Weight loss is hard!!  Not only are you trying to accomplish something that is not your normal...Often times life gets in the way.

When our clients here at Strive Fitness and Performance become insanely busy, it can be tough to focus on your goals in a healthy, sustainable way, let alone work towards them at all. It’s easy to fall into pitfalls.  Here are some helpful tips that you can avoid as you start your weight loss journey.

1. FOCUSING ON WHAT YOU CAN’T EAT

So many people embarking on a weight loss journey focus on what they can’t have.  Examples are things like no sugar, no alcohol, no dessert, no bread, no cheese. They restrict everything that they usually have...This often causes the relapse after a couple of days or weeks as they start to crave those foods.

Instead, people should not necessarily worry about eliminating the bad foods, but adding some healthy foods.  As you add healthy foods, you will start to eat less of the bad foods.

2. ADOPTING AN ALL-OR-NOTHING ATTITUDE

The all-or-nothing attitude is very similar to the above tip.  Too many people who are trying to lose weight develop the all-or-nothing attitude. This way of thinking can be detrimental in the long run. Instead of depriving oneself of foods they love, they should learn how to incorporate them into their diet in a healthier way. For example, love pasta? Instead of adding a creamy high fat sauce, add lots of veggies, grilled shrimp, and toss in olive oil and garlic. Can’t live without bread? Well, you shouldn’t have to. Make a healthy sandwich for lunch on 100 percent whole grain bread with grilled chicken, avocado, lettuce, and tomato.

3. EATING TOO FEW CALORIES

The biggest pitfall I constantly see my clients falling into is the calorie counting trap. Many women come to me struggling to follow a 1,200 calorie per day diet and ask me what would help them to feel more full during the day. My answer is always to eat more! We live in a culture that is so obsessed with calorie counting that oftentimes we are depriving our body of the very nutrients that will actually help us not only to live healthier, but lose more weight.

4. TAKING THE WEEKENDS OFF FROM HEALTHY EATING

You should take the weekends off from your job, not your diet. Sure, you can still have fun and go out to eat on the weekends, but make an effort not to stuff yourself to the brim with food or drink.  Getting away from the healthy habits of the week and going the exact opposite way can be very disastrous.  A simple weekend day can easily amount to 5,000 calories (beer, pizza, wings etc.).

Simply eating mindfully when you are enjoying good food can be enough to not wreck your hard work during the week. If the weekends are a problem for you, consider eliminating one of the party days

5. Not Having A Plan

Not having a solid, realistic plan is a huge mistake. People should set themselves up for failure by going all in and not having a set plan of action....They just know that they want change. Start off with a few actionable and specific goals for the first week. Once you master those, keep adding on. Before you know it, those action steps will become lifelong healthy habits.

If you need help with organizing your plan feel free to contact us here at Strive Fitness and Performance and we can go over your nutritional breakdown