOUR DIET.
Experts say that 80 percent of weight loss is how you diet while 20 percent is working out, but that doesn't mean you can skip breaking a sweat altogether and still expect to see mega results. Cardio is a good way to get your heart rate up and increase your metabolism, but weightlifting and strength training are the keys to losing fat and toning up, according to U.S. News.
YOU'RE CHOOSING THE WRONG POST-WORKOUT SNACK.
Burning 400 calories on the elliptical does not mean you get to crush a 400-calorie slice of cake later. You can rationalize it all you want, but what you're really doing is canceling out all your hard work at the gym. If you're hungry post workout, grab a healthier, protein-packed snack (which will help your muscles recover and grow, according to WedMD), like a shake or hard-boiled eggs.
YOU'RE NOT CUTTING OUT SUGAR.
You've probably heard from your mom, nutritionists and that annoying friend on Whole30 that sugar is the devil. Even the government thinks so, which is why it suggested a major decrease in daily sugar intake in its 2015 dietary guidelines. Limit the sneaky ways you're probably having too much, like soda, condiments and even some energy bars.
Follow Delish on Instagram.
