Weight/fat loss is hard. It’s even tougher when you become a victim to these hard truths.
Why is it so hard to lose weight? It’s a question many people have asked themselves, probably on many occasions, but especially during the first few months of the year when thousands of people pursue health-related New Year’s resolutions. Aside from the obvious — food is delicious, exercise is hard and time is short — there are many other factors that affect weight loss and that many people don’t even know they fall victim to. These six mistakes can definitely hinder your weight/fat loss progress, but if you are aware of them, you’ll avoid common weight/fat loss pitfalls.
You have a short-term mentality
Everything on this list is somewhat of a tough truth, but this is often the hardest to accept and change. If you approach weight/fat loss with a short-term attitude, you may not make it anywhere except on the up-down yo-yo diet over your life.
Without a long-term approach to weight/fat loss, you may lose 10 or more pounds in two weeks and then suffer a rebound when you discover that regimen wasn’t working for you. This is all too common when people embark on strict diets such as keto or paleo, or fad diets that promise rapid weight/fat loss. In reality, for most people, a well-balanced diet that includes all food groups and even some treats works best in the long run.
Part of successful, sustainable weight/fat loss — losing the weight and keeping it off for good — is understanding that fad diets, excessive exercise and “detoxes” don’t usually work. Detoxes and exercise are not all bad, but they only last as long as your willpower lasts.
There are no quick fixes, miracle cures or magic pills when it comes to weight/fat loss, despite what the wellness industry might have you believe: The best plan for losing weight requires dedication to a plan that supports long-term healthy habits.
The general recommendation for weight/fat loss is a rate of one to two pounds per week, although initial weight loss might surpass that for people who are very overweight because of water loss, and then slow down to the suggested one to two pounds per week. Studies have shown this to be an effective way to lose weight without losing too much water or lean tissue — and to avoid a rebound.
Remove that all-or-nothing mindset
Most people who struggle with a short-term attitude also struggle with an all-or-nothing mindset. An all-or-nothing mindset can keep you in a perpetual cycle of lose-gain-lose, not to mention shame and guilt around food.
This all-or-nothing concept applies to fitness, too: If you’ve been crushing workouts left and right but don’t feel fitter or stronger, you might be doing too much. Toning it down could — counterintuitively — be the answer to improving your fitness and playing the long game.
You lack a support system
A supportive community, online, can keep you motivated to lose weight and stay fit. Supportive friends, family members and significant others are critical to successful weight/fat loss.
As silly as it sounds, people really do get made fun of for eating healthy, especially in regions where food is an integral part of the culture. At family gatherings and social outings, you might get comments like, “That’s all you’re eating?” or, “You’re really not going to eat any dessert?” or, laden with sarcasm, “Next time we’ll have a salad potluck.”
It’s not fun to be ridiculed or scoffed at, especially for things you care about like your health, so it can be very easy to fall into a trap of eating — and drinking — for the sake of your social life. This is why a solid support system is key to long-term weight loss. Without it, the journey can feel lonely and intimidating.
If you currently feel you lack a support system, try having open conversations with your friends, family and partner about it. You can make it clear that they don’t have to change their eating habits if they don’t want to, but that your health means a lot to you and you’d appreciate it if they didn’t mock or downplay your hard work.
You think exercise conquers all
Exercise is important for an overall healthy lifestyle, but it’s hard to lose weight from exercise alone. Exercise should definitely be part of your overall approach to weight loss because it’s proven to aid weight loss (not to mention its long list of other health benefits). Many people overestimate the number of calories they can burn from their workouts — it’s probably a lot less than you think.
For example, a 154-pound man will burn less than 450 calories during an intense, hour-long weight lifting workout. You can easily cancel that effort out if you don’t pay any attention to your diet. The exact number of calories you burn during exercise depends on many factors, including your current weight, the intensity of the activity, the length of the workout, your age, and your body composition.
Plus, focusing on only exercise can lead to a destructive cycle of exercising extra to burn off calories you feel you shouldn’t have eaten. Or you may end up feeling like you need to “earn” your calories through exercise. Either way, taking this approach can lead to a strained relationship with food and exercise, as well as stalled weight loss.
There are exceptions to all rules. Some people, such as those who have spent years putting on muscle mass, can eat lots of calorie-dense food and not gain weight — but even if you can eat whatever you want and lose or maintain your weight, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you.
A diet rich in fruit, vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins and some whole grains will serve you best in terms of sustainable weight loss and health. Combined with a consistent exercise routine, you’ll experience sustained weight loss and weight maintenance once you reach your goal weight.
Your sleep, stress and workload are working against you
Chronic stress and sleep deprivation can hinder weight loss progress. Losing weight will be much harder if you’re chronically stressed, sleep-deprived or overworked. This scenario may sound familiar to you:
- You wake up motivated and ready to seize the day. You have plans for a post-work interval run and your healthy, prepped dinner is waiting in the fridge for you.
- A few hours into the day, your lack of sleep catches up with you. You reach for the afternoon coffee.
- By the time work is over, you’re way too drained to go for that run. You decide to skip it.
- You’re tired and maybe a little stressed or moody, so you nix the healthy dinner and hit a drive-through instead and reach for comfort food.
This is OK if it happens occasionally (everyone deserves a lazy evening every once in a while), but weight loss will seem impossible if this happens all the time.
The truth is, nutrition and exercise are only two components of a healthy life that can lead to weight loss. While important, too strong of a focus on nutrition and exercise can cause you to overlook other factors that are just as important: sleep and stress management.
You use supplements instead of eating a healthy diet
Supplements don’t work unless you do. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that fat burner supplement in your medicine cabinet isn’t going to do the work for you. While certain supplements may help you reach your weight loss goals, you have to work to make your supplements work.
For example, incorporating a daily protein shake in the mornings can help you feel fuller throughout the day, which may help keep cravings at bay. Increased protein intake can also help you build muscle, which aids in body recomposition. Certain weight-loss supplements do have some evidence backing them, but no supplements are proven.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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