Top 5 Mistakes People Make When Trying to Lose Weight
Welcome to all the answers you are looking for when it comes to burning off that stubborn belly fat. My name is Dave and I have been coaching for over 10 years to help clients get the results that they want in a sustainable manner. There are a lot of ways for us to screw up our own weight-loss journeys that people do not seem to think about, and I am here to clear the air on all of it! Let’s get into it
We are not tracking our food correctly
We may be eating all of the right things for our body, but are we measuring it at the right capacity? If you are serious about working on a weight-loss journey, you need to know how much you are taking in. A food scale is super helpful to help you weigh out your food so you can accurately track your calories. Speaking of calories..
2. You are not in a caloric deficit
If the scale is not moving, you are NOT IN A DEFICIT. This, although listed at #2, it is #1. If you are not in a deficit, you are not going to lose weight. The simple formula to losing weight is calories in vs. calories out. Note that I said simple, not easy. It is simple to understand how to build a deck (get a bunch of 2x4s, nails, and go to town), but it is not easy (measure the space you can use, nails need to be placed at certain lengths, is this structure weight-bearing, etc.). This requires discipline, and yes you will get hungry at times. This is because your stomach is used to ingesting more food than you will be. Gather data on your weight for 7 days. If the average weight is not trending downwards, you are likely still in maintenance or in a surplus OR you are not exercising frequently enough. Speaking of exercise…
3. You are not weight training
We can generate weight-loss without working out, BUT if you want the weight to come off in a better manner & you want to tighten up the loose skin, you might want to consider weight lifting. Aside from its hundreds of benefits (increased energy, strength, better mood, better cognitive performance, better sleep, etc.), lifting weights has upsides to help you KEEP the weight off and look better than someone who just lost weight via cardio and diet. You know that firm buttocks you always wanted to keep when losing the weight? Well, you could if you weight train, instead of committing to what we call a “Hank Hill butt”. Having a personal trainer is an excellent way to develop a program for your specific needs and goals, along with keeping you accountable to keep you away from Hank-Hill-Butt-itis. Speaking of but…
4. You find a reason to celebrate & break from your diet
We can be on point 5-6 days out of the week, but if we veer off and go on a binge-eating or binge-drinking craze 1 day out of the week; it mutes our hard work for the whole week. If you are a beer drinker, each beer is around 110 kcal. Odds are if you are out having some cold ones with the boys, you are drinking 6+ on a good evening, averaging out to an excess of 660 kcal. Add some greasy food because you want to “soak up” the alcohol and we are over 1,000 calories more than your normal day. To elicit proper weight-loss, you should be in about a 250-500 kcal deficit, meaning you could be throwing away upwards of 4 days of work in an evening. You tequila-soda water girls are not safe either! Fun fact, Tequila is around 96 calories per shot. Add in your snack and we are close to the same as the beer drinkers! We should have a diet that is 80/20. 80% of the time we are on point, and 20% of the time we treat ourselves. These parties can happen but it should not be weekly. Having a coach to keep you accountable during this process will keep you from falling off as often as well!
5. Lastly, you think it will happen overnight
How long did it take you to gain that weight? A year? 5? Well, you won’t shed that weight off in 2 weeks, 30 days, or even 90. I know it is sad, but what we can do is create discipline knowing this information. Instilling healthy habits daily to ensure you get where you want to be is possible. Being active daily, lifting weights, eating high protein, lower carbs and fats, getting quality sleep, and hydrating will get you what you want. We cannot rush this because that creates more stress, which in turn increases our cortisol which will retain more adipose (fat) tissue.
Let our team help you in this mission. Designing a perfect routine and habit tracker to get you the results you seek. Connect with us and we can make the perfect timeline for your weight-loss goals! I hope this all helps.
Personal Training In MA
The Traveling Trainer would love to help you on your weight loss journey. We are currently serving communities in Massachusetts such as Westford, Burlington, Concord, Lexington, Winchester, among many others! (View our service area here.)
If you’re ready to take the next step, let’s schedule your free first 1-1 session! Don’t worry - we’ll find a convenient time and come to you.
