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Weight loss is not a linear process. So, if you are finding the scale stuck to the same weight, it’s not always because you are doing something wrong. That being said, it is quite possible that there are some things you are doing wrong unknowingly.
Still wondering what are those common weight loss mistakes?
If you want results, make sure your weight loss journey doesn’t contain any of the mistakes that we are about to mention below.
1. Getting Frustrated With the Scale Weight
So, you started your weight loss by taking all the measurements. You did lose weight at a significant pace in the beginning. But, recently whenever you stand on the scale, the weight seems to be constant. Is it something you are frustrated with?
It is quite common to hit a plateau when losing weight. As mentioned before, weight loss is not linear. Sometimes you lose weight that’s evident, sometimes you don’t.
If you are finding a constant weight around on the weighing scale, it doesn’t mean you are not losing weight. There are multiple factors that influence the scale weight. Often times, water retention (R) is one of the most common reasons behind the same.
You might even feel your clothes becoming looser even with the constant numbers on the weight scale. Studies suggest that when you are witnessing a constant number on the weight scale, it could very well be because of the fact that you are losing the fat mass but holding onto the water.
2. You are Binging on Protein
In general terms, a normal sedentary male should consume around 56 gms of protein. But, if you are on a high protein diet for weight loss, the same can be increased to 1.2-1.6 gms of protein per kilograms of the body weight.
Studies (R) (R) have stated the benefits of consumption of high protein diets for losing weight.
But, the excess of protein consumption has its negative repercussions as well. Majority of the excess proteins in the body is often stored off as fats which end up prohibiting you from losing weight.
Maintain the needed amount of protein that will actually be beneficial for the body and won’t end up causing reverse impacts on the body.
3. You are Making your Salads Unhealthy
Salads are healthy until you keep them that way.
You eating tons of salad leaves and healthy vegetables won’t negate the big blob of salad dressing that you added into the salad.
If you are someone who slathers their salads with calorie filled and unhealthy salad dressings, chances are that you are doing yourself no good. Instead of the unhealthy salad dressings, try and consume the healthier variants of the same.
Lemon and olive oil does make a good salad dressing. Avoid anything that’s filled with mayonnaise or a lot of cheese because that’s when the problem arises.
4. You Don’t Jazz Things Up
Nothing stagnant and static brings about any kind of changes to your weight loss program. Much like every other experience, even your weight loss journey needs to change.
If you wake up in the morning and follow the same routine day after day, chances are that you will end up losing the interest halfway through.
If you want to avoid one of these weight loss common mistakes, switch up the diet and the exercises. If you simply just stuck to the doing cardio in the gym till now, make changes to that and opt for something else. Up your level and try out new things that will bring about beneficial impacts to your body.
Not just exercises, even changing and switching up the diet contributes to a healthy weight loss. Don’t keep everything the same all throughout if you want to motivate yourself for weight loss.
5. You are Not Maintaining the Calorie Deficit
What many people often forget is the fact that we need to burn more calories than what we are consuming. The calorie deficit plays a very crucial role in aiding progressive weight loss.
Prior studies and researchers did use to conform that the lack of certain amount of calories in the body is what was associated to the successful weight loss. Recent studies (R) completely disagree with that notion and strike it off as a myth. Calories consumption and burning is completely dependent on the person and their physiology.
We often tend to unknowingly consume calories that we either don’t know of or don’t consider in our daily calorie intake. Both excess calories and lower calorie intake affects the weight loss results.
Even in a study (R) conducted among over 10,000 participants, it was found that the participants did end up consuming around 2000 calories per day when they were instructed 1000 calories.
Portion sizes and balanced calorie consumption is key to having the optimum calories in the body. It is important to maintain the calorie deficit that many often include in their weight loss mistakes.
6. Not Consuming Veggies
Vegetables do play a very crucial role when it comes to weight loss. Consuming 2-3 cups of vegetables in a day is important as per the dietary requirements. Not only are they full of nutrients and minerals, they are also loaded with beneficial fibers which are key to successful weight loss.
Just sticking to one form of diet and cutting out vegetables (R) (R) won’t do good to your body. It is very important to ensure that you include vegetables with every meal, be it in any form.
Make a sandwich with or include a range of veggies and make a stew. The options are endless. Vegetables actually do keep you full for a longer period of time and thus helps in preventing you from overeating.
7. You Consume Meat Regularly
Daily consumption of meat is more likely one of the biggest weight loss mistakes.
A recently conducted study (R) concluded that the people who are more likely consuming meat on a daily basis are like to be obese by 27%.
Lean meat sources are a healthy form of protein but red meat does come with its fair share of downsides as well.
If you want to avoid one of these weight loss mistakes, it is important that you avoid eating meat on a regular basis.
