10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Lose Weight
During my time here at Supplementing.com, and as a personal trainer, helping people achieve their health, fitness and appearance goals is what I love about my job. Seeing people make that transformation is an emotional high, not only for me, but for those that I am helping. It is a life-changing experience that leads to a longer, healthier, and happier life.
Now, regardless of what I know or try to teach to my clients, there are those who tend to stray off the beaten path. Maybe they heard something crazy on Dr. Oz or Oprah, or maybe their crazy sister-in-law gave them some “secret” tip about losing weight. Whatever misinformation they have received they always come back to me frustrated and in total distress because their weight loss progress isn’t going as well as it should.
Through the years of consulting people on weight loss I saw similarities in all of the common “mistakes” that people were making when trying to lose weight. The interesting and important thing is that they aren’t huge mistakes. Are you ready to know what the most common mistake dieters make are?
Take a Look...
1. All Diet and No Exercise? Really...
I know. Most of you don’t want to be “bulky” or “too muscly”. You can have muscle without looking like a ripped freak. Exercise will help you build lean mass. Lean mass helps you burn more calories and more fat. With lean muscle, your body becomes a “fat burning furnace”.
2. Avoid Diet Fads Like the Plague
If you have had the chance to search Google for diets or weight loss, I can be pretty safe to assume that you have run into quite a few of these diet fads. There is the infamous "3-Day Diet", oh and the “7-Day Diet”. Day Diets don’t do it for you? Then why not give the Grapefruit Diet or the Lemonade Diet a shot? All of these DON’T teach you good eating habits, they only tell you what to eat. Fad Diets ALWAYS promise you fast weight loss. The problem is most fad diets result in the “Yo-Yo Effect”. You may “lose” weight but you will gain it back and then some. A good diet plan gets you in the habit of eating healthy in the real world.
3. Don’t Skip that Meal
I used to skip meals all the time. Throughout the ENTIRE day I would have insane sugar cravings. I couldn’t figure it out. Then my nutritionist asked my about my diet strategy. He told me that skipping meals lowers your sugar levels, and you will have cravings for sugary products. Instead of 3 “big” meals break those out into 4 to 5 smaller meals a day. This will help you to not only control your cravings but it will also help you control your appetite.
4. The Super Strict Diet
Some people follow really strict diets; they avoid eating meats, grains, fruits or some vegetables. A recent “fad” is HCG - which limits you to 500 calories per day (seriously). Depriving your body of these essential nutrients will slow your metabolism and cause your body to not get the nutrition and energy that it needs to function. Nutritionists recommend consuming 1200 to 1500 daily calories – and even more if you work out every week.
5. Drink Water, then Drink Some More Water
You need to be drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily (8 oz each). Water has so many benefits it is amazing. To me it is nature’s best appetite suppressant. It helps you feel full. Not only that but water gives you energy, improves athletic performance, removes toxins and waste from your body. There are so many benefits that I could keep going on, and on and on....
6. I Exercise Therefore I Can Eat that “Treat”
This was one of my biggest mental blocks. I would do a lot of cardio and weight lifting. Then I would get to work and be presented with a plethora of delicious treats. Trust me, it is SO EASY to justify eating those snacks and it is diet suicide. Don’t think you can be successful at losing weight with exercise and a crappy diet. Like me, and millions of others, you will ask yourself “Why am I exercising and not losing weight?’’ I hate to break your heart but Exercise + Snacks does not equal Weight Loss.
7. Doing Too Much Too Soon
It is hard for most people to go from a total sedentary lifestyle to a hardcore fitness machine. Too many people tend to suffer some sort of injury. If you are injured guess where you end up? Back on the Couch! You can’t turn yourself into a Marathon Runner over night. I don’t care if you have run in the past. Don’t pretend you can run 5, 10, 15 miles without the proper training first. The same goes for weight lifting, don’t start with heavy weights. It isn’t a contest and you are not competing in the Olympics. Strength will come, but if you get injured you will be that much further away from your goals.
8. Doing Too Little for Too Long
On the flip-side, when you are weight lifting you need to feel your muscles working. This is the point of resistance training. Your Muscles Need to Work! Lifting shouldn’t be easy.
9. Too Much Exercise?
I know you are excited. I know you want to lose that weight and do it as FAST as possible. I want you too also. BUT you can not do it if your body is failing to get the proper rest it needs to recover from all of your training. Remember, you are taking rest days from “Exercise” NOT from your diet.
10. Should You Ditch the Carbs?
No way! Your body NEEDS carbohydrates. They provide your body with a great source of energy. That being said, your body needs the good carbs, the complex carbs, not the carbs associated with snack foods. Oatmeal is my main source of carbs because there are so many delicious ways it can be prepared.
This list of Common Diet Mistakes could easily go on until we reached 200. You need to diet and exercise smart. Take everything in moderation. Burn more calories than you consume. Build muscle to help you burn more calories. If you have any questions reach out to a nutritionist or contact us for help regarding proper supplementing.
Avoid these common tips and you will lose weight! What are you waiting for?
