The 5 biggest weight loss mistakes to avoid
As an online personal trainer and weight loss coach, I’ve had years of experience helping people reach their health and weight loss goals. Working so closely with people on their behaviours, mindset and education to lose weight has been a privilege. It has helped me learn so much as an online coach and given me the tools to work with such a diverse group of clients. People often weigh up the pros and cons of online personal training but I think if you can work with someone to bypass all the nonsense and fads out there it is truly worth it in the long term.
In this blog, I want to give you some tips about the 5 biggest mistakes you’re probably making when trying to lose weight, from my experience as an in-person and online personal trainer over the last few years.
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Mistake #1 You’re trying to eat healthily
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Mistake #2 Setting unrealistic expectations
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Mistake #3 Setting unrealistic deadlines on weight-loss
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Mistake #4 cutting out foods you enjoy
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Mistake #5 Not tracking your progress correctly
Mistake #1 You’re trying to eat healthily
While eating healthy is a good thing, and being more conscious of the foods you’re consuming, getting more nutrients in etc these are all great things don’t get me wrong. But I often see people just eating healthy and stopping there. The problem with that is that 2,000 calories worth of avocados, almonds and asparagus is still 2,000 calories and no different from 2,000 calories worth of pizza, pasta and pancakes. In terms of caloric balance, not how full it makes you.
The (alliteration) was totally on purpose by the way. Your body doesn’t know the difference between food choices as far as weight loss or energy balance is concerned. Your bowels will know, but as far as thermodynamics goes (which is just energy) it doesn’t matter.
So make sure that if you’re eating healthy you’re also tracking your food or have some idea of portion sizes and calorie quantities. Take time to learn about how to track macros and become aware of calories rather than researching healthy snack ideas. Have a listen to this quick 8-minute podcast here on how to lose weight.
Mistake #2 Setting unrealistic expectations
The second biggest weight loss mistake to avoid is starting off with unrealistic expectations and standards for yourself. You have bucket loads of motivation, to begin with, and you want to start off with a bang, but it’s a bit like sprinting at the start of a marathon. You’ll tire yourself out in the first kilometre and have 40 odd ones to go.
Pace yourself, and be realistic. Set goals that push you past where you’re currently, but they don’t have to be so far away. If you’re getting 2,000 steps a day right now why not aim to hit 4,000 first before jumping straight up to 10,000? If you have never tracked calories before, why not track 3 days out of the week instead of 7? If you haven’t exercised in years, start with a 10-15 minute workout, not a 60-minute one and so on. Imagine that someone else is in your exact position, how would you advise them to begin? This is often the advice we need to take ourselves.
Mistake #3 Setting unrealistic deadlines on weight-loss
The 3rd biggest weight loss mistake you’re making is putting an unrealistic deadline on your weight loss. An unrealistic deadline will put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Sure you might have a wedding in a month or a holiday in 6 weeks you’d like to feel better for that, but I would suggest moving the goal post a little further, stop focusing on what you can do in 6 weeks and imagine what can be done in 6 whole months.
It may seem light years away, but take things one day and one week at a time. If you want long-term consistent weight loss and weight maintenance, you likely want it for life and not just 6 weeks. You don’t want to feel how you feel right now ever again if you can help it. So 6 months is not a lot of time if it’s done right and it means you learn how to lose and keep weight off for good.
In my experience as a personal trainer coaching over 1,000 people online and in person, I have seen the best results from people who stick it out 6 months or longer, because it becomes a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix. It takes time to change your habits and behaviours and these are the very things responsible for your weight loss and ultimately your happiness, confidence and health.
I started Jiu Jitsu in Melbourne 2 weeks ago, and on day 1 I signed up for 6 months, to achieve true mastery in Jiu Jitsu (which I don’t think is even possible) but to get a black belt you’re talking 10 years of consistent weekly practice. I know that things take time and that patience, consistency and sticking it out will lead me to get the results I’m after. So making the simple switch of becoming process-focused rather than outcome and deadline-focused will really help you. Are you ticking the boxes each day, is the needle moving in the right direction each week? If so you are on a path to true success.
Mistake #4 cutting out foods you enjoy
The 4th biggest weight loss mistake you’re making is cutting out the foods that you enjoy . Searching articles like “11 Foods to Avoid When Trying to Lose Weight” or cutting out foods because you’ve been told in the past by slimming clubs or trainers who have a sales target or limited knowledge.
You may have read that sugar is making you fat, that chocolate is rotting your insides and that the gluten in bread is causing you gut damage. You have to remember that a lot of content and companies will try to scaremonger you into believing things are bad. Because the negativity bias is real and negativity sells far more than positivity ever will.
Just turn the news on and make a note of the headlines, or read a newspaper and see what’s talked about in the first few pages. We are attracted to the negative, and scare tactics seriously work. Anyone with a decent moral compass wouldn’t feel right using them but when there is so much money on the line, people often stop caring about feelings or how they will impact people.
So my advice is this, question everything. Question your beliefs around foods. I used to think sugar was bad, why? Because my parents told me it was bad when I used to put a teaspoon of it in my tea. For years, I felt guilt any time I added sugar to cereal, coffee or tea thinking it was awful without ever asking why? Why they did tell me it was bad? Because their parents likely told them the same, or they read it or saw it in a miseducated magazine or on a tv show.
Weight loss mistakes to avoid- Question everything!
Everything requires context, so question it and where your information or beliefs come from.
When you restrict foods you enjoy because you think they’re bad, you will likely end up bingeing those very foods, feeling guilty and hitting the fuck it button and this is a constant cycle that so many of you get stuck in for years. So break the cycle. That’s an overarching theme within 5 weight loss mistakes to avoid.
Mistake #5 Not tracking your progress correctly
The 5th biggest weight loss mistake you’re making is tracking your progress incorrectly, or not tracking it at all.
You’ve probably Googled ‘How to track my gym progress’ or started jumping on the scales. The scales is a touchy subject I’ve written more about in this blogpost. You start exercising and eating less or tracking calories. You’re 2 weeks into it and keep looking in the mirror but aren’t seeing any changes, why? Have you ever watched the grass grow or paint dry? If you watch it every day rather than looking at it once, then coming back in a few days and comparing it to where it was you’d see a totally different result.
So in order to track progress properly, I recommend that you..
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Take photos once a week
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Use tape measurements and when you’re using the scales please use them right
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Take daily weights on an empty stomach after peeing or pooping in the morning
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Get a total average of your weight each week and compare that to the next week
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You can also get an average of the month to see how the trend is moving
You won’t notice changes in the mirror because they happen so subtly, which is why side-by-side photos are a great visual representation as well. It also helps to focus on non-body composition-related goals such as your strength in the gym or workouts, how your energy and confidence levels are, how your clothes feel and how your mindset is.
Trust me, by focusing on these data points in this way and letting the body changes happen in the background you develop a much healthier view and approach to weight loss and ultimately sustainability. You’ll be on the road to avoiding the biggest weight loss mistakes.
If you’ve read this far then thank you, my dear friend. I really appreciate it. It means so much to me and I hope these 5 weight loss mistakes to avoid have helped you re-frame your approach to fat loss. I promise you this comes from a place of pure and genuine desire to help you the listener and to help as many people as possible with their fitness and weight loss endeavours.
If you’re falling victim to these weight loss mistakes feel free to reach out to me for a FREE CONSULTATION. I would love to help you get closer to your goals with a sustainable evidence-based and empathetic approach.
