There are a countless number of ways for individuals to achieve weight-loss and fitness goals. At the end of the day, achieving lasting results depends on several factors unique to each person. However, there are some methods we should avoid as they present safety concerns and/or interference with lasting results. Here are five common weight-loss mistakes along with simple solutions.
- Cutting calories instead of changing eating habits. Consuming minimal calories for long periods of time may slow the metabolism, cause hormonal imbalances or nutritional deficiencies, and deplete muscle mass and energy. Crash dieting might produce fast (and temporary) results; however, it is not a sustainable option for weight-loss and eventually works against the goal to create lasting changes.
The Solution: Focus on consuming nutrient dense whole foods instead of limiting calories. Think eat better, not less and consider how the foods you are putting into your body will contribute to or take away from your goals. The body must be fueled to efficiently lose weight, remove toxins, and remain energized. Try these food swaps as a starting point:
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Instead of this: |
Choose this: |
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Drinks like soda, energy drinks, and sweetened coffee drinks |
Water, no-sugar-added 100% fruit juices, unsweetened tea or coffee, and other vegetable juices |
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High-fat meats like many cuts of beef, corned beef, pork sausage, and luncheon meats
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Low-fat/lean ground beef, turkey breast, and skinless chicken, fish, or vegetarian protein options |
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Cakes, candies, and cookies |
Fruit, low-fat yogurt, and homemade treats with little sugar |
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Chips, crackers, French fries, and other fried foods |
Baked chips, air-popped popcorn, and whole-grain crackers |
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Breads made with refined flour such as white, sourdough, and ciabatta breads |
High-fiber breads made with whole grains: whole wheat, rye, and sprouted wheat, Ezekiel bread |
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High-fat salad dressings, mayonnaise |
Low-fat or yogurt-based salad dressings, guacamole, mustard, or fresh salsa |
- Ignoring your gut, literally. The digestive system is a key player in our overall state of health. That being said, it is important to notice how efficient our bodies are at digesting the foods we eat and eliminating toxins or waste. Are you having irregular bowel movements or feeling bloated, sluggish, and heavy despite a clean diet and fitness regimen? These are signs that the digestive system may be under distress.
The Solution: Consider fiber, probiotics, and parasite cleansing. Fiber is responsible for pushing food and waste through the digestive tract; a lack of fiber will result in sluggish digestion and continued storage of excess waste. Probiotics play a number of roles within the body. Good bacteria breaks down food, fends off bad bacteria, and helps promote bowel movements. Sometimes increasing fiber and probiotics is not enough and parasite cleansing may be beneficial. Parasite infection is a common occurrence. Parasites can clog the digestive tract and migrate to other areas of the body creating several health issues. When it comes to weight-loss, parasite infection can present a major roadblock. Parasites consume ingested nutrients before our bodies ever get a chance, putting us in a constant state of hunger, malnutrition, and low energy – an anti-wellness cocktail!
- Not Drinking Enough Water. Getting enough water brings us back to the body’s ability to eliminate waste. Eating well and exercising mobilizes toxins and waste that should be flushed from the body through urine, sweat, and bowel movements. Water is a key player in all three of those methods of elimination.
The Solution: The average person needs at least three liters of water each day or half their weight in ounces. Some health authorities count water found in other liquids such as coffee, juice, or sweetened teas towards daily water consumption; however, it is best not to get in the habit of counting other liquids as water. Consider downloading a water consumption phone app to help keep track of and meet daily water recommendations. Also keep a close eye on how many empty calories and grams of sugar sweetened drinks add to daily calorie intake.
- Avoiding Accountability and Support. Are you trying to do it all by yourself? It’s easy for health and fitness to be pushed to the back burner in society today. Sometimes we avoid sharing our fitness and health goals for fear of failure and other times we lose motivation. That’s where accountability partners and supports can help.
The Solution: Creating accountability can be vital to success, especially when creating new habits and lifestyle changes. Talk to friends or family members about goals, join an online support group with individuals you can relate to, or use social media to share your fitness timeline, goals and progress with others. Speak health and fitness goals into existence.
- Doing Too Much, Too Fast. We live in a world of crash diets, quick fixes, and photo shopped transformations that contribute to unnatural expectations of your bodies. Suddenly we’ve signed up for the latest crash diet challenge, completely removed sugar and carbs from our diet (yikes!), started doing two-a-days at the gym, cut calories to a minimum, and the list goes on. This is a cocktail for disaster.
The Solution: Accept that there are no quick fixes, only solutions. Again, focus should be placed on creating lasting lifestyle changes and continually progressing our fitness level. The momentum will build, the results will come, and they will last because it has been done the right way.
Happy training!
