10 Things Not To Do To Lose Weight

Look, getting in shape isn’t always easy. Some of us are blessed with great metabolism, and the pounds might seem to just fall right off, while others have to fight uphill to lose every ounce of fat. But nobody really gets off scott free. It’s hard work no matter who you are, even if it’s harder for some than for others. The last thing you want to do is make some common mistakes, so here are 10 things not to do to lose weight…

1. Fad Diets

If a diet sounds too good to be true, it is. No exceptions. Almost no fad diets actually help, none of them at all help as much as they say they do, and some of them can be devastating for your health. Forget fad diets. Some do work however many more just don’t cut it. Just eat lighter, healthier food, coupled with regular exercise, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water.

2. No Diets

No matter how hard you work out, if you want to actually LOSE weight, you do need to switch up your eating habits. You can be a body builder who eats nothing but steak, eggs and bacon, but you can’t lose weight without switching a few meals out with a salad each week.

3. Starving Yourself

If you don’t eat well, you typically lose muscle, bone and organ strength long before the fat comes off. The only way to get rid of unwanted body weight is to play it straight, to work out and eat well. It won’t disappear on its own.

4. Working Too Hard

Especially when it comes to muscle growth. Look, your body needs rest now and then. Working the same muscles at the gym every day won’t help, and running the treadmill until you pass out won’t help, either. Pace yourself. Kick your own butt at the gym for a couple hours, but then relax.

5. Not Exercising at All

Diet alone won’t get rid of that extra weight. At the very least, walk around the park to get rid of it. If it hasn’t been made clear by this point, you won’t lose weight with just diet or exercise, you need both. You have to stick with it to see successful results.

6. The “Finish Line” Mentality

Once you’re in shape, you have to keep working to stay in shape. Don’t think that, as soon as you reach 180, you’ll be able to quit exercising. It’s fun to eat a birthday cake or a giant cheeseburger in celebration, but you don’t want to fall back into the same habits as before, or you’ll lose all your hard work.

7. Weighing Yourself Every Day

This seems like a good idea, and it is if you’re in shape and looking to weight train, but the fact is that not a lot of progress can be made in just one day. When you see that your weight is only a pound or two off of what it was yesterday, you may be discouraged. Weigh yourself once a week.

8. Isolate Yourself

Your friends and family are your support group, so if possible, exercise with someone close to you as a workout partner. It’s very easy to lose interest when you’re going it alone, so having a friend can turn it into something fun, and not a chore.

9. Keeping Your Fatty Snack Foods

Just throw them all out. If you’re quitting smoking, you don’t keep the cigarettes around in case someone else wants some. If you’re quitting drinking, you don’t save the rum for a special occasion. You just throw it all out.

10. Going Crazy

Don’t obsess over fitness, don’t obsess over your weight, or it WILL drive you crazy. Set aside a couple hours a day to exercise, make sure you eat healthier foods, and then spend the rest of the day as you please. Unless you’re trying to become a personal trainer, getting into shape shouldn’t be a full time job.