I know, I know, we all want to achieve weight loss fast! Unfortunately, that is not always the way things work. And, while there are many fast weight loss diet plans available, there are an equal if not more number of fad diets, quick fixes, and bogus programs. Some of them truly work – for a while. Others come and go quickly.
So, what works for long term weight loss? In this article, let’s focus on 4 of the most common pitfalls dieters face and the steps to avoid them.
1. Not having a plan of action
Quick weight loss is a certainly a enticing proposition, but it can be dangerous to have unrealistic expectations and not have a plan of action. For example, many people embark on a “crash” diet where they try to lose as much weight as possible in as short a period of time as possible, often using unhealthy and even unsafe methods to do so.
If you need to make some serious weight loss changes, you should set yourself long term goals and focus on losing a few pounds at a time rather than focusing on attempting to lose a lot of weight quickly. It is far more realistic to aim for losing 4 to 5 pounds per month rather than attempting to lose 12 pounds a month as you will only end up in the poor.
2. Relying on gimmicks and fad diets to shed extra pounds
While most gimmick diet programs do get you results in the short term, they cause you to lose muscle mass which in the long run makes it much more difficult to keep the pounds off. Their temporary nature also means you will most likely gain back the pounds once you go off the diet.
Therefore, for maximum weight loss, you should choose a diet or weight loss program that teaches you to lose weight by eating healthy whole foods, rather than starving yourself with Tea and Cider or taking ever increasing doses of over the counter diet pills.
3. Likewise not having a positive attitude
A positive attitude is crucial to taking the pounds off and keeping the weight off. This is because being positive will help you to continue to make healthy choices every day even when you “cheat” or stray from your diet.
Following a weight loss program that includes the discipline of diet and exercise will help you to shed pounds. Hence, you should learn to think in a way that will help you to continue to become more disciplined.
4. Avoiding strength training exercises
Many people, when faced with weight loss, will advice to “lift those weights” and unfortunately this is one of the big mistakes you can make. After all, lifting weights may help you to become a smaller size but it will not help you to lose weight in long term. This is because strength training helps you to add muscle, which will increase your metabolic rate and aid in burning fat.
The biggest mistake you can make is to avoid strength training altogether, but if you insist on doing it, you should do so without overdoing it. Instead of lifting “dumbbells”, try using free weights or stationary weights. Moreover, if you are a woman, don’t be afraid of strength training. If it doesn’t give you man boobs, neither will it make you bulky.
If you avoid the pitfalls listed above, you will not face the same weight loss issues that you do for others who do bypass them. This is because your overall health and well-being will remain intact, resulting in the maintenance of a healthy body. The permanent weight loss will give you a healthy body that you can then pursue on with.
