10 Weight Loss Mistakes You'd Like to Avoid

For a lot of people, losing weight is a never-ending battle. It is something we deal with daily. It can feel like you're never going to be happy and healthy, but we promise you that you can be! 

One of the best places to begin is making sure that you avoid some of the common and critical weight loss errors that many people tend to make. With that in mind, let's take a look at 10 of the weight loss mistakes that you will want to avoid. 

1. Focusing on The Scale Too Much

This is one of the errors that we see a lot of people make. Not only should you focus on the scales, but you should take measurements too. Also, we recommend taking photographs of yourself. One from the front, one from the side, and one from the back. This will help you to see how much weight you are losing.

2. Not Following a Sustainable Diet

A lack of sustainability is a real problem when it comes to weight loss today. You need to make sure that you choose a weight loss plan that you will stick with over the long term. Otherwise, you might find yourself hopping between a super restrictive diet and binge eating.

3. Not Doing Strength Training 

Strength training is critical for managing and losing weight, as it can help you burn more calories. Not only that, but you will be able to build lean muscles and improve your quality of life by adding resistance training to your weight loss regime. 

4. Eating the Calories You Lose During Exercise According to Your Tracker

The currently available fitness trackers are helpful and effective in helping you keep an eye on your workouts, recovery and track progress in your fitness. Some of them can also track the calories you burn during exercise. Many people think they can then eat those calories back. 

There are two problems with this. First, those calculations are never accurate. Second, if you eat it all back, you might achieve much less calorie deficit or nothing at all. A calorie deficit is a requirement for weight loss. So if you're stuck, have a professional create your calorie intake recommendations and ignore the calories you burn during a workout.

5. Eating Too Little Protein 

Another mistake that we see a lot of people make is not eating enough protein. Your body needs protein for essential amino acids that make up pretty much all the tissues in the body, including your muscles.

6. Eating Too Often Even When Not Hungry

We are often told to eat little and often, aren't we? Once you get into the habit of eating every 2-3 hours, it's easy to overeat if you're not careful. Also, eating often means that your stomach doesn't get a break to recover from all the digesting. 

The best rule to follow about meal timing is to wait until you feel hungry and get comfortable with the sensation far about half an hour before eating.

7. Setting Unrealistic Goals

We see many people set their expectations too high or expect quick results too soon. Sadly, that sets you up for failure automatically, and when it happens, your motivation levels take a big hit. Instead, break down your big goal into smaller milestones and, if needed, into even smaller weekly goals so you can feel a sense of achievement every week to help you carry on.

8. Lack of Portion Control or Food Logging

Portion control is one of the biggest problems that people have today. Do you always pile up your plate with food? This can be easy to do, especially if you are in the habit of cooking too much food all of the time. One thing that we recommend that you do is either weigh your meals or use your hands as a measure for portions.

9. Too Many Liquid Calories

Do you feel that you follow instructions to the letter with your workouts and eat sensibly, and still nothing happens? Have you considered your drinks? Consuming too many calories with your beverages is another problem that you want to avoid. Your seasoned iced coffee, soft drinks and even sports drinks can pack many calories that can shoot you over your daily calorie intake.

10. Not Eating Whole Foods

Finally, adding whole foods to your diet is imperative. There are many benefits associated with this, but the main one is that you will get a hefty dose of nutrients in one sitting, which is vital. In other words, focus on eating about 80% of all your calories from fresh meat and whole foods, ideally cooked at home so that you can avoid calorie-heavy seasoning.

Conclusion

The devil is in the details and your everyday habits. If you ensure you don't make any of the above mistakes, you're already a lot closer to achieving your physique goals. If you'd like to have a commitment-free chat about your goals, feel free to get in touch!