10 Weight Loss Mistakes To Avoid!

Losing weight can be really tough and sometimes you feel like you are doing everything right but not getting the results you deserve.

Here are 10 common mistakes people make when trying to lose weight and how to avoid them.

1.     Don't consume to many calories.

Sounds very basic but many people do just that! The basic principle is, expend more calories than you consume. If you consume more calories than you expend you will gain weight. Work out your maintenance calorie intake and eat below this figure but remember to take your daily exercise into account. For weight loss when combined with exercise I generally recommend people aim for around 11-12 calories per 1LB bodyweight. Ie 100LB = 1100-1200 calories per day

2.     Track your intake.

Consider using a tracking app especially initially because we often over estimate our calorie intake. A recent study showed that trained dieticians who do this for a living were 30% off

3.     Don't choose low fat or diet foods.

Many of these products are high in sugar to improve taste and rather than keeping you full, low-fat products make you feel hungrier and so you end up eating more. Endeavour to eat a combination of nutritious, minimally processed foods to increase the quantity you need to feel full.

4.     Always lift weights.

Performing resistance training is incredibly important during fat loss. By using multi-joint movements like squat, pull ups, presses and dead lifts you are recruiting a large amount of muscle which requires an enormous amount of energy to actually function and therefore, you will burn way more calories and boost metabolism so you keep burning fat for longer.

5.     Include HIIT training.

Prolonged cardiovascular exercise has shown to be inferior to weight training and HIIT. While doing low intensity cardio may burn calories during the exercise session, HIIT training will increase the amount of energy you expend for the rest of the day, even up to 48 hours after the session! HIIT benefits also include, increasing speed/power, insulin sensitivity, increasing fat burning hormones, muscle mass maintenance and numerous health and heart benefits. Not to mention that its time efficient as you get all the benefits in just 15 minutes per day as you would with around 60 minutes of regular cardio.

6.     Eat enough protein.

Getting enough protein is also key to losing weight. It can help reduce appetite, increase feelings of being full, decrease calorie intake, increase metabolic rate and protect muscle mass during weight loss. To optimize weight loss, include a high-protein food in every meal.

7.     Eat enough vegetables.

In addition to providing vitamins and minerals, vegetables offer two distinct benefits when it comes to weight loss. They are high in fibre which means they help with digestion and also feeling full, meaning you consume fewer calories. Fibre also feeds your gut health, which is key to general health and fat loss.

8.     Don't drink to many calories.

Drinking fruit juice isnt smart! Even 100% fruit juice is loaded with sugar and may lead to health and weight issues similar to those caused by sugar-sweetened drinks.

9.     Don't eat too much junk.

It doesn't take a genius to tell you that junk/processed food is a common weight loss mistake! Processed/junk food is not only high in calories it is quite often low in nutrients. Replace this with protein and fibre rich foods which will allow you to eat more while consuming fewer calories.

10.   Have realistic expectations.

Adjust your expectations to a more realistic and modest goal, I would suggest no more than 1LB per week. This can help prevent you getting discouraged and improve your chances of success.

Lisa x