Weight Loss: What NOT To Do

Being in the midst of weight loss season (September to late November is the period when the weight loss industry really flourishes in South Africa!) we are currently immersed in “professional tips” and “proven information” on what to do to get the coveted 60cm waist. Shape magazine has a new plan guaranteed to help you lose 5kg till Christmas. Cleo Mag also offers advice on battling the bulge. Actually, I don’t think you will find a mag that doesn’t.

The concepts are all quite simple (and similar), really. Eat healthy, exercise daily, take care of your body and mind, visualise your success… All the things that you already know you should do…

Yet, weight loss sometimes requires of you to just let go and NOT do. Relinquish the control and let it happen naturally…

Here is a list of some common mistakes that we all get caught into amidst our eagerness for slimmer and prettier “me”:

1. Don’t check your weight in your bathroom scales everyday.
I know you are eager to see the confirmation of your efforts in the shape of lost pounds, but you should not let this drive you to checking your weight everyday. The daily fluctuations of your weight will soon have you depressed and ready to quit the plan. And this is something you want to avoid.
2. Don’t rush into the toughest weight loss diet
This is the most common mistake by far (in my view). Super strict diets don’t work. Period. They don’t work for anyone in the long term. Not even for the “testimonials” used to sell the books. Get it into your head and stick to the more sensible approaches. I mean, come on… You know that you can’t survive the strict routine for more than 3 days, right? And then what? Once again admitting to failure and beating yourself with endless guilt?
3. Don’t go to the gym too often to lose weight!
Another common mistake is to use the enthusiasm of the first days to hit the gym every day. This won’t help you at all. Your body needs time to heal and expand the muscle mass after each training session and going to the gym every day interferes with this natural process. Besides, a week of non-stop training could never offset ten or twenty years of couch potato lifestyle.
4. Don’t cut down too many calories in order to lose weight
We all know that cutting down on calories is one of the building blocks of all diets, but you have to be careful about it. Cut down on too many calories and your body will start storing anything it possibly can. This is not a good way to lose weight. You can look at the earlier posts in this blog to calculate the “safe” amount of calories to cut, but general rule of thumb is no more than 20% of your total intake. I.e. if you currently eat 1,800 calories a day, you can’t cut out more than 360 calories at a time… about a small meal. Yep, you are right – you will need to keep a food diary to track that!
5. Don’t skip meals in order to lose weight quickly!
Some people think that skipping one or two meals could help them lose weight faster. Been there, done that. Won’t even talk about it any further, but just for the uninitiated: Work towards INCREASING your number of meals, not reducing it. Eating all your calories in one or two sittings a day is totally counter-productive. 6 meals a day IS YOUR GOAL!
6. Don’t rely on your will power alone for weight loss
Use your head as well. If you wish to know how much you eat, then write everything down and analyze the list for things that should not be there (or mail it to me!). Sometimes “hunger” creeps up on you and make you eat something you shouldn’t. Beat it. Unless you are pregnant (and I am not even too sure about that one!) physical cravings DO NOT exist. It’s all in your head!
7. Don’t let emotions drive your weight loss
Aside from the eagerness that drives people to check their weight every day, there are other emotions that influence dieting. If you know you’re used to reaching out for ice-cream or snacks when you are bored, frustrated or angry, then you should deal with these issues first. Weight loss will happen, once you have your life sorted out.
8. Don’t lose touch with reality while following a weight loss plan
You can’t realistically expect things to happen over night. When choosing your goal, start small, but be prepared to go far. If you hear someone saying that he lost a large number of pounds in a short time, don’t make it your goal to match his performance. Diet results are different from one person to another. It is NOT a competition!
9. Don’t deny yourself your favourite foods while trying to lose weight
Treats are allowed and actually required to preserve your mental sanity and wellbeing. But don’t go overboard. It wasn’t treats that made you fat. It was overdoing them. So, make peace with your past and allow yourself a treat occasionally. Keywords to note here are “a treat” (as opposed to “treats”) and “occasionally” (meaning exactly that)!
10. Don’t refuse to seek help for losing weight
Not knowing what to do in order to lose weight effectively is NOT a reflection on you. Unless you studied dietetics, kinesiology and physiology, no one expects you to know what a phytonutrient is, why you need it and how your body reacts to its presence in your digestive track. No. Going to a weight loss coach, dietician or trainer is NOT embarrassing. Think about it… How does it differ from going to a doctor, mechanic or enrolling for Spanish lessons? You need something to happen and you go to a professional, right?

I wish you all a successful weight loss journey!

Ciao!
Jeni