“That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works!”
The quote above comes from a recent television commercial for insurance. You may remember that in it, a lady chastises her friend for displaying family photos not by uploading them to her social media “wall” but by plastering on her living room wall.
The point of the ad is of course, that there is a clear mistake being made that, when rectified, will result in a more effective – although far less humorous – solution.
The same could be said for weight loss.
There exist so many misconceptions, myths, and untruths regarding weight loss that it would be silly to try and list them all here. Surely as soon as I listed them all, a brand new “weird trick” would pop up on the right margin of TMZ.com.
That being said, we can take a moment to review a few common pitfalls and mistakes that many of us encounter along our weight loss journey and learn together how to avoid or correct them.
Racing to the finish
Weight loss by its very nature is results-oriented. And these days, we are quite used to seeing speedy results in all that we do.
This is unfortunate.
We use the word “journey” a lot on this blog for a reason. We could use the word “process”, but let’s face it, it’s not as appealing to endure a process as it is to take a journey.
The point is, despite the results-oriented nature of weight loss, (