3 ‘Not Enough’ Habits That Can Sabotage Your Diet

At menopause a major concern can be the increasing weight gain, and when we’re having trouble losing weight, it can be tempting to place the blame entirely on our metabolism.

Yes, metabolism matters, but it’s also what we eat, how we move, and how we sleep. All of these have the power to rev up our metabolism, but many of us unknowingly sabotage themselves in these areas.

Here are three common mistakes that can keep you stuck in a metabolism rut and hinder your weight loss.

1. Not enough on your plate

Sounds counterproductive, but if you’re trying to lose weight, don’t starve yourself because it does not work.

Drastically reducing food intake is a sure way to hinder your metabolism. Instead, focus on making wiser food choices.

You already know how this works: reduce sugar and avoid processed food. They cause inflammation, prevent fat loss and increase your intake of food and drinks that burn more energy.

Avoid crash diets as whatever you lose in the short term will come back again. Smart food choices are key and there are excellent diets around to help you with this.

The Oestrogen Dominance diet specifically targets hormonal weight gain and Patrick Holford’s GI diet helps weight loss and energy gain.

2. Not enough of a workout

Exercise is vital not just for weight loss but for overall health, to keep you flexible and help burn calories.

What is important is that you raise your heart rate and get slightly breathless. How you do that is entirely up to you as there are many forms of exercise from the gym, to brisk walking, swimming, dancing and lots more.

What you need to do is find something you enjoy and will incorporate into your daily routine.

Boredom is a key element in slacking off with exercise as doing the same routine over and over again means you can lose enthusiasm.

So change things by adding in something new: if gym isn’t your thing then try a dance class and if you don’t really exercise at all then look at something new like yoga or Tai Chi.

Exercise really is an essential element or you won’t get the weight loss results you want.

If you have health issues always check with your doctor to see if the exercise is suitable for you.

3. Not enough rest 

Life now seems to keep us going almost 24/7 but depriving your body of rest actually does your metabolism more harm than good, so ease up.

Just how often have you been sitting in a restaurant, or on a bench in the park, and seeing people around you constantly on their mobile phones? That level of constant attention is not restful and can also raise your stress and anxiety levels.

When it comes to overall health, sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your mind and body. So aim to get the recommended amount of sleep for adults, 8-9 hours of restful sleep.

Without a good night’s sleep, your metabolism takes a nosedive. Sleep helps your body make the right amounts of hormones that drive your metabolism.

Unfortunately, Menopause can be a major saboteur of sleep, due to hot flushes, night sweats, more frequent trips to the bathroom and the rise in anxiety that often occurs too.

Lately if I have had a few nights of bad sleep, and I certainly have, I try to take a 20 to 30 minute “power nap“ around lunchtime. I don’t actually sleep but get a deep enough relaxation that helps me feel more energised.

Find what works for you, that might be listening to relaxing music or a short meditation to help you relax even more.

Helpful information: 

Although all the above points are important when trying to lose weight, but in my experience the key one is whether or not you are getting enough sleep.

A lack of sleep impacts every single part of your body so do what you can to try to get it more under control.

If you need some extra help this article will give you some useful tips.

https://anna.blog.wellsprings-health.com/the-complete-guide-to-a-good-nights-sleep/