RYPT Health: 5 Traits of Weight Gain
- Avoid these habits to escape pitfalls
- Basic changes for better health
Weight gain is something that doesn't happen in isolation. More often than not, it's a combination of stress, anxiety, tiredness and ironically, lack of energy that leads to taking shortcuts. From there, it can become a slippery slope to weight gain through poor choices.
Here are the top five:
STRESS
Whether you realise it or not, the impact of stress is that your choices will be affected.
As documented in previous blogs, there is a physiological reaction to stress on the body. Not only does this make you more likely to compromise your wellness but will instinctively drive you to poorer food choices.
Physically, stress means that we hunch more and become more introverted. Muscular injuries therefore become more common especially back pain which can manifest though mental duress.
Injuries often begin the descent into poorer nutrition and a feeling of starting "next week."
EXERCISE BALANCE
Weight gain does not occur if your balance of nutrition and physical activity is correct. Depending on what your goals are (for example you may wish to gain weight) will factor into a nutritional plan.
As much as I despise calories (due to the inability to file healthy foods from unhealthy ones) as a rough indication, you should be burning calories off through exercise. Although the ideal scenario would be weight training, where you can invest in longer term health by having the body use muscle to burn fat for you.
It can be confusing but regular physical exercise will help you mentally, physically and as a result, negate potential weight gain.
Weight can be gained if you don't address underlying issues like long term stress. This is due to the catabolism or breakdown of nutrients in the body, which over the longer term leads to ill health and poor immune system.
CONVENIENCE
Oftentimes, taking shortcuts leads to more work in the longer run.
It's a sad state of affairs that unhealthy eating is perceived to be quicker and (normally is) cheaper.
I've worked in high intensity jobs where you can go up to eight hours without a stipulated break. It's illegal but it does happen and you need food on-the-go. The nearest supermarket happens to have a promotion on chocolate bars (which are ideally located). So rather than trail around the shop, you make a dash for the till.
If you had taken a small portion of time the night before, you could have organised a quick and convenient snack or meal. Not everybody has a microwave where they work but there are healthy options that you can utilise when out and about.
Try a free RYPT nutritional evaluation and find out what small changes you could make.
TIME
Shortcuts don't lead to fitness success. There is no substitute for planning and maintaining a healthy regime.
Working long hours can be inhibitive to your workouts. Being under pressure with deadlines will often lead to not taking appropriate breaks or indeed, even eating.
Almost all quick and convenient foods that you'll find in a supermarket are higher in fats, salts or carbohydrates than if you had planned ahead.
Don't let time be an excuse, ensure that you have an emergency plan for your nutrition for when things don't go right and carry healthy snacks.
HABIT
As a culmination of all these factors, habit begins to creep in. One day of poor eating can quickly become a week.
Habits can also be healthy, for example a piece of fruit every day at breakfast. Simple changes will get you back on track without too much effort.
This can be the most dangerous of the five as it is very difficult to break a habit. Often there is a culmination of the above the above reasons and convenience takes precedence over your wellbeing. I'm not saying that you shouldn't enjoy treat meals but these should be in proportion.
Weekly reviews of your nutritional progress and monitoring where it didn't go to plan will negate any poor tendencies.
If you are able to address any issues then you can ensure you will healthier over the longer term.
Try the RYPT nutritional and workout app today with a free trial.
Ask me for more information.
Ross
Owner
