Before I dive into today's topic I want to explain a little bit about the tittle of this post.
Normally I would keep things in a positive light. Normally I would tell people to not focus on what's wrong but instead focus on what is right.
Why be normal?
Really. People are so different and some people can't ever reached some ways. Hopefully today's post will help people that have failed to try again and learn from their mistakes. Hopefully someone reading this post will someday succeed.
Today I want to make a difference in at least one persons life. Maybe it will be you?
Lets assume that you want to lose weight. At least that was the goal. You either are not succeeding and still trying or you have given up. Or maybe you are just getting started and want to succeed. No matter where you are on the journey this information will be valuable to you.
Top 10 Weight Loss Mistakes
1. Lack of a defined purpose. If someone says to you, "Why do you want to lose weight?" What do you say?
Do you say something like, "My brood pressure is high" or "My doctor said I need to lose a few pounds" or "I have a Reunion coming up" then you are already heading down the wrong road.
Seriously. In the grand scheme of things how much does it matter if you look like you are 40 at your 20 year reunion instead of looking like you are 60? Do you really think your high school classmate from the 90's are going to be impressed by your 10 pounds of weight loss? You will NEVER look like you did at 18 so why the hell are you trying?
Showing up at the gym because SOMEONE ELSE said you should is also a recipe for failure. When you show up at the YMCA to tell the wellness coach "My doctor said I need to workout" well then what you are REALLY saying to yourself is, "I'll show him...this is not going to work."
Never do something because someone else says you should.
If you show up at the gym with tears in your eyes saying, "I need to be able to keep up with my 2 year old because she can run faster than I can..." or "I feel like I am not going to be around to see my kids graduate high school...." or "I am discussed by what I say in the mirror this morning..." then you are on the right track.
There is nothing in this world that is worth a crap that you will accomplish without having a strong purpose. Find your purpose and you are on the right track.
2. Going on a diet. I am about to offend MANY people in the next paragraph. My advice is that if you have thin skin and are offended easy then stop reading. My advice is that if you are a professional blamer and excuse maker you may want to close your browser now.
Shit's about to get real.
Diets are stupid. Diets don't work. Diets will never work. Diets are a short term solution to a long term problem. Diets are an amazing scapegoat for people that really don't want to change. Diet plans are simply a money making tool for people that don't care about you.
There. Hopefully we weeded out posers and the people still reading are the ones that actually want to lose weight.
This article is about the mistakes that people make and not necessary a detailed explanation of what you do. There are lot's of other articles about what to do. To learn how to EAT PROPERLY and not ever again "diet" check out our 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. For more advice on eating the right foods via pictures I suggest that you follow Teresa on Instagram. You can also follow Rick on Instagram. This is not dieting. It's about eating right!
Did I hammer that one one? "Going on a diet" doesn't work. It just doesn't.
3. Wanting to lose the weight before working out. I don't think I have ever met anyone that lost weight and then decided to start and exercise program. Losing weight is about synergy and balance. It's about empowering your body to shed fat and built muscle. It's about loading up your body with nutrition and growing your fitness though metabolic conditioning.
If you tell people that you want to lose the weight then you are going to go to the gym then you are setting yourself up for failure. Trust me. This plan doesn't work. It's a stupid plan. I will use this Cars.com commercial over and over again because it is total awesomeness....
Why?
What is the purpose behind that? I put on on this weight and I am going to lose it all by myself? I don't need help. How narcissistic. Really, whats the point?
I see it all the time. It's just an excuse. You need help. You either needs an accountability group, a coach, a trainer, or something to hold you accountability. You need support.
What truly successful person do you know that says they did it all themselves? It's just silly but many people say it. Your accountability doesn't have to be defined by someone else. Don't get me wrong. You don't need to spend a lot of money on a personal trainer or some exclusive membership but you do need help; we all do.
5. Focusing on one aspect of exercise. Running to lose weight. Yoga to lose weight. Zumba to lose weight. The Stairmaster to lose weight.
I know. We ALL know someone that lost 100 lbs by running. Maybe we saw a YouTube video of someone doing Yoga and the weight falls off.
Those are anecdotal. People win the lottery also. You aren't going to run out and buy a ticket just because some retiree in Iowa just won $160 million....
Please tell me you wouldn't do that?