Yet another recent study (R) (R) conducted among 55,000 women found that they ones who consumed a healthy plant based protein were more likely to have lower BMIs and even a healthy level of body fat in the body.
If you want to lose weight successfully, it is best suggested to avoid meat every single day. Try and consume more plant based diet and stick on to a healthier lifestyle.
8. Cardio all the Way
Many people have this wrong notion that cardio is the only form of exercise effective in shedding off those extra pounds. That is not the case.
You will find a number of studies (R) (R) depicting the fact that strength training is a better way to burn off those fats in comparison to the cardio exercises.
If you are on a serious roll in losing weight, it is important to avoid the common weight loss mistakes like this one.
Instead of just sticking to one form of exercise for weight loss, try and opt for multiple types to check out which one works the best for burning off the excess fats in your body.
9. Consuming “Diet” Foods
Even when the food is labeled as “diet” and low fat food, anything processed is not going to do any good to your body.
These kinds of foods tend to have some claims but end up inflicting completely opposite impacts on the body. Often times, they are loaded with processed sugars to enhance their taste.
The fruit cup or even the low fat fruit yogurt you just had contains more sugar than what you consume in a whole day.
We often unknowingly commit some of these weight loss mistakes but it is time you ditch them and stick to the healthier foods that will do your body good.
10. You are Skipping Breakfast
Breakfast (R) is a quintessential part of your day. It is very important to break the prolonged fasting with something healthy for your body.
When you skip out on breakfast, the body lacks the essential nutrients to function through the day. Not just that, the prolonged fasting ends up making the body think it is in a flight or fight mode because of the lack of food.
What this ends up doing is that it starts storing the fats in the body. So, if you are trying to lose weight and you have this notion that eating less or eating nothing is the key, it isn’t. It will end up doing the opposite of what you expect.
Also, if you consume sitting down at your work desk, chances are that you are not going to eat mindfully. That is yet another contributing factor to your list of common weight loss mistakes.
11. Consuming NO Carbs
As much as you want to cut out carbs from your diet, it is important to understand that it is not going to do any good to your body.
Carbohydrates are one of those macronutrients that are actually beneficial for fuelling the brain function (R) and providing your body with essential amount of energy.
You can consume a low carb diet but completely cutting off carbs from the diet does count as one of the worst weight loss mistakes.
Also, if you are completely cutting off carbs and then consuming them when you have lost a substantial amount of weight, chances are that you will end up gaining weight. Not just that, the reintroduction has also been associated with the spiked levels of blood sugar which is known to induce risks of diabetes.
12. Not Consuming Dietary Fibers
It goes without saying that dietary fibers do play a very important role in our daily weight loss expectations.
Two of the most common problems or hindrances for weight loss are when we overeat or have a labored metabolism.
Both of these issues can be handled effectively with dietary fiber. Fiber does help in making you attain your satiety quicker and is effective in boosting your overall metabolism by inducing better digestion.
One of the biggest weight loss mistakes is when you are not consuming enough fibers in your day to day diet.
Studies have shown that soluble fiber, when consumed, forms a gel like structure in the body which is associated with helping you retain more water. This ends up making you feel full for an extended period of time.
Not just that, study (R) has even shown that consuming double the fiber than normal also promotes in lack of calories in the body.
13. You Don’t Keep Account of Portion Size
Portion sizes (R) are yet another problem that majority of us often struggle with.
If you want to avoid one of the most common weight loss mistakes, make sure that you are consuming a healthy portion size of the meals.
Studies have shown that eating in larger plates and bowls make you overeat. Stick to smaller cutlery and dishes to ensure that you are not overeating.
If you want to go an extra mile, ensure to count the calories too to have a balanced meal that promotes weight loss and not the other way around.
14. Going Overboard With Fruits and “Healthy” Bars
It is very easy to go overboard with any form of nutrition and that’s where the weight loss mistakes start peeping in.
If you are eating fruits for weight loss, make sure that you have a restricted amount of it.
Some of the fruits like mangoes or even oranges are rich in sugars, especially fructose which when consumed in higher quantities end up being stored as fats in the body.
So, I say again, if you are consuming fruits to shed off those extra pounds, don’t go overboard with it and consume in restriction. The same goes for the protein or energy bars as well.
15. Setting Unrealistic Expectations
Losing weight is not a cakewalk. You can lose pounds and pounds of weight with a blink of an eye. That’s not how it works.
While some of you may say that of course, I know that, well, many people don’t. This is what ends up making them set unrealistic expectations from their overall weight loss journey.
Setting realistic weight loss expectations is important to keep yourself motivated through the process. If you set around unrealistic expectations, chances are that you will end up losing track of the progress and end up losing your motivation altogether.
The list of weight loss mistakes can extend on and on. It completely depends on how you tackle them is what matters in the end. It is important to take note of the common mistakes you are committing and find ways to mitigate them for good.
