The 6 Biggest Weight Loss Mistakes Women Make
& How to Fix Them for Success!
The one thing that I know for sure about us women, is that when we know better, we DO better. Part of why I do what I do, is because I seriously love sharing what I know, or cool things I’ve found or learned.
Having been an athlete of sorts my whole life, I’ve noticed a handful of common misconceptions or “mistakes” women make (with good intentions), that keep them from hitting their fitness or weight goals. Nothing is more frustrating than working your ass off towards a goal, but not seeing the progress you want – and worse yet, not knowing why. I can help!
Here are the 6 Biggest Weight Loss Mistakes I see women make AND Solutions of course! đ
1. Eating More Because You âWorked-out Hard Today.â
The truth is this â you cannot exercise-away overeating. I WISH this wasnât the case, believe me. Of course, working out does allow a little calorie leeway, but not as much as most people think.
For example, if you have pizza every night after a workout â unless youâre a 20-year old professional athlete, youâre probably going to be looking for those comfy stretchy pants in the bottom of your drawer. Itâs ok, I have them in black, gray and navy. đ
How To Fix It:
Knowledge is powerâŚ. A work-out day will generally allow an additional 200-calories for that day. Thatâs a LOT LESS than youâd think and 200-calories goes fast!
To maintain your current weight, the average woman
needs about 2,000 calories a day. To lose weight,
about 1,500 calories a day for a 1-lb per week weight loss.
This is a general range just to give you an idea. Factors like age, activity level, natural metabolism & genetics all play a role in each womanâs individual âsuccess number.â
Consider trying this:
Start at the 1,500 calorie mark (to lose),
and see how your body reacts after the first week.
Adjust up or down in 100-calorie increments and
monitor your results.
2. Drinking Juices (or Smoothies) as a Meal
I am not a fan of juicing. Juicing separates the fiber from the fruit, leaving you with a big glass of sugar & carbsâŚand an empty stomach. Full disclosure, I was on-board the Juicing bandwagon a few years ago â and not-so-jokingly refer to it as âThe Time I Got Fat Juicing.â
Green juices and smoothies are super popular and I know that a lot of women like to have them as Meal Replacements. The problem-o is that Green juices are void of fiber and protein, which are what helps us to feel fuller, longer. Most Smoothies (especially bottled) arenât made right. Theyâre usually packed with sugar from juice, sweeteners, too much fruit, oversized portions of nut-butters and in short â are usually super high in calories.
How To Fix It:
Stay away from juices â eat your calories instead. Youâll feel fuller, longer instead of drinking empty calories. If you love the taste & convenience of Smoothies (I do!) make them yourself so you can control the ingredients. The goal is to create a balance of fiber, good fats, protein & nutrients â in something that tastes super deelish!
Most all of my SMOOTHIE RECIPES contain Protein, Nut-milk or water, Greens, Minimal Whole Fruit and just enough healthy-fat to keep you full & satiated. I NEVER use fruit juices, concentrates or added-sugars. On nights that Iâm not that hungry (like hot summer nights), I LOVE a healthy smoothie instead.
3 of my Favorite Meal-Replacement Smoothies:
3. But Itâs Healthy? Eating Too Much of a Good Thing.
Nuts, Avocado, Olive Oils, Quinoa, Beans, Salmon, Nut-butters â yes, all very good, healthy choices that are great in moderation. Some people assume that if itâs healthy, you can eat freely & not gain. Not true.
Portion control is still important, especially on
high-calorie, high-fat foods like nuts, nut-butters,
oils and avocado.
How To Fix It:
Knowledge is power. Calorie awareness of even Good-For-Ya-Foods is half the battle. For example:
Calorie awareness is half the battle….
1 TB of unsweetened peanut butter has 100-calories.
½ an avocado has 160 calories
Âź cup raw almonds has 200.
No problem â just be aware of your portions.
On a positive note, these foods contain good, healthy fats which go a long way in keeping us fuller, for longer. So theyâre a great value & a good choice, in moderation.
4. Doing the SAME Work-out Every Time.
We all have a favorite workout or certain exercises that we really, really like doing â and others, not so much. Itâs easy to get stuck in a rut doing only the workouts that we like. The problem is, if we donât switch it up, the body gets comfortable and wonât work hard to burn calories and build muscle. I mean, if weâre going to work-out, we want to see results â right??
How To Fix It:
Keep it Fresh!
Make your workout plan for the week, in advance, to incorporate different types of workouts: One day Strength, another day Cardio, other days a HIIT Workout (Strength & Cardio Intervals). Fortunately, with Youtube itâs REALLY easy (and free) to pull up literally any type of workout you want, on demand to keep it fresh!
Try 3 Fan-Favorite Home Workouts:
5. Buying Low-Fat, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free, Sugar-free
Processed foods that come in packages marked with any of these terms, arenât doing us any favors. They are nothing more than marketing terms. Most processed foods marked Low or No-Fat, contain added-sugar in order to make them taste good. Sugar is addicting, empty calories. The problem, is that people will eat more than they otherwise would under the guise that itâs âhealthierâ, when in all likelihood itâs just filler-food, and empty calories.
How To Fix It:
Steer clear of highly-processed, packaged foods â especially those labeled Low or No: Carb, Sugar, Fat, Gluten. Stick to whole and minimally-processed foods. Make meals at home, so you can control what goes into them. It doesnât have to be complicated. I stick to easy, simple recipes â nothing fancy.
Try a few of my Healthy Summer Recipes or get (53) EASY, no-added-sugar recipes in my “28-Day California Sugar Cleanse.”
6. Crash Dieting
I think by now most of us know that âDietsâ that starve & deprive for a period of time, donât work long-term. They just donât. Sure, you can white-knuckle your way through the Grapefruit Diet for a month & lose weight â but thatâs not sustainable!
The second youâre done, old eating habits will sneak back in and the weight will return. Crash dieting also wreaks havoc on your metabolism because the body is in a constant state of wondering whether it needs to hoard calories.
Crash diets like the Lemon, Honey, Cayenne & Water
for a week are just outdated and archaic.
I did that one. I literally almost fainted
in aerobics. Thatâs a story for another day.
How To Fix It:
Redefine the word âDietâ to simply refer to your way of eating as a lifestyle. Diet is about learning to eat in a way that feels good & works for your body â long term!
