8 Weight Loss Mistakes

Having trouble losing weight? Can’t get started? Find yourself stalled at a plateau? Check to see if you’re making on of these mistakes:

1. Being too strict

Being too strict while dieting can be a mistake. Most people are successful at losing weight when they stick to their diet about 90% of the time. That extra 10% can be used for treats: the occasional beverage, lunch out with friends, or enjoyable snack.

2. Going on a crash diet

Counting calories makes food the enemy rather than nutrition. Yo-yo diets often involve slimming own, getting in shape, gaining the weight back, and losing it again. Going back and forth isn’t healthy. Abruptly restricting your food consumption can negatively impact your metabolic rate, which will affect your energy, endurance, and productivity.  People on crash diets often crave snacks like chocolate, which provide an energy boost. This is why weight loss decreases significantly after the first couple of weeks of a crash diet.  

Tip: To reach and maintain a healthy body weight, try eating a diet rich in vitamins to lower your risk of illness, increase your immunity, boost your energy, and contribute to a healthier mental state.

3. Not eating enough protein

After middle age, our digestion can change, prompting weight gain. Research has shown that eating less carbs with up to 50% protein may help as long as there are no kidney issues. A 130lb adult could consume up to 70 grams of protein a day. Adding more protein is important as long as you don’t also add fat and calories.

4. Not getting enough sleep

When we’re tired, we crave comfort food. Our sleep is intimately connected to our hormone levels according to Joey Shulman, the Thornhill, Ontario- based creator of The Last 15-A Weight Loss Breakthrough. People who don’t get enough sleep have higher level of cortisol, the hormone related to stress. This can also trigger the stockpiling of fat. Not getting enough rest can also create an imbalance in the hormones of leptin and ghrelin, which control whether you feel full or hungry.

5. Sticking to a boring fitness regime

Even if you have a great fitness plan, staying on the same schedule over time can become boring. In his book, 5-Factor Fitness, Hollywood mentor Harley Pastnernak suggests alternating exercise during the week to focus on different body parts. Whether you change up the number of reps you do or change from cardio to kick boxing, it’s imperative to mix it up so you don’t get bored by the routine. Changing one thing every day will keep your fitness fresh.

6. Skipping meals

Toronto nutritionist Aviva Allen reports that skipping meals can adversely affect digestion as your body may begin putting away additional fat in anticipation of missed nutrition. Rather than skipping meals, try adding more frequent snacks and dinners during the day, and then make an effort not to eat after 7pm when your digestion is at its slowest. 

Eating regularly is easier than trying to restrict your food long-term. Allen points out that using diet only to arrive at a particular weight loss goal isn’t effective. If you return to your former diet once you meet your goal, you’ll likely return to your former weight. It’s important for a healthy diet to be a lifelong practice.

7. Overindulging on the weekend

To avoid overindulging on the weekend, focus on portion size and watch your alcohol consumption, which contribute empty calories and can wreck your diet. Researchers have discovered that eating more at the end of the week can often slow weight reduction as those additional calories will need to be burned off.

8. Being impatient

When you decide to lose weight, it’s easy to become impatient with the results when you are only losing one or two pounds per week. It can be disappointing when you look at women online claiming to lose 30 pounds in a month. In two or three weeks, it could be easy to lose motivation when you don’t see the progress you expected. 

Tip: Remind yourself that it took months or years to put on that weight, and it can take time to lose it too. Recall that health enthusiasts who get fit more gradually are much more likely to keep it off long-term.