The #1 Weight Loss Mistake You Need to Stop Making in 2022, Say Experts

And the winner is.....

6 min

©Luis Alvarez

By Natascha Klemm
January 2, 2022

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You’re doing everything right in your quest towards your feel-good body. You work out, you eat healthy, you get your daily steps in. But a healthy lifestyle sometimes just isn’t quite enough to get you to your goal. Even though you’ve been avoiding the sweets aisle in the supermarket for ages, your pants still feel just a bit too… snug. Sound like you? You’re not the only one who’s been wondering why the kilos just won’t budge.

You’re also not the only one making (yet another) New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Except this time around, it’ll happen! This time, you’ll be equipped with expert advice that can make all the difference. So, what’s the biggest weight loss mistake people make in their attempts to change their bodies?

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The #1 Weight Loss Mistake People Make

Pizza? Gone. Chocolate? We wish. You’re steady as a rock. You’re an old hand at giving up unhealthy food, and not a day goes by without a workout. But all the changes you’re making aren’t having the effect you hoped on your body. So what on Earth are you doing wrong? Well, it’s gonna sound like a paradox, but you’re trying too hard. Your lifestyle’s too extreme. There are several ways these extremes can show up when we have weight loss on our minds. And sometimes the force of habit keeps us from noticing quite how extreme you are. Are you putting unnecessary pressure on yourself? Find out, then shift course now. Changes that are too drastic won’t lead you any faster to your goal; au contraire, you’ll actually be slowing yourself down.

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Just to round things out: As soon as you’ve learned to avoid the worst weight-loss traps, you can turn your mind to healthy weight loss. We’ll show you how it works.

Extreme Weight Loss Methods Are Tripping You Up

There are times when being “extreme” is okay. Extremely funny, extremely clever, or extremely happy, for example. But when you’re talking about weight loss, extreme is absolutely the wrong way to go. Yo-yo diets or one-week weight-loss miracles always seem to be hiding some fine print. How can you tell whether your choices qualify as extreme? You’re only trying to do everything right. We’ll open it up. Let’s jump in.

You’re trying extreme diets

Low-carb, low-fat, super-low-calorie – extreme diets often tout themselves as the perfect or the quickest way to your feel-good weight, and come with a whole host of restrictions to get you there. Does it have to be that way? Experts agree: No way! You can’t use these diets as the basis for stable, long-term weight change. And they’re not designed to be used that way, either.

What works best? It really depends on the individual. That means that a specific diet that worked absolute miracles for your bestie might not do the same for your own unique body. In any case, crash diets carry other risks, too. Like nutrient imbalances.

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You’re doing too much exercise

Hitting the gym, going for a jog, or squeezing in a home workout. All great ideas. Every.Single.Day, without a break? Nope. If you’ve put in that much effort, you’ve long since earned yourself a rest day. And you really ought to take it.

Because as strange as it sounds… overtraining can have a negative influence if you’re trying to lose weight. There are several potential factors behind this. For example, skipping out on crucial recovery time has a negative effect on your muscle regeneration. And muscles are a make-or-break when it comes to melting off calories, says the Washington University School of Medicine.

You’re hyperfocused on the numbers

Looking down at the scale first thing every single morning… tracking the calories in the milk before you sip your latte… It’s become all too easy to get lost in the numbers thanks to functional smartwear, calorie-tracking apps, and everything else technology has to offer. As convenient as that can be – it can lead you to lose the forest for the trees. If the numbers aren’t what you were aiming for and you’re stuck on them, the negative effects can alter your stress level and your overall well-being, say professors at Daemen College.

How Can You Do It Better?

If you’re set in your routines, it’s really difficult to budge them. But if you’ve found that one or more of those weight loss mistake “extremes” describes you to a T, it might be the deciding factor that’ll make or break you getting to your goals. Breaking it might just be the key.

Stress can also be a huge factor that hampers weight loss. Slow down your pace. Here’s how.

Eat balanced, eat healthy

Healthy eating also includes the occasional treat! Keep your calorie deficit moderate, between 300-500 kcal a day. Don’t set any one food off-limits.

And by the way, don’t assume the only low-calorie foods are gigantic bowls of salad. We’ve got some healthy snacks that taste amazing, too.

Find the right workout balance

More isn’t always better. Especially when it comes to workouts: Listen to the signals your body’s trying to send. If you notice that you’re always exhausted and every workout’s just a bit harder than the last – and you’ve been going at the same intensity? Sure, a shaker of Recovery Aminos will get you part of the way back on your feet, but truly, your body needs a day to rest. Regularly. You wanna keep up some active recovery? Go for it! Try some gentle yoga or a nature walk.

Look for new ways to measure your progress

Weighing yourself regularly and tracking calories are well and good. But if you’re so into numbers that you’re dreaming about calories and step counts, it’s time to set them aside for a while. Focus on how strong your body feels from the inside. On how far up the stairs you make it each day. Or any other thing you can think of. Because this is about your feel-good body, not your stress-about-it-all-the-time body. So make sure you remember to feel good about the work you’re putting into it.

Expert Tip: Jod Kapilakan, a certified wellness and energy healing coach, says that extremes often lead to overwhelm, which in turn can lead to missing your goals entirely. He urges you to take your fitness journey slowly, to make sure it’s more sustainable.

The Right Mindset for Success

Take a deep breath! Reaching the weight you’ve been hoping for, and keeping it there, takes time and patience. Don’t be too harsh on yourself along the way. And don’t lose sight of the fact that your health and well-being have to come first. A healthy lifestyle is where it all starts and ends. That means giving yourself a ton of love and support, and making sure you enjoy yourself along your way. It’s not a “mistake” to eat a piece of chocolate or to do 4 workouts a week where others do 6. Give yourself permission – nay, encouragement! – to grab a spoonful of Peanut Butter with breakfast. Put away your perfectionism and find a balance you can keep for good. That’s what will make your goals really stick.

At the start and the end of the day: Your body is amazing just for existing. Love that body. Love it how it is, how it was, and how it will be. However that looks for you. We’re here for you.

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Sources for this article

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