The 7 Deadly Sins of Weight Loss

We've all done it: After weeks of careful dieting, you hop on the scale excited to see your progress, and then horror hits: Somehow, you haven't lost weight. At the moment, it can be tempting to eat your feelings out and decide that where you are is just your body's "happy place” and give up. If you've been working hard without seeing results it might be time to look at your overall lifestyle. You may be making one of those 7 sneaky weight loss mistakes.

1- Not eating enough. When you try to lose weight by fasting or cutting your calories to below your body's resting metabolic rate, your body goes into starvation mode. In an attempt to conserve energy, your metabolism slows down. Signs you're not getting enough high-quality calories are obvious: When people complain that they're tired and hungry all the time, or they get sick a lot, those are both indicators that they may not be taking in enough calories.

2- Eating the wrong kind of calories. Creating a calorie deficit diet alone won't help if you're on an all-chip diet. Five hundred calories of cake are not processed the same way as 500 calories of healthy food. Refined sugar is converted to fat quickly—especially if you're not exercising much.
Very low fat or low carb diets may seem to be effective but they are regularly unsustainable. Your body will be left crying out for energy. In other words, if you’re not eating enough good sources of carbohydrates and fats, your body shifts to burn its own muscle and the progression of fat burning is hindered. You need to make sure the vast majority of your calories are coming from lean protein, fresh veggies, whole grains and good fats.

3-Doing the same workout routine. Sure, any exercise is better than no exercise. However, over time, your body adapts to whatever workout you've been doing. As you become more efficient, you burn fewer calories. So the 10 Km bike ride or that cardio routine that helped you lose your first 5 kilos probably won't help you lose your last 5.
If you're exercising at the same effort level all the time, your body isn't pushing itself to adapt. When you push your body to its absolute limits, you continue to use more oxygen—and thus burn more calories. Try mixing your cardio with weightlifting or resistance training to help boost your metabolic rate, increase muscle mass and promote fat loss.

4- Using workouts as an excuse to eat. Most people tend to overestimate the calories they burn in a given exercise session. But this isn't necessarily what gets you in trouble—it's using those incorrect numbers as an excuse to eat more.  Of course, exercise has tons of benefits beyond weight loss, so you should definitely workout but not for the sole purpose of eating whatever you want afterwards.

5- Ignoring your overall health. Eating well and working out are huge elements of wellness, but other factors like proper hydration and sleep patterns matter as well. Dehydration can slow fat metabolism, and more fluids are needed to make up for sweaty workouts. Proper hydration levels vary depending on activity levels and climate change. For men, a total of 13 cups of fluid per day and 9 cups (~2 liters) of total fluid for women each day is recommended.
Sleeping may seem like the antithesis to weight loss—after all, you're just lying there—but it's vital. People are more likely to crave sweet or salty snacks in a sleep-deprived state.

6- Trying way too hard. The biggest mistake I see people do is restrict food intake as much as possible early throughout the day and end up compensating those calories at night out of hunger. Try and eat well all day long—making sure you're getting enough lean protein, good fats, and fiber to keep yourself full.
Most people burn themselves out on a very restricted diet and end up craving "prohibited foods" and fall in to the diet cycle or give up. Instead, go for an 80:20 approach.You eat well 80% of the time and allow yourself to eat not-so-well 20% of the time. If you plan for a few indulgences, you can just count your indiscretion as part of your 20% and move on.

7- Not being realistic about your body goals. Some people can get leaner than others; it's just the reality of life. Your body type will determine how fast and how much weight you can (and should) lose. Coming to grips with what your biology gave you is crucial to finding satisfaction in your results. Also, remember that a huge or rapid weight loss doesn't equal better health. Finding a healthy weight range at which you perform well is much more important than stressing over a number on a scale.