Throughout your health & fitness journey there are many pitfalls to avoid, and a ridiculous amount of false information out there too. So in this weeks blog I decided to flag the 3 most common weight loss mistakes I see people making all the time. Continue reading to learn about these mistakes, why they don't work, and learn how to avoid them.
Mistake No. 1 - Cut Calories Massively.
This is probably the most common of them all. When people set out on their weight loss journey they seem to think they need to drop calories by silly amounts. Remember the goal is not just to drop weight but maintain as much muscle as possible too. If you start a diet on ludicrously low calories (like so many fad diets suggest!) yes you will drop a lot of weight fast but at the same time you will lose a lot of muscle and strength - ultimately leaving you feeling unhealthy or weak. Then when weight loss ultimately plateaus you won’t have many calories to play with or deduct, therefore you would've hit a ceiling, stop seeing 'improvements' and become disheartened. On to the next fad you go! Don’t starve yourself. With all my clients we focus on starting their diets at the highest calorie deficit possible and dropping slowly over many weeks, ensuring hunger is not an issue but that you are still continuously dropping weight.
Mistake No. 2 - Too Much Cardio.
Ah the treadmill. Weight loss' best friend. Or is it?
This is another very popular mistake with those looking to lose weight - when people first start out they think they need to start doing 40-50min of cardio 6 x a week. Not only is this crazy jump in activity level non-sustainable in the short term and therefore more likely to lead to a few weeks of high activity followed by many weeks of fatigue, but think about it; if you start a diet doing loads of cardio, throwing yourself in at the deep end if you will, how much more are you going to be able to do at the back end of a diet when you start to plateau? Weight loss is a long term journey, and with my clients we ensure we put methods in place that allow them to continue seeing results over both the long and the short term. We want to change your life, not just have a good few weeks!
Mistake No. 3 - Drastically Changing Your Training Routine.
Believe it or not you can actually still get stronger whilst in a calorie deficit. A lot of people go from training heavy, say at rep range 8-15, to doing high rep light pump work. Remember our body is very efficient and adapts to changes quickly - meaning if it doesn't continue to experience the same stress on the muscles that it's used too, it will be more than happy to drop a few lbs of muscle. This is not what we want. What builds muscle keeps muscle. Train hard but manage volume and recovery when needed. My clients know that throughout their training they should be dropping weight but maintaining strength.
In conclusion what you do at the start of a dieting phase will reflect what you do at the end. Don’t do too much to start with. Don't starve yourself. Don't drastically change your work outs. You don't have to completely upend your life to get started on the right tracks! This is where the experience and mentoring of an expert coach comes in handy - if you feel like my bespoke training and diet plans could help you level up your fitness contact me today.