When beginning your weight loss journey, it’s important to iron out any mistakes before they become habits. Here are some common weight loss mistakes to avoid.

Did you know that people who lose 1-2 pounds on average a week, keep the weight off for a longer period of time? 

Weight loss can be a bit more of a challenge as you grow up, however, there are many mistakes that people make that don’t help shed off the pounds.

Instead of going in circles and not seeing any progress, you should firsts find out what may be hindering your weight loss.

Continue reading to discover some mistakes that you could be making with your diet.

Common Weight Loss Mistakes to Avoid 

Many people think that just eating healthy recipes can take care of all their weight loss goals. However, in order to effectively lose weight and keep it off, you will probably need to make a lifestyle change. Weight loss is aided by your lifestyle, fitness, the food you eat, and your motivation. 

1. Skimping on Protein

Although some proteins are filled with fats and can be unhealthy for your heart and other organs, protein is necessary when trying to lose weight. Eating the right types of protein can significantly increase your weight loss. 

On average, adults need 46-56 grams of protein each day. In order to lose weight, you should be incorporating healthy proteins that don’t have a high fat content. Some foods that are filled with protein that you can add to your diet are eggs, nuts, oats, yogurt, broccoli, and chicken. 

Be sure that when you are introducing more protein to your diet that you don’t consume only protein. Having too much may increase your risk of missing out on other sources that also aid weight loss. 

2. Not Getting Enough Sleep

Anyone who has a hard time getting out of bed in the morning will be happy to see that not getting enough sleep is on the list of mistakes to avoid. When we sleep, our hormone levels change, and not getting enough could increase stress.

Comfort foods seem more appealing to those who have not gotten enough rest and will become extremely tempting. It is important that when you are trying to lose weight that you also take care of your body and get enough rest so that it can function properly. 

3. Not Changing Your Routine 

Have you ever been doing great at the gym, you got your routine going and you stick to it every time you go? Unfortunately, if that is the case, you should try changing things up. Doing the exact same workouts and routine when trying to lose weight may decrease your chances because you will be more likely to get bored.

Some people may enjoy the same routine but over time they find that it is either not challenging enough or just simply, no longer engaging. Consistency is good when trying to lose weight but don’t let the consistency lead you to boredom.

If you become bored with your workout routine you may start skipping days at the gym or not pushing yourself hard enough. It is best to try new ways to aid in your weight loss and not stick to one exact way. 

4. Passing on Meals 

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when trying to lose weight is skipping a (or several) meals. It has been found that people who skip meals during the day are typically more tired and miss out on essential nutrients that the body needs to function. 

Getting tired because you missed breakfast or lunch could mean that you get hungrier later in the day and it could lead to binge eating or even resulting to comfort eating. Try aiming for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night if you are really trying to shed the pounds. 

5. Binge Eating

Overeating on the weekends or your cheat day (if you have one) can be another factor of why you aren’t losing weight. Binge eating is also something to try and avoid because you consume so many calories in a short period of time. 

Portioning certain foods and tracking what you eat may help you realize what foods could be hindering your weight goals and make you more aware of the empty calories you may be taking in. It also helps if you are aware of the types of foods that you typically overeat so that you can avoid buying them. 

6. Being Too Strict

Believe it or not, having too many rules for your health and fitness may be decreasing your chances of keeping weight off for good. There are already enough things that you must follow to lose weight but creating too many rules for yourself may lead to temptations and the urge to quit.

Instead of giving yourself a ton of rules to follow to lose weight, you should gradually make lifestyle changes instead. Once you change the way you think and how you eat, you will get more control of your habits and don’t want to quit your diet regime a week after you started because it is unrealistic. 

7. Focusing on the Short Term Progress

Only focusing on the progress you want to make, or didn’t make, in a small period of time can be discouraging and increase your chances of gaining weight again. One of the bigger weight loss mistakes is using crash diets to shed some pounds quickly.

Unfortunately, these diets don’t always work the same for people, and many miss out on nutrients because they aren’t eating enough of the right things. Focusing on long term goals will help keep you motivated even when a week goes by and you didn’t lose anything. 

Keep off the Weight

Health and fitness should be a way of life rather than a crash diet that won’t last more than a couple of weeks. Weight loss can be difficult, especially if you find yourself making the mistakes mentioned above.

Focusing on your long term goals, the calories and nutrients you get on your cheat days, and getting enough rest will all aid you in losing weight. Many people find that it is beneficial when you have a strong support team and clear goals in mind. Here are more tips on how to lose weight fast

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