Through my own experience and speaking to others there are 3 key mistakes that people make when trying to lose weight that wastes all that hard work! So here they are and what to do to avoid making them.

1. NOT EATING ENOUGH
I know this sounds crazy doesn’t it. But in truth when some people diet they cut out too many calories and this hurts the body. It can lead to muscle loss, hormonal imbalance and permanent fatigue. Furthermore you may be prone to binge eating as well as exercising less through lack of energy. Just remember never try to eat less than 400-500 calories less than your energy expenditure a day (so for someone who burns 2000 calories they should consume at least 1500 or 1600 calories) when trying to lose weight. I eat about 2000 calories per day.

2. MISSING OUT IMPORTANT FOOD GROUPS
This is a big one! You see lots of diets now promoting carb free or fat free diets. However for a healthy balanced diet our body needs a moderate amount of all food groups. Take these away and the body will miss out on important nutrients that it needs to function properly. The key is not overindulging and making sure that you have the right type of fats and carbs.

3. SKIPPING MEALS You know how your mother always told you breakfast is the most important meal of the day? She was right (though don’t tell my mother or she will never let me forget it!). Yet how many of us go to work or exercise on an empty stomach? This causes our blood sugar to crash which means we end up being lethargic and low on energy (causing our workout to be poor). It also affects our brain (yes the brain needs energy too), causing a lack of concentration and slower thinking. All bad things for exercise and work! I eat 5-6 times per day.

So remember the key to successful weight loss that you can maintain and won’t harm the body is a healthy balanced diet. As always, feel free to leave comments or ask questions.

TAGS: nutrition