Your body will quickly get accustomed to what you are doing and it will stop shedding fat and start shedding muscle pretty quick. You must vary what you do!
6. Doing the "circuit" at the gym. This is a hard one. People tell you all the time at the gym to do the circuit. The trainers tell you. Sorry, folks. The circuit at the gym is the opposite of helpful long term.
Here is why.
First you may start shedding some fat and gaining some muscle. You body quickly adjusts and the fat loss will slow. You will gain muscle in a "non functional" way which can lead to injury. When you get injured you aren't as likely to work out. It's a vicious cycle.
You must do free weights and functional movements to lose weight and gain fitness. The circuit is very much like a diet. It look good in the beginning and you will likely get some quick results. In the end is is simple a short term fit for a long term problem. It is the "easy" way out. We all know how taking the easy way out works in the end, right?
7. Counting calories. I can hear the protests now. "But I read in BLAH BLAH magazine.... They said in Weight Watchers..."
Don't get me wrong. Excess calories can be a bad idea.
The reality is that it's not about calories but it is about quality.
We are doing a program called the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. One of the participants asked me yesterday why there was no "portion sizes" listed on the program. Isn't portion control a problem?
Ask people that are over weight why they are overweight. You will get a variety of answers. I would bet a slice of pizza that NONE of them will say they they were force-fed broccoli and salads growing up.
I would argue that you really can't over eat high quality food. When you count calories you also can find frustration in a number that means nothing. We are all different and trying to figure out what number you need is silly. Nourish yourself if a balanced way and you will lose weight. Period.
8. Letting lame excuses slow you then stop you. We have all seen people get a head of steam and start to lose weight. Then they lose it.
Sometimes it's the lame excuse that we actually let ourselves believe.
"I have a blister."
"I had to work late."
"I didn't have a clean shirt."
"I have no money."
"My knee is sore."
"My back is sore."
"I'm spending to much time away from home." (READ Spousal Sabotage)
"I have a cold."
"My family is in town."
"I had to let the dogs out."
You get the point. Sometimes we have a valid excuses to workout but usually it's pretty lame. Once you accept one excuse it becomes easier to accept others until eventually you forget that you were trying to lose weight all together.
Now do you see shy number one is so important? If your purpose is strong enough....
9. Have unrealistic expectations. Sometimes I'll ask people during a consult what weight they would like to be. I have heard a weight before and asked the follow up questions, "Why that weight?"
Sorry, folks. for most of us over the age of 25 your high school weight is not a good goal. Setting weight loss goals is a GREAT idea but not silly goals. Set mid range goals. Losing 10 lbs in a month is a great goal. Losing 100 pound in a year is a great goal. Getting to same high school weight at 40 is usually not such a great goal.
10. Not understanding the importance of supplementation. As we age it gets harder and harder for our bodies to absorb nutrition. Also, as the years go by the nutrition density of our food is going down down down. These two double whammies are impacting us all. It also means that we NEED supplementation.
If you want to learn about absorption and supplementation I encourage you to go this here link and watch the 30 minute video. It is the best video out there about the importance of supplementation: https://tomorrowschampion.com/seminar/ (Mark McCoy is a dude that knows a heck of a lot more that I do)
Here is a quick 4 minute video telling you more about the company.
If you want to get started no some products shoot me a quick email with your phone number and I will call you help you get on the right path.
We help people. It's what we do. My email is: rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com and my personal cell number is 352-989-6795. Give me a shout if you want some help. There is no harm is seeing what it is that we can do for you!
As I was compiling this list I did think of others reasons. Hopefully you get the point and I will stop at 10. It really isn't one of the 10 but people really do fail at weight loss simply because they give up. One of the 10 leads to frustration and quitting. Maybe more than one. Maybe all 10.
Tomorrow I will do part two of this article. Part two will be the top 10 things that people to do to successfully lose weight. Make sure to check back tomorrow for that one. You will get a ton of value!
Do you like these articles? Do they make a difference in your life? Maybe there are people out there in your Facebook world that would also need this. Can you please share with them?
We would appreciate that!
The 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge is open for 36 more house. It closes on Tuesday, July 8th at midnight!
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/30-day-clean-eating-challenge-tickets-12176164235
To your success!
Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach
"Empowering YOU to be a champion"
rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com
352-989-6795
