This story has been updated since it was originally posted on 02/20/22 to include more expert insight
The process of losing weight can be very grueling and difficult, and it really does take time. If you’ve been feeling defeated, less inspired to work out or wondering what could be going wrong, we spoke with four health experts who determined common mistakes many people make when trying to lose weight. Although these errors are easy to do, they can still be fixed. Read on for helpful weight loss tips from dietitian Kimberly Marsh, MS, RD, nutritionist James Collier, dietitian/ nutritionist Blanca C. Garcia, RDN, nutritionist Amy Lippert , RD and health expert Dr. Victoria Glass, M.D.
1. Skipping Meals
A common metaphor to think of regarding your body and energy, is thinking about a car. Without gas, (or energy) it can't move— and your body is like this too! If you neglect yourself and prevent your body from getting the important vitamins and healthy foods it needs, it isn't possible to lose weight healthily.
Contrary to popular belief, skipping meals does the opposite to help with weight loss, Garcia says, noting “most people who skip meals will often overeat.” She adds that while some people skip majorly important meals (like breakfast and dinner), many will instead eat low-calorie diets that are difficult to maintain.
You could be working so hard to lose weight, only to gain it back later since you aren't consistently giving your body the nutrients it needs to function. “Oftentimes, they do lose the weight but only in the short term,” Garcia says regarding those who skip meals and/or eat too-low-calorie diets. “As soon as the goal weight is lost, they return to old eating habits and gain it all back, if not more,” she adds.
Skipping meals, inconsistency with a new healthy lifestyle, and unhealthy fixations on weight loss may prevent one from successfully losing weight, Glass also says. “The journey to losing weight should be a consistent, healthy, progressive lifestyle change that can be sustained over time and not a crash course,” she explains.
2. Over-restricting Calories
While counting calories is a healthy way to know exactly what and how much you're consuming in a particular point in time, you don't want to prevent yourself from eating a consistent amount of essential nutrients. In other words, be careful not to over-do it!
If you restrict calories too much, your body will actually slow down its metabolism and resist losing weight. Your body will then go into a starvation mode and preserve fat, Marsh says.
Lippert seconds this sentiment. She points out that even if you do lose weight from extreme calorie restriction, you'll likely gain it back easily. "When a person leaves a low-calorie lifestyle and returns to their normal eating patterns, the body is still in a state of running off of less calories, thus it stores all the excess fuel that is consumed compared to what it had received in the lower caloric state," Lippert says. "It is very difficult to increase the metabolism back to where it was prior to the lower-calorie diet and this leads to weight gain."
One way to ease your mind about calories, Collier notes, is to stop drinking “empty calories” like drinks with sugar (like fizzy beverages and alcohol) and instead, drink black tea, coffee, and water. He also says that a highly restrictive diet is oftentimes “not realistic long-term and will take time.”
Collier adds that it’s going to take at least three months to lose 12 pounds and six months to lose 25. “There is no quick fix – It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he continues. “The best diet is the one you can stick to – nothing is perfect, but it can be perfect for you so be realistic with what diet you will be able to stick to long-term.”
3. Giving Up When Progress Slows Down
Weight loss is a long-term game, and it can be so difficult to keep yourself inspired, especially if you aren’t seeing progress. Slow and steady is best, Marsh explains, and it’s important to tell yourself that you can “lose 1-2 pounds per week,” as this is more attainable and not an unrealistic goal.
If you were losing at first and “then it stalls, don't give up,” she says, since “your body just may be adjusting.” Maintaining a lower weight is as important as losing more weight. To effectively lose weight, Glass says, “form a healthy relationship with your body, food, and be guided by a professional if you want to sustain the positive changes over time.”
The bottom line
Ultimately, it's important to remember that the key to lose weight at a healthy rate is to maintain a balanced diet, implement a great workout routine, and always practice moderation. It's all about sticking to sustainable, healthy habits and seeing steady results over time, rather than looking for a quick fix.
READ MORE: Nutritionists Say You Should Be Eating These Carbs Every Day—They Reduce Bloating!
