Like millions of others, you want to lose weight. It could be for a number of reasons: To be healthier, for a special occasion, or you just want to look better. And just like millions of others, you find it difficult to lose weight. You try ab workouts, 30 minute HIIT workouts, eating healthier – but it just doesn’t seem to stick!
Well I’ve been there in the exact same position.
Three years ago I weighed 220lbs, couldn’t run for 5 minutes straight, I had terribly low self-confidence, and worst of all I was diagnosed with high cholesterol at the young age of 22.
Today, I’ve turned things around. I weigh at a healthy 170lbs, completed a half marathon in under 2 hours and 30 minutes, hiked the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia at over 13,000 feet, and feeling much healthier.
Contrary to what most fitness influencers or beauty products will tell you, it was a LONG journey. I was new to all this so I made mistakes, went back to my old habits, got back on track, went back to my old habits again, and the cycle continued… until it stuck.
Looking back, I could’ve achieved the same results in under a year had I not made these mistakes. Here I’ll share my top 5 mistakes during my weight loss journey so you can avoid them and achieve your results ASAP!
Mistake #1: Not setting a goal
“You can’t manage what you don’t measure” is something that can be applied to many areas of life including weight loss.
When I started I just knew I wanted to lose weight, but I didn’t know what that meant to me personally. This was bad because without a goal, I didn’t bother checking in on my progress which meant I never tracked if I was doing things right or wrong! I had no feedback if I were doing the right things, and that meant if I did something wrong I’d have zero idea I was on the wrong track.
Where to start: Set yourself a measurable numeric goal. Get a scale and measure your weight, or if you have access to body measurement machines, body fat percentage is a great number to look at too. Set yourself a realistic goal and timeframe, and check-in regularly. If things are progressing then keep doing what you’re doing, if not, you’ll have to either lower your calorie consumption or increase your energy expenditure.
Here’s an example: I want to get from 180lbs to 170lbs in 8 weeks. I’ll stick to my plan for the first 2 weeks and measure my weight at the end of the 2 weeks. If my weight is going down, I’ll continue with my same plan. If not, I’ll tweak my plan and try again another 2 weeks.
Mistake #2: Not knowing how much calories you can eat
So okay, I have a goal now – but what’s the plan? As important as being physically active is to lose weight, controlling your calorie intake is the main goal. To lose weight, you need to be on a calorie deficit which I’ve done a complete explanation here.
No matter how much you run, hike, or lift weights, if you’re not eating at a caloric deficit, weight loss is not going to happen to you. It’s that simple! To do that, you first need to know how much calories you can eat. Check out this guide on how you can find that out in just 2 minutes.
If you don’t know your calorie deficit, you’ll never be able to tell if you’re eating too little or too much. Sure, you can do some guesswork but that’s going to take a lot of trial and error. Guess what? By the time you’ve figured it out you’ve probably already given up. That’s what happened to me!
Mistake #3: Not starting small
Great, now we’re talking. I have my goal and I have my plan: I’m going to eat at a caloric deficit, I’m gonna run on Monday, sign up for a crossfit class on Tuesday, do a HIIT workout on Wednesday, go to the gym on… Slow down! I got out of breath by just reading that.
We’re humans, at the start of every journey, we’re always excited, amped up to give our 100% so it’s normal to have all these idealistic goals.
Here’s the truth: We’re humans, we hate change, especially when it brings so much exhaustion to our body. Start slow and let your body get used to things before bringing things to the next level.
I recommend to eat at a caloric deficit, and workout twice a week with rest days in between. Give it 2 weeks, once you’re more comfortable with the lifestyle, only then you add on a third workout. Remember it’s a lifestyle change, so you’ll have your whole life to work towards it.
Start small.
Mistake #4: Being too extreme
The perfect example of this is eating just salad for the whole week. Salads are fine, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy a burger or donut. As long as it fits into your supposed calorie intake, then have a day off every week to enjoy what you like.
It’s better to be sustainable than to be extreme. I’ve gone extreme a couple times with my diet and it has always backfired. I’d get burned out and fall back to my old eating habits. It prolonged my weight loss journey and it’s so frustrating to start over again.
Work hard but also enjoy yourself!
Mistake #5: Being impatient
Let me set the expectation for you – if you stick to your plan, you probably won’t see huge results in your first week, or your second week, or your third.
Do not be impatient and quit. Stick to it. As long as you see minor progress, then you know you’re on the right track. Discipline and patience is key for weight loss, let time pass and you’ll see amazing results rather soon.
I assure you if you avoid the mistakes I shared above, you’ll save your time going through the learning cycle that I did and achieve your goals quicker.
If you have any questions, leave a comment below! I’d be more than happy to share my experience to help you.