You may think you’re doing everything right and yet your weight loss efforts are stalling, or worse, you’ll find that the scales are tipping in the wrong direction! Maybe you successfully lost weight, but now the number on the scale is going back up. What’s going on here? Well, there are some common traps that people tend to fall into without realizing that they are sabotaging their efforts. Here are the 3 most common:

1. Skimp on protein. Starting the day with a complete protein will increase chemicals in the brain that not only improve sleep but also improve mood due to its tryptophan content. This amino acid is a precursor to serotonin, the feel-good hormone that keeps you happy and motivated. Serotonin converts to melatonin, which helps you sleep at night. Less than 6 hours of sleep per day is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, insulin resistance, increased risk of obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Sleep is critical for maintaining a healthy weight, and protein is important for restful sleep. An adequate amount of protein in the morning reduces appetite throughout the day and studies have shown that starting the day with clean protein instead of carbohydrates can reduce the risk of fatigue by up to 75% for 6 hours and double your energy in 6 hours. 30 minutes. (Better exercise!) One study found that women who included protein at breakfast lost weight 65% faster.

2. Do the same workout day after day. When you follow a consistent exercise program, your body becomes more efficient and you no longer burn as many calories. You have to increase the intensity or change your routine regularly if you want to maintain your weight loss. Your body is built intelligently and when you do the same 3 miles on the treadmill or the same kettlebell workout every day, your body adapts. Just vary your routine: the intensity, the number of reps, the speed, and even specific exercises every few weeks to keep your body amazed and burning the maximum number of calories. It is one of my recommendations in my book Today is still the day.

3. Do not drink water. Don’t get so caught up in eating healthy foods that you overlook drinking enough water. Staying hydrated reduces hunger, increases the number of calories you burn, and improves your body’s ability to burn body fat for energy. Drink 16 oz. 15-30 minutes before meals increases metabolism by 24-30% for the next hour to 1.5 hours.

My basic recommendation is half your body weight in ounces and include ΒΌ tsp. of natural raw salt for every 32 oz.

Are any of these pitfalls hindering your efforts?