Embarking on a weight loss journey requires dedication, discipline, and a mindful approach to nutrition and exercise. However, there are three common mistakes that will derail your progress, and prevent you from achieving your goals if you are not aware of them.
Let’s dive into what we call the “Self-Sabotage Trio” and understand how these pitfalls can hinder your success.
1) BLTs: The Bites, Licks, and Tastes:
Ever found yourself mindlessly snacking on those tempting bites, licks, and tastes while preparing your meals? Or maybe you’ve innocently grabbed a handful of nuts as you walked past the kitchen, or indulged in a small bite of something that caught your eye. And let’s not forget the classic scenario for moms and dads: finishing off those last few bites of unfinished food from your kids’ plates. But here’s the kicker: these seemingly innocent actions can pack a powerful calorie punch throughout the day.
The problem arises when these BLTs (Bites, Licks, and Tastes) go unnoticed and fail to make it onto your food tracker. They may appear harmless at first, but they can swiftly add up, sabotaging your calorie deficit and hindering your weight loss progress.
It’s important to stay honest and accountable by tracking ALL things, even the little things. Or, better yet, be mindful about not giving in to the BLT’s at all to guarantee the accuracy and consistency of your calorie and macro intake.
2) Eyeballing Portions and Overconfidence/ Laziness With the Food Scale:
Accurate portion control is crucial for weight loss success! After weeks of diligently tracking with a food scale, it’s tempting to eyeball portion sizes, and estimate calorie counts. However, this approach can stop your results dead in their tracks!
Worse yet, this is the fastest road to frustration because it looks as though you’re adhering to your calorie and macro goals in your meal tracker. The truth is that the calories and macros recorded are not accurate because of the margin of error when eyeballing portions.
Relying too heavily on eyeballing portions leads to underestimating portion sizes, resulting in an unintended calorie surplus. This discrepancy between what you think you’re consuming and what you’re actually consuming can create frustration and confusion, because it feels like you’re doing everything right but not seeing the desired results.
To avoid frustration from a lack of progress, and to ensure the accuracy of your meal tracking, always use your food scale! This will assure you are precise with your portions, and keep you on track to achieving your weight loss goals.
Remember, a little extra investment of your time to weigh your food on the front end, will yield significant returns with accurate tracking and measurable progress on the back end!
3) Slow Reduction of Exercise Volume:
Regular exercise is a key component of weight loss and optimizing metabolic health. However, it’s no secret, life can get increasingly hectic as time goes on. With busy schedules, it’s easy to let exercise take a back seat, leading to a decline in physical activity over time.
Unfortunately, this reduction has a negative impact on weight loss and will lead to a plateau in your results. Or, worse yet, you might begin to lose the gains you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Falling out of the exercise habit can disrupt the momentum you’ve built, making it harder to stay motivated and eventually hindering your weight loss journey.
To prevent this setback, stay committed to exercise, even during busy times! Adjust your workout schedule as needed. Be flexible with when, where and how you work out. Remember, don’t have an “all or nothing” mentality. With exercise, something IS better than nothing. And, getting back into the habit after a hiatus can be more challenging than staying consistent. So, make it a priority to stay consistent.
Recognizing and addressing the “Self-Sabotage Trio” can significantly enhance your weight loss journey. Stay disciplined, stay focused, and say goodbye to these common mistakes that can derail your progress. Remember, your commitment and attention to detail will pay off in the long run, leading to sustainable and lasting results.