5 Common Mistakes You Should Never Make To Lose Weight

Every weight loss journey is a long battle that can slowly eat away at your motivations and self-esteem. This arduous battle requires you to tweak and sometimes even transform your lifestyle habits, throwing you into a loop. From sticking to a clean and sensible diet to making ill-advised decisions that can cause health consequences, your journey can make you feel like you’re doing every single thing right and yet, you can’t see the results you’ve been hoping for.

But did you know, you could actually be self-sabotaging by following outdated and misguided advice? So, to significantly aid in your journey, here are 5 common mistakes you should avoid when trying to lose weight.

1. Choosing diet or low-fat foods.

Foods that claim to be low-fat or weight loss friendly may not be as great as they claim to be. Many of such foods are jam-packed with oil, sodium and sugar to compensate for taste. The granola and trail mix boast healthy properties – whole oats and grains – but they are often prepared with an unhealthy amount of butter and oil. The emblematic weight loss food of all time, the salad, is a healthy meal – that is, if you’re eating it by itself. Once you add the croutons, cured meats and high-fat dressing, it stops becoming the healthy meal you thought you were going for.

Be sure to research and check the nutritional label before purchasing any of such foods. The rule of thumb: choose a combination of nutritious and minimally processed foods instead of low-fat ones.

2. Not consuming sufficient protein

There are several diet trends out there, one of which is the low-protein diet. Unless you have certain health conditions that require you to reduce your protein intake, not taking enough may actually be hindering your progress!

Eating enough protein is vital if you’re aiming to lose weight. In fact, protein helps to reduce appetite and calorie intake, whilst simultaneously increase feelings of fullness and metabolic rate. It also protects your muscle mass during your weight loss. Ensure your meals contain sufficient protein for optimal weight loss.

3. Not cutting down on sugary drinks

Sugar-sweetened beverages are one of the unhealthiest beverages on the planet. These drinks contain a lot of calories, which is detrimental to your health. Moreover, liquid sugar calories don’t make you full either. You end up unknowingly adding extra calories on top of your normal intake.

You may know this and have already eliminated sweetened beverages and soft drinks from your diet, but maybe you have missed out on fruit juice. Similar to sodas and the like, fruit juices are loaded with sugar, and will not help in your weight loss.

4. Not tracking what you consume

Successful weight loss does not stop at consuming healthy foods, but portion control is another aspect that you will want to look into. No doubt, consuming healthy and nutritious foods is an excellent way to lose weight, but you might still be subconsciously eating more calories than needed. When you don’t track what you eat, you’re also uncertain if you’re getting the right amount of fibre, protein, fat and carbs that are necessary to support your efforts.

Studies also show that you get an accurate overview of your nutrient and calorie consumption and provide accountability when you track what you eat. It’s recommended for you to jot down everything you eat in a day to give you a better idea of your consumption habits.

5. Setting unrealistic goals 

Having weight loss goals can motivate you to lose weight, but setting unrealistic expectations can work against you. Unrealistic expectations can lead to utmost frustration, which might in turn, cause you to give up.

Adjust your expectations and set a more modest and realistic goal to increase your chances of achieving successful weight loss. This prevents you from feeling discouraged and significantly improves your chances of success.

On the other hand, you can also opt for our natural TCM slimming treatment in Singapore to achieve the desired body you’ve been yearning for. At Slim Couture, rest assured that you’ll be in good hands as we take care of your body inside out to boost your metabolism and improve your overall health.

5 Common Bad Habits You Should Shake Off To Lose Weight

Going on a weight loss journey can be undeniably frustrating, especially when results don’t seem to show. The smallest actions that may seem inconsequential, but they tend to have a substantial impact on the number on the weight scale. While these actions alone are not the impetus for your climbing weight, they can easily develop into bad habits, and this is when the problem arises.

The insidious part about this is the fact that these habits don’t develop overnight. You’ve probably unknowingly made these habits without truly understanding its effects, especially to your weight. But fret not! You can still make the necessary changes and change always start by recognizing what these counterproductive habits. Without further ado, read on as we present 5 common bad habits you should avoid when trying to lose weight.

1. You stay up late

On top of repairing and renewing your cells, restoring energy and releasing molecules and proteins, getting sufficient sleep can also keep you slim. Studies have shown that maintaining a healthy and proper sleep schedule is essential to keep your tummy slim and tight. In fact, dieters who get less than 5 hours of sleep tend to gain 2 times more weight than those who get more than 8 hours of sleep.

Aim for 6-8 hours of sleep every night, which is proven to be the optimal amount for weight control. Avoid taking naps during the day and refrain from drinking caffeine 6 hours before your bedtime.

