Introduction
The fields of fitness and nutrition are extremely complex and full of misinformation/false claims.
Sadly, many people make mistakes during their weight loss journey, especially in the beginning.
In this article, we will discuss some common weight loss mistakes that you should avoid.
3 common weight loss mistakes
Focusing too much on scale weight
This is a pitfall that most people fall in!
When you first start a new diet and exercise program, you get all excited about the weight you’ll lose in a few weeks.
As a result, you might start to hop on the scale too often.
Unfortunately, this could be quite misleading. You see, at the beginning of a new diet, most people lose significant “scale weight”, which is primarily due to water loss.
Conversely, if you are doing strength training, you may notice that your weight is not changing even though you started dieting. This is attributed to muscle gain.
Focusing too much on cardiovascular training
While cardiovascular training is super important for the body, strength training is equally essential.
Aside from the energy consumption during a workout session, strength training will improve your shape, increase lean muscle mass, and burn fat as you sleep.
Overcompensating yourself
After a long and tiresome exercise session, you may feel the temptation to compensate yourself with food.
For instance, your favorite chocolate bar or that delicious Mac and Cheese you’ve been thinking about.
However, this could be a big mistake!
In a 2010 study, researchers asked participants about the number of calories they think are being burnt during their exercise.
Most participants answered between 600 to 800 calories, while in reality, they were burning 200 to 300 calories.
Conclusion
Weight loss is an overwhelming topic for many beginners.
There is much misleading and conflicting information out there. You may read an article that advises you to eat a type of food, only to stumble upon another article that tells you to avoid it.
So, if you have any questions or recommendations, feel free to ask in the comment section below.