Starting a fat loss journey can be both exhilarating and daunting. There is just no way around it. Fat loss is hard. And with a plethora of information available, getting lost in a maze of conflicting advice is easy to do. But fear not. I've distilled my wisdom and coaching experience into a comprehensive guide to help you avoid the most detrimental fat loss mistakes. From misconceptions about nutrition to flawed cardio and
sleep routines, this article covers the eight worst fat loss mistakes you must avoid. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy.
1: Always Being On A Fat Loss Diet
Let's start with a huge mistake a lot of people make. I call these people "chronic dieters." You know the type. Every time you talk to them, they are in a fat loss phase. It could be Thanksgiving weekend, but they are "preparing for summer."
The key to fat loss is not always trying
to lose weight. In fact, you should be trying to maintain or even gain weight most of the year. Your fitness needs to have some seasonality to it. Time spent in caloric maintenance or even a surplus offers a few benefits.
The most significant benefit is mental. Remember what I said: fat loss is hard. To lose fat, you need to be in a caloric deficit, meaning you need to eat fewer calories than your body requires to stay at the same weight. A calorie-restricted diet requires strict
adherence to your nutrition plan, leaving little room for many of your favorite foods. But the thing is, you don't need to eat like that year-round.
You should eat enough calories to enjoy your food most of the year. At maintenance or a slight surplus, you can go out to eat a couple of times a week, enjoy a treat here or there, and even have some alcohol if you choose. Take advantage of this because it requires strict discipline when it comes to losing fat. You don't get any
bonus points for being stricter than your goals require.
The other huge benefit is in training performance. Eating more calories creates an optimal environment for building muscle. It allows you to train harder and consistently beat the logbook. Getting stronger over time is the best way to ensure you are building muscle. Constantly dieting is the best way to ensure you stay looking the same.
2: Crash Dieting
I have to confess. I
misled you in the beginning. As hard as weight loss is, something is much more challenging. The truth is, people are pretty good at weight loss. The real problem is keeping it off. It's common for individuals to lose the same five pounds year after year. Research shows that long-term maintenance of lost weight is the primary challenge [1].
There are many reasons why this happens, but one of the most common is crash dieting. Crash dieting is an extreme calorie restriction aimed
at achieving rapid weight loss quickly. It works well in the short term, but the problem is that it's not sustainable.
A great example is elimination-style diets - Carnivore, Keto, etc. When you are on the diet, it works. But how long can you go without eating carbs? Eventually, you will have to add them back in.
My goal when losing weight is to eat the least restrictive diet possible while still dropping 1-2 pounds weekly. This strategy has two benefits. It
allows me to stick to the diet long enough to reach my goal, and once I reach my goal, I can easily transition to a diet to maintain my progress.
Be patient. Slow and steady wins the race.
3: Not Paying Enough Attention to Food Quality
I'm sure you have heard that weight loss is all about calories in versus calories out. It's 100 percent true. This means that as long as you are in a calorie deficit, you can lose fat by eating anything you
want, including ice cream, pop-tarts, and other high-calorie foods. It's the backbone principle behind If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) style dieting.
In the early 2010s, I was on the front lines of social media, educating the public on the benefits of IIFYM. I thought it was the key to solving the obesity epidemic. Unfortunately, people took it too far. Instead of seeing it as a way to have ONE SERVING of a special treat on a fat-loss diet, they turned it into the nutritional
equivalent of Tetris. IIFYM diets became a game to see how much "unhealthy" food you can eat while losing weight.
Yes, IIFYM diets work, but eating mostly unprocessed, nutrient-dense, whole foods is the best way to lose fat. One reason is food volume. When dieting, food is a precious commodity. Overeating fun food on a fat-loss diet uses up most of your calories.
For example, what sounds like a better use of 200 calories? A large green salad with a bowl of
leafy green vegetables, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, grilled chicken, and light dressing. Or one Pop-Tart pastry? Look, I love Pop-Tarts, and I recognize this is not a fair comparison, but it's just to demonstrate my point. Whole foods fill you up more, which is crucial when dieting because it's not cravings that will get you; its hunger.
Another reason to emphasize food quality is research shows processed foods are easier to overeat, even when matched for
calories, sugar, fat, fiber, and macronutrients [2].
Food palatability refers to the sensory experience of food, including its taste, smell, texture, and appearance, which influences an individual's enjoyment and desire to eat it. Processed foods have a high food palatability rating. Like the Lays Potato Chip slogan, "betcha can't eat just one."
So, what's the bottom line? In a fat-loss phase, stick to lean proteins, complex carbs, fruits, veggies, and
natural fats while limiting treats.
4: Not Tracking Calorie and Macronutrient Intake
As important as food quality is, you still need to know how much you eat. An abundance of calories is an abundance regardless of where they come from. Even healthy foods can lead to weight gain or prevent weight loss if you eat too much.
If you are unfamiliar with what I mean by tracking, it involves recording and monitoring everything you eat and drink
throughout the day, typically using an app or website, to gain insight into your dietary habits, calorie intake, nutrient consumption, and eating patterns.
With tracking comes weighing and measuring. Yes, it's tedious, but it's valuable. Estimating how many calories you eat in a day is tough. Research shows that even registered dietitians struggle with this. One study found that dietitians underestimate calorie intake by over 200 [3]. However, that was still better than the
general public, who overestimated their intake by over 400 calories.
When you start tracking, you realize little things you probably never considered. Like how small a tablespoon of peanut butter actually is. Or what a serving of cereal looks like. Another thing that becomes apparent is mindless snacking. Most of us don't even realize how many little things we eat outside our main meals each day that add up.
I want to point out that you don't need to track
diligently every single day. Tracking is more of an accountability tool. When you start a new diet, weigh, measure, and track closely for a few days. Then, once you get the hang of it, you can stray a bit from weighing and measuring everything you put in your mouth. Keep track of your progress, and as long as you keep losing weight, you can keep estimating your intake. However, if your weight starts to stagnate, track again for a couple of days to ensure you eat what you think you are before
making any calorie adjustments.
5: Being Too Sedentary
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