2. You skip meals

Many are under the impression that skipping meals will help them attain their weight loss goals, hence the diet trends. Unfortunately, this has been debunked. Skipping meals can increase the likelihood of you gaining more weight, especially when it comes to skipping the most vital meal of the day, breakfast.

Skipping meals will not only make you feel hungry faster, but it also slows down your metabolism. On top of the likelihood that you’ll overeat at your next meal, your body will have a harder time burning calories during rest and activities. As such, you’ll put on weight. To help you with this, you can make your healthy yet delicious breakfast the night before to motivate you to eat.

3. You binge-watch television 

When you binge-watch your Netflix series or movies, the chances of you subconsciously snacking are exceptionally high. Make the most of your television time by multitasking as you watch. It can be as simple as folding some laundry, doing planks, or even wall sits occasionally.

4. You rush through meals

A study found that slow eaters consume 66 lesser calories as compared to their peers who eat fast. By eating slowly, the stomach will signal to the brain to release more satiety hormones, hormones that govern the feeling of fullness. Once these hormones are secreted, you’ll feel full faster and will stop eating.

You can start each meal with two glasses of water, which serve as a natural appetite suppressant to help you feel full. When your food comes, place your fork in between bites and slow down your eating pace, giving your body additional time to digest the food.

5. You hardly drink water

Surprisingly, most people confuse thirst and hunger, often mistaking the former for later. Clinical studies have shown that 36% of people have weak thirst signals, thus mistaking hunger for thirst.

As such, make an effort to drink 8 cups of water every single day. If you’re not a fan of plain water, try spicing things up by adding fruits like calorie-free fresh citrus to make your very own detox water.

The 5 common habits above might be hard to shake off, but follow our useful tips, and you’ll be a step closer to attaining your weight loss goals. To aid in your weight loss journey, we also offer entirely natural TCM slimming in Singapore to enhance your metabolism and boost your overall health without any downside. Start losing weight effectively with us today!

Maintain Your Weight Loss With These 5 Effective Ways

The end goal of any weight loss journey is to shed a couple of pounds and keep that weight off for the long term. Unfortunately, not everybody is successful in maintaining their weight loss. In fact, a 1999 study estimated that only 20% of overweight Americans are successful at losing at least 10% of their body weight and maintaining this weight loss for at least a year.

Losing weight is surely not an easy feat, but keeping it off long-term is where many tend to struggle the most. The reason behind this hurdle all boils down to your biology: your brain and body are hard-wired to regain lost weight! After you’ve lost weight, not only will your metabolism slows down, but your body will also burn fewer calories compared to the start of your journey. Compounded with convenient lifestyle choices, it makes it all too easy to put the pounds back.

Before you conclude that your efforts are all for nought, know that not all is lost! There are numerous scientifically proven methods that can help you keep the weight off. All it boils down to is consistency. Here are 5 lifestyle choices to incorporate in your weight loss journey.

1. Exercise regularly

Exercise plays a crucial role in not only weight loss, but also weight maintenance. In fact, it becomes the most important factor when trying to maintain weight loss. Physical activity helps to prevent metabolic slowdown.

Studies have shown that those who are successful in weight maintenance exercise more than the average person. You’ll want to clock in more than 200 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. You can start with walking for 60 minutes a day, 6 times a week. If you wish to do more vigorous activities, you can afford to shorten it to 35 to 45 minutes a day. This amount of activity can be daunting to many, so you can always start slow before increasing your physical activity levels when you’re ready.

2.Incorporate “modified foods” to your diet

No matter how many superfoods or carb-free foods you include in your diet, there is no shortcut when it comes to maintaining your weight loss. What does help to keep those pounds off is to instil consistent eating habits. Besides watching your intake, consider swapping your regular ingredients with “modified foods” containing less sugar, fat, or processed carbs. Eating such foods will satiate your hunger without eating excessive calories and fat.

Of course, by replacing your regular foods with these “modified” ones, it also means that you’re working with a more limited diet of ‘safe foods’ that you have to eat over and over again. Whilst it may be boring, it is no doubt effective at reducing the number of calories, fat grams and sugar that you would have otherwise included in your diet, rendering your efforts moot.

3.Stay hydrated

Drinking water helps boost your metabolism, cleanse your body of waste, and acts as an appetite suppressant. Thus, it stands to reason that you’ll want to ensure that you drink enough during your weight loss and weight management journey. Always strive to drink 250ml of plain water 8 times a day. If you sweat a lot or exercises regularly, you’ll want to increase your intake accordingly.

4.Get enough sleep

Getting sufficient sleep has a significant impact on weight control. In fact, sleep deprivation is one of the culprits of weight gain in adults! Inadequate sleep has been found to trigger decreased levels of leptin and increased levels of ghrelin, which will increase your hunger and appetite. To make things worse, those with insufficient sleep are unlikely to spend time making healthy food choices and work out, opting for something more convenient. Find ways to adjust your schedule and sleeping habits, and strive to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night for optimal weight control.

