Whatever You Do, DON'T Make These 5 Weight Loss MISTAKES BY: EXIT MAN (Sohil Farahmand)
Mistake #1: Trying To Introduce Too Many Habits At Once When you're motivated you're motivated. When you want to change your life you really want to change it - NOW. That means you pinpoint every potential aspect of your life you want to change and you try to change it all at once. And how did that work out for you? Let me show you how it normally works out: Changing More Than 1 Habit at a Time Leads to Failure The more habits you try to change at once, the fewer the habits that actually stick. In other words, if you try to add exercise, restrict calories, change your food choices, and reduce sugar all at once, the likely scenario is that none of those behaviors stick. However, if you work on one habit at a time, and you do it with laser focus and intensity, you will create a new habit. And then once that habit is formed, you can work on the next habit and continue to layer new habits on top of each other. In time you will have accumulated dozens of new healthy habits. And once that happens, you will have changed your body, mind, and life.
Mistake #2: Letting The Scale Control You The scale is a powerful tool. Unfortunately, it's rarely on your side. Have you ever looked at the number on the scale and been devastated, thrilled, or confused? I know the feeling. It's as if we rely on the scale for validation. We rely on it to tell us how to feel. And that's a mistake. The scale measures weight, but weight is made up of muscle, water, fat, ligaments, tendons, organs, and every other mass of your body. That means you could easily lose fat but gain weight if you were holding more water than usual. So you actually make progress, but the scale doesn't show it. Instead, you step on the scale, see a number you don't like, and then want to question your choices: What's the point in this if I'm not going to lose any weight? Why should I bust my butt in the gym if my weight is just going to increase? I'm working so hard and nothing is changing. What do I have to do to lose a pound?!? Here's the thing: weight loss and fat loss are not the same thing. There's a good chance you're losing fat, even if the scale doesn't show it. Since your body is mostly made up of water, your weight can fluctuate drastically on a day to day basis. But your fat loss behind the scenes is much more consistent. It looks something like this... Weight Loss vs Fat Loss
As you can see, there are going to be days where the scale doesn't give you a number you like. However, despite the number on the scale, you still have made progress. If you are to succeed at reaching your goal physique, you must take a neutral stance on the number it shows. You have to pay more attention to the trend over time. Day to day fluctuations are normal, but over time your weight should continue to trend down. Don't let the scale dictate your behaviors. Mistake #3: Eating Too Few Calories This mistake is actually the most prevalent one. So many people are walking around in a semi-starved state that there's not a chance their body is going to let go of body fat (energy). In response to such a low calorie intake your body gets extremely efficient using the few calories it gets. In other words, it slows down your metabolism. When we go from under eating to eating the correct amount of calories per day, you might notice an initial weight gain. But hang in there!! It s only temporary. After that, you will notice a larger weight loss over time compared to if you stayed on that low caloric intake. The key word here is CORRECT amount of calories which is based on your level of daily activity and your Basal Metabolic Intake. Just as eating too much calories is not good for weight loss, eating too few calories is not good for weight loss either. You can't be afraid to eat. Food is your friend - not your enemy. It's there to help, not hurt you. But you have to eat smart.
Mistake #4: Trying To Have The Perfect Diet Trying to eat 100% whole foods is setting yourself up for failure. That's called perfection, and it's rarely attainable. What normally happens is you start the day off well eating on plan. But as the day goes on your willpower takes a hit. As the evening and nighttime approach the suppressed cravings start begging to be released. And of course they do. The situation looks something like this: Willpower's Effect on Adherence as the Day Goes On Willpower is an exhaustible resource. So as the day goes on, your willpower reserves are slowly drained. Most everything you do uses up some willpower. But even more important, trying NOT to do something uses up even more of it. And what takes more willpower than fighting with your inner self over the foods you aren't supposed to eat? That's why moderation is the key to long-term adherence. And long-term adherence is the key to success. Having a portion of your food intake coming from the foods you love, healthy or not, will dramatically increase your enjoyment factor and success. After all, a diet that is 80% whole foods and 20% fun foods that lasts a lifetime is much healthier than a diet that's 100% whole foods that only lasts a few weeks due to a lack of satisfaction.
Mistake #5: Avoiding Muscular Endurance Training Most people start off trying to lose weight by jumping on the cardio equipment. Either that or they do some other form of cardiovascular exercise such as running, biking, swimming, etc. These are great activities and should be included in your program. However, you need to also be doing muscular endurance training. Why? Because the calories burned over time are dramatically different. Think of strength training as compounding interest. You work out one time, build some muscle, and then that muscle works for you burning extra calories while you rest. Over months/years the difference in pounds lost are quite staggering. Cardio vs Strength Training - Difference in Pounds Lost The chart above assumes someone burns 300 calories per workout, 3x/week. Even though calories burned DURING your workout are the same, the calories burned AFTER your workout are higher when you strength train. That's because strength training builds muscle, which burns extra calories at rest. The extra calories add up over time. We're talking hundreds of pounds worth of calories over a lifetime. So if you aren't doing any strength training, it's time to get serious about it.