10 Reasons Why You’re Overweight

It’s probably very tempting to dismiss this article as unnecessary or boring, ‘obviously overweight people just eat too much, what’s the point of making a list about that?’

Actually this list is more to do with people who are working out and deserve to be losing some weight, but aren’t seeing any results or are remaining overweight.

It’s tough working your hardest and not getting your rewards, there are innumerable reasons as to why this is happening though, so carry on reading if you just can’t seem to shift those pounds and want to know why:

1. I Drink ‘Sports Drinks’ To Increase My Energy

Time and time again you’ll see people drinking some silly-named ‘energy restoring’ drink. The ingredients essentially boil down to sugar, water and more than likely too much food colouring.

If you’ve just lifted a few weights or had a quick jog then you really have no need for this stuff.

Unless you’ve just had the work out of a lifetime and need to desperately replenish your sugar levels it’s best to stay away from it.

2. Oh, I Eat Protein Bars Too

Once again, the food choice of the try-hard. You really don’t need to eat protein bars if you’re wanting to lose weight, they’ll offer you very minimal help.

In fact, if you take a look at the label you might find that some brands of protein bars actually include the same amount of calories and fat as a plain old chocolate bar.

Some protein bars are better than others, and a few of them are probably beneficial. Many are full of artificial sweeteners and chemicals that really don’t sound too good for you though.

3. Cereal for Breakfast, Like a Champ

Another bad idea when trying to lose weight. Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and is essential to power your body.

Breakfast shouldn’t consist of unhealthy looking sugar-crammed cereal though. Why not try something a little more natural? Bananas, maybe strawberries, any fruit really.

It can’t be just me who thinks that they sound much more appetising than a bowl of sugar and cardboard.

4. Muesli Taste So Bad It Has To Be Good?

This is a surprising one to be honest, for a long time muesli has been considered the staple of a healthy diet. Most muesli bars however are high in fat, sugar and calories – go figure.

Toasted muesli is the same, much more fat and calories than if you were to just stick with the raw muesli option.

It may not be excited or full of flavour, but at least we can be sure that eating it raw isn’t unhealthy.

5. Dried Fruit, It’s Like Normal Fruit But Packed Full of Energy, Right?

Ah, dried fruit. Many people seem to mistake it as being more healthy than normal fruit (or equally as good for you).

By taking the water out of fruit though, what are you left with? The sugar and the calories – not exactly food to keep you fighting fit.

Fresh fruit is far better for you and you only have to eat less compared to the dried variation.

6. I Buy Salads When I Eat Out, All the Time

In all honesty the salads you’ll buy at restaurants and fast-food places just aren’t as healthy as they should be.

Salad’s good for you, yes, but more so if you prepare it yourself and don’t add all of the high-fat dressings and sugary sauces that you’ll find in purchased salads.

Prepare it all yourself with fresh ingredients and a little effort, you’ll come out on top and have a healthy meal instead of a high-fat waste of money.

7. I Eat Vegetarian Meals, They’re So Much Healthier

This is another fairly common misconception. If you’re eating vegetarian meals and working out but not losing any weight maybe you should take a look what’s in them?

In all fairness, it’s an easy mistake to make. They sound like they should be a whole lot healthier but can very often contain tonnes of fat and oil.

Obviously this isn’t the case with all vegetarian meals, just make sure to read the labels and check out what you’re putting into your stomach first.

8. I Eat Muffins, They’re Pretty Good For You

This is such an erroneous assumption and one that really needs to disappear. Muffins aren’t good for you, they’re basically cakes.

Flour, sugar, eggs and fat is not a healthy diet in any way, shape or form. It may seem like muffins are harmless snacks or a great way to fill your stomach, but this is far from the truth.

As with everything, eat in moderation if you must eat them at all.

9. I Know That Nuts are Good For You Though, Seeds Too

Nuts and seeds are good for you when eaten as part of a healthy and stable diet, overeating or just mindlessly munching them is going to have really bad effects though.

The majority of nuts are over 50% fat, a simply enormous number considering how many of them some people eat.

They’re natural and healthy but not in large quantities, if you must snack on nuts and seeds make sure you limit yourself and eat small amounts.

10. Drinking Smoothies and Fruit Juices Has Got to Be Good For Me Though?

This one’s a classic, these drinks are constantly sold as being healthy and good for your body but drinking a whole bunch of them is going to do you no good whatsoever.

These drinks can be absolutely filled with fats and calories and are a sure-fire way of piling on the pounds.

Don’t use them as your sole source of hydration, why not stick to water? It’s so much better for you and has a lot of beneficial aspects.

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Hopefully you’ll take a look at what you eat and drink through new eyes now. It takes no effort at all to read the label and check out what calories and fats you’re putting into your system.

They’re many more reasons why you could be overweight that couldn’t be included in the list. Common sense always prevails though.

If you smoke like a chimney, don’t move from your couch and think that cardio is a strange new board game then obviously the blame lies elsewhere.