Want To Lose Weight? Break THESE Habits...

Even if you’re doing your best, there are always habits you have that could be making those excess pounds stick on. The more you know, the more you could be optimizing your road to weight loss. Here are some things you could probably be doing better.

1. Stop avoiding the treadmill. Maybe you’re an outdoor runner, and running inside seems super boring. More likely, you don’t like to run, don’t want to run, or don’t know where to start with running. Luckily, learning how to properly use the controls on a treadmill can easily get you doing an effective interval workout, and with apps like Couch to 5K, you can start learning how to make the most of running. And unlike other cardio machines, the treadmill moves at the pace you set whether you like it or not, meaning you’re less likely to slack off.
2. Don’t believe the calorie counter. Sure, it feels good to look at the calorie counter on the elliptical and see that you burned 635 calories, but most of the time, those counters are at least 20-30% inaccurate. Instead of measuring your workout’s success by the calorie counter, measure it by listening to your body. If you feel like you can just barely talk, then you’re burning calories. Do this for 30-45 minutes and you have a weight-loss workout. 

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3. Don’t give in to peer pressure. This can become a problem when we have coworkers who ask why we took half a donut instead of two, or family members who needle us about why we picked a smaller slice of cake or serving of meat loaf. Most of the pressure to eat foods that aren’t in your weight-loss plan comes from well-meaning family and friends, so practice saying “no” to them. Women are also more likely to match bite-for-bite, whether with each other or on dates. You don’t need to do that. Eat at your own pace, no one else has a say.
4. Stop making the couch into your binge-eating zone. Everyone loves to mindlessly snack while watching an entire season of their favorite show. But that kind of behavior actually forms a habit. If you eat Ritz crackers when you watch Scandal once, twice, three times, your brain is going to tell you that Scandal time = Ritz crackers time. It becomes a habit, not an indulgence, and it’s best to try to keep that in check.

Which of these mistakes do you make? Let us know in the comments!