10 common weight-loss mistakes

10 common weight-loss mistakes

By Katie Hiscock

Whether you're struggling to lose weight but aren’t seeing results, or perhaps the pounds are piling back on, discover some common reasons why a weight loss journey can be derailed

If you're looking to lose weight and keep it off, the best way to do so is by choosing a plan which is realistic and doable for your daily life. That means everything from the exercise you introduce to the foods you eat more and less of should all be considered carefully before you start. Trying to rush weight loss is only going to leave you feeling low energy, uninspired and potentially giving up all together.

Don't worry – see the common mistakes below so you know what to avoid and look out for when starting your weight loss journey.

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Mistake 1: Starting with an unrealistic plan

It’s important to be realistic with yourself from the outset when starting a weight loss journey and choose eating and exercise plans that you’ll be able to stick to for weeks, and possibly months, depending on your goals. Consider how affordable your new diet will be and what time commitments will be required for food planning and cooking - how will these fit into your daily schedule of work and family life? Choose a plan that will be feasible for you to achieve in the long term otherwise may find yourself becoming derailed and losing motivation.

Mistake 2: Losing too much weight early on

, claim to achieve quick results in the early weeks; however, nutritionists are quick to note that this is mostly water and may be easily re-gained once you resume a more balanced way of eating.

each day, though be mindful that this is a rough guideline. To achieve sustainable weight loss, it's suggested you create a deficit of roughly 500 calories a day – enough to lose weight yet maintain your metabolic rate.

Mistake 3: Being unaware of what you’re eating

– this will help you understand exactly how much, as well as what and when, you're eating and drinking.

Mistake 4: Not increasing activity levels

are achieved when calorie restriction and activity are combined.

is best to achieve weight loss, reducing to 200-300 minutes per week to simply keep the weight off.

Mistake 5: Eating lots of fat on a keto diet

and weight loss is your primary goal, be mindful that the excessive amounts of fat that can often be consumed in keto dishes will add calorie density and may impede your results. Fat is more calorie-rich than either carbohydrates or protein, at 9kcal per gram, so choose your foods wisely if you choose the keto method of weight loss.

Mistake 6: Choosing the wrong foods

and fruit and veg can help guide you to long-term diet success and contribute to your overall health.

Mistake 7: Giving up when you hit an (inevitable) roadblock

might be for you: this way of eating encourages followers to eat a healthy, balanced diet for 80 per cent of the time then allowing themselves to enjoy some of their favourite foods for the remaining 20 per cent.

Mistake 8: Being a slave to the scales

, at the same time of day each time, preferably in the morning. Or you could choose to skip the scales altogether and simply go on how you feel – do your clothes fit better? Do you have more energy? Are you sleeping better? How is your mood? These other measures of success can also help you to stay positive even if you’re not seeing results on the scales.

Mistake 9: Focusing too much on exercise and too little on what you eat

– so what you eat really matters. Sadly this also means exercise isn’t a free ticket to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, if weight loss is your goal – so that cheeky muffin at the end of a workout could be undoing all your hard-earned efforts! To achieve long term weight loss and good overall health, a combination of a balanced diet along with physical activity is key.

Mistake 10: Gaining weight as soon as you stop a weight loss plan

over the food groups and which consider the contribution nutrition plays in overall health, as well as healthy and steady weight loss.

Check with your GP before starting a weight loss plan – this is especially relevant if you have a diagnosed medical condition, including diabetes or a history of eating disorders.

Enjoyed this? You might like:

Diets explained:

What is the volumetrics diet?

What is the Atkins diet?

What is the Cambridge diet?

What is the carnivore diet?

What is the Dukan diet?

Exercise and weight loss:

How many calories will I burn?

10 reasons you're not losing weight when exercising

How many steps a day to lose weight?

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

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