Have you been trying to lose fat for a while without seeing results? You're not alone. Often, it's small daily habits that sabotage our efforts without us realizing it. In this article, we'll explore the most important factors that might be blocking your progress and how to overcome them.
Daily Habits Sabotaging Your Fat Loss
The Importance of Hydration
Water doesn't just help you eliminate fluids and look more defined. A study published in the journal Obesity with 173 participants showed that, regardless of exercise and diet, those who drank more water lost significantly more weight and fat.
Why does this happen? Research published in Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism revealed that consuming 500ml of water (not salt water) increased resting energy expenditure by 25% during the following 60 minutes. The change in osmotic gradient directly affects thermoregulation.
Practical tip: Always carry a water bottle with you and set reminders to hydrate regularly.
Balance Between Training and Daily Activity
A very common mistake, especially among beginners, is performing such intense workouts that they reduce activity for the rest of the day. If you do a hard workout but then walk 4,000 steps instead of 10,000 because your legs are exhausted, you're probably sabotaging your results.
Practical tip: Find a level of intensity that stimulates you but doesn't prevent you from staying active the rest of the day.
The Crucial Role of Polyphenols
While everyone talks about fiber for gut health, polyphenols offer greater benefits. They act as prebiotics, have postbiotic effects, and are potent anti-inflammatories, which facilitates fat loss.
Recommended sources of polyphenols:
- Small fruits like berries
- Green tea
- Pure cocoa
- Fruit extracts
Strategic Nutrition to Maximize Results
Protein Shakes: Allies for Appetite Control
Avoiding protein shakes can sabotage your fat loss by increasing your appetite at the next meal. Studies published in Advances in Nutrition showed that whey protein shakes rapidly increase satiety signals GLP-1 and PY, suppressing appetite for approximately 60 minutes.
Benefits of protein shakes:
- They satisfy the brain and reduce total calorie consumption
- Provide high-quality protein with few calories (100-120)
- Can replace less healthy snacks
The Myth of "Fat-Burning Fats"
Adding more fat to your diet won't make you burn more body fat, unless you're following a ketogenic diet. Adding butter to coffee or looking for foods fried in tallow still provides many calories. Unless you prioritize abundant protein, consuming more fat will likely make you gain weight.
Avoid Combining High Amounts of Fats and Carbohydrates
When we consume high amounts of fats and carbohydrates together, we interfere with insulin dynamics and lipolysis. A more effective strategy is to separate these macronutrients: proteins and fats together (like eggs and bacon) in some meals, and proteins and carbohydrates with little fat in others.
Behaviors Blocking Your Progress
Liquid Calories: The Silent Saboteur
Shakes and smoothies of 400-500 calories are especially problematic because they don't generate the GLP-1, GIP, and PY responses that make us feel satiated. You're consuming many calories without getting satiety signals.
Confusing Hunger with Boredom
Often we eat not because we have true hunger, but out of boredom. Learn to distinguish between these sensations. Real hunger manifests with clear physical signals, while boredom seeks stimulation that you can satisfy in other ways.
The Trap of Excessive Caloric Restriction
You don't need to reduce your calories to zero or limit yourself to 1000 calories daily. This severe restriction can be counterproductive. Instead of obsessing over the 24-hour cycle of caloric restriction, consider alternating periods without food with periods of higher consumption. Your body is capable of adapting to these fluctuations, and you'll probably get better results emotionally, psychologically, and physically.
The small saboteurs hide in our daily habits. By paying attention to these key factors and making gradual adjustments, you can unlock your fat loss and achieve those results you desire so much. Which one will you start with today?