Are you making these common weight loss mistakes?

Are you making these common weight loss mistakes?

 

In the early 1900s, sailors on long voyages were often puzzled by a mysterious illness that caused swollen gums, fatigue, and eventually, death. They had no idea that the lack of a simple nutrient—Vitamin C—was the culprit.

What does this grizzly little health bite have to do with weight loss? Well, like many of those sailors, modern-day weight-loss warriors often make simple mistakes that do more harm than good.

If you’re living on low-fat energy bars and energy drinks and wondering why the weight simply won’t budge, let’s get to grips with the most common weight loss mistakes that many of us make.

These unnoticed mistakes, much like the overlooked Vitamin C, can sabotage even the most well-intentioned efforts.

 

Mistake #1: Skipping meals

Eat less to lose more, right? Not quite. Yes, weight loss often comes down to calories in versus calories out but skipping a meal can often have the opposite effect. By the time you do eat, you may end up overindulging, going in for big portions plus snacking afterwards. Rather opt for small meals or healthy snacks when you’re actually hungry.

 

Mistake #2: Poor quality diet

The types of foods you’re eating to lose weight are just as important as the discipline to diet. The quality of the diet, including nutrient density and food composition, is more important than just calorie counting. Whole foods that are rich in nutrients are the way to go.

 

Mistake #3: Forgetting fibre

It’s not the most glamorous of things to consider but bowel movements (ahem, regular ones!) are important for your weight loss journey and health in general. Plus, soluble fibre helps to fill those hunger gaps which means you’re less likely to snack. You can find soluble fibre in apples, bananas, berries, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, and vegetables such as avocado, broccoli, carrots, green beans and kale.

 

Mistake #4: Going all or nothing

One of the biggest mistakes we make when dieting is going all out and labelling foods as “good” or “bad”. It’s not that simple though. Technically, no food is “bad” or “good” – it’s how much of that food we consume that leads to good or bad effects. Does this sound familiar? You’ve stuck to your diet all day and then around 4 pm, decide to treat yourself to just one spoonful of ice cream. And then… another. Oops, that’s three spoons before you know it and then you figure, okay diet ruined, may as well just eat it all! Balance, balance, balance is always the key.

 

Mistake #5: “I’ll just burn it all off!”

The good news: exercise can boost your metabolism and help you lose weight.

The bad news: you can’t outrun a bad diet ☹

 

Here’s a not-so-fun fact. A typical cheeseburger contains about 300+ calories. You’d need to walk for at least 45 minutes to burn that off. Now, imagine how much you consume each day (including snacks and drinks) and try to assess just how much exercise you’d need to get rid of these extra calories. Remember, you can’t exercise all day long!


Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only. Always check with your doctor or medical practitioner about any health concerns, before embarking on any fitness or nutrition programme, or using any medication.