5. Manage stress

Controlling your stress levels is imperative to weight control. High level of stress promotes increased production of cortisol, the “stress hormone”. As a response to a spike in cortisol, your body will also produce more insulin. This will cause your blood sugar to drop, and you’ll end up craving sugary and fatty foods.

To better manage your stress levels, you can consider incorporating meditation and breathing exercise in your morning routine. Regular exercise is another excellent approach that’s effective at keeping your cortisol levels down.

You can also maintain your weight by opting for our TCM slimming treatment in Singapore. Here at Slim Couture, we’ve adopted Traditional Chinese Medicine practices to help you slim down easily and safely. Reach out to us and start your weight loss journey today!

The Trouble With Diet Pills: 3 Reasons To Not Consume Them

For those with a strong desire to lose or maintain their weight, diet pills may seem like the magical answer for all their weight-related problems. After all, these supplements often carry extravagant promises about losing weight despite not being backed up by clinical research. Contrary to their claims, these drugs may hold potential hidden dangers that may very well affect your overall health for the worse.

In spite of it all, the demand for these products continues to grow, propagating eating disorder amongst individuals. Unfortunately, the ignorance and blatant dismissal of such adverse health effects are the reasons for its growth. To understand why you shouldn’t include diet pills in your weight loss journey, here are 3 reasons why.

1. They provide false expectations

One of the most prominent issues with weight loss pills is the false and unrealistic expectations these supplements often feed their consumers. They promise much more they can deliver and hide behind clauses as they do so. Their claims to lose weight within a short time is often unfounded, and also unsafe.

Unfortunately, many of these diet supplements are endorsed by several celebrities and social media stars, propagating their influence even further. The worse part: since the Internet and social media are too vast to be monitored, the influence may reach even to those who are impressionable.

When you fail to attain the results you desire and expect, this might demotivate you and might even make your self-esteem plummet to the ground. If not checked, it will develop into a vicious cycle that may be hard to break in the long run. Instead, speak to a professional about a weight management programme that’s both effective and safe.

2. They won’t change your lifestyle

Most diet pills work by appetite suppression or increasing your heart rate, they aren’t able going to be able to maintain your weight in the long run. After all, you can’t possibly suppress your appetite forever lest your body takes the brunt of your dietary decision. Moreover, if you’re under the impression that a single pill will do the work for you, you’re less likely to check your food labels or exercise.

If you wish to be successful in the long term, you’ll need to incorporate significant lifestyle changes in your journey. Weight management means adopting a healthier lifestyle by exercising regularly and eating clean. Simply consuming a pill periodically will not give you your dream results.

3. You might experience adverse side effects 

All living things exist through the conversion of matter into energy. This process relies on a cocktail of enzymes that activates biochemical reactions to unlock the energy stored within food. When you’re relying on diet pills, what they’re essentially doing is toggling your internal switches to activate these biochemical results and pass it off as weight loss. There are two ways they do this: appetite suppression and the blocking of food absorption.

The majority of diet supplements claim you can lose body fat by simply suppressing your appetite. This is done by activating specific hormones that will trigger your body’s sympathetic response system, otherwise known as fight-or-flight reaction. In this state, your body will be too alert to even register hunger and the like. Naturally, your appetite disappears. However, constantly activating this state will only make your body hyper-active for long periods of times, no matter the event. This may cause your heart to overexert itself, and reduce the efficacy of your body’s neurotransmitters such that your brain no longer can regulate stress nor enter the rest-and-repair stage to repair your cells and tissues. Prolonged use elevates the risk of several ailments, including dementia, depression and stroke, amongst many others.

Certain diet pills also carry fat blockers that’ll inhibit certain enzymes from lowering your body’s nutrient absorption, such that you will 1/3rd of the fats that enter your stomach will be left unprocessed. The body will then flush it out, resulting in an upset stomach and uncontrollable diarrhoea. And since you don’t wish to go through diarrhoea, you’ll naturally avoid fatty meals.

Other side effects of such pills that were reported also include headaches, mood swings and constipation. Additionally, diet pills often contain anti-anxiety drugs, amphetamines and antidepressants that are not only a dangerous mix but are also highly addictive.

Don’t put your body through all the unsafe side-effects, and engage in healthy waste management practices. Opt for a well-balanced diet and regular exercise. These practices work together with your natural biological systems, rather than working against it.

Alternatively, you can also lose weight safely and effectively with our TCM slimming treatments. Here at Slim Couture, we’ve adopted Traditional Chinese Medicine slimming methods that will simultaneously boost your health as it helps you lose weight. Attain your desired results with us today!