From Fitness and Health
When starting a diet, usually with fat loss as a goal, the first thing people do is to ‘arm’ themselves with loads of information from the internet. The amount of information is so large that they probably end up confused from all that conflicting advice. Here are some of the most common mistakes that every newbie makes on their path towards the ideal weight.
1. Relying on non-expert quick weight loss tips
You need to do your research and invest in a good diet plan. A good nutritionist will compile a plan that you can follow and monitor. A good nutritionist will answer a thousand questions and give you the right directions. All the money invested will pay off and you will save a lot of time looking for a variety of materials and advice. And remember, there are no quick fat loss programs.
If you are unable to consult a nutritionist, read on:
2. Not counting calories
In this article, we explained the importance of caloric intake. This is the basis, and energy calculation is simple. If you intake less calories than you burn on a daily basis you will lose weight. It is therefore important to monitor calorie intake and reduce it according to your needs. Of course, “clean” foods offer higher nutritional value and improved satiety for fewer calories you eat. Therefore, the recommendation to consume unrefined foods, fresh vegetables and fruits. It is easier to achieve satiety with less food. Which brings us to the following errors …
3. If I choose only healthy foods, will I lose weight ?
All foods contain a certain amount of energy. So even if you only eat clean foods and you eat too much of them, you will not lose weight. Olive oil is an excellent food as a source of healthy fats. Adding a tablespoon of olive oil will enrich your salad and add healthy fat in the body, but add too much of it and you have exceeded your calorie limit. One tablespoon of olive oil has about 119 calories. So remember, do not go overboard with the seasoning and sauces.
4. Healthy snacks between meals
With snacks you are actually cutting the time between meals. While dried fruits can be used after training to refill glycogen reserves, stuffing yourself with dried fruits or nuts will not satisfy hunger completely, and yet it can drastically increase your caloric intake.
5. Cutting off certain foods
Yes, in order to lose fat you do need to cut off some foods, but excessive denial of “bad” foods will only make you crave them more. Instead, treat yourself a cheat meal once in a while, like once a week or so. A common rule of a thumb is: if 90% of your diet consists of good quality food, then 10% of junk food will not ruin your diet. A ball of ice cream here and there or a piece of chocolate after workout will not make you fat, but with these foods you need to be really careful.
6. Too many soft drinks and juices
Drinking juices/soft drinks may not seem like it will hurt your calorie intake, when in fact it will do a great damage to your diet plan. A cup of juice can contain 30-40g of sugar in it. Instead, choose water, unsweetened tea and coffee in moderation.
7. Avoiding strength training
With exercise, you will achieve your goal to shape your body faster and easier. But do not limit your training to cardio only. While cardio exercises help in fat loss, weight training requires a lot more energy. And at the very end, bigger muscles require more energy to maintain themselves, which means they work in your favor when trying to lose fat.
8. You use your intense workout as an excuse
“I did a great workout so now I can treat myself a piece of cake or a burger”. Well, fat loss does not work that way. The nutrition plan that was made for you usually takes the exercise in consideration in the total recommended calorie intake. Training is not an excuse for overeating, but a more efficient tool to reach your goal.
9. Monitoring progress only by weighing
Although weighing gives you some statistics of your progress it could also give you false statistics. If you workout and go by a diet plan, you are actually recomposing your body. This means that while you lose fat, you are gaining muscle. Muscles are heavier than fat, so you will see visual improvements even if the scale stays the same week after week. Use a tailor’s tape to measure yourself, take picture of yourself, and measure your weight only once a week. Make sure that all measurements are taken in the same conditions, eg. In the morning, on an empty stomach etc.
10. Blaming your genes
People like excuses. Genetics, hormones, heavy bones. Stop using excuses and get to work. There is a greater possibility that your bad choices lead to unwanted looks, than bad genetics.
There is no magic tool or pill for fat loss, there is not such thing as so bad genetics that keeps you from getting in shape. Certain conditions and diseases can slow your progress, or you make it a difficult job, but they can not stop you on your way to the finish line.
Source: http://www.fitnessandpower.com/fitness-and-health/10-mistakes-people-do-when-trying-to-lose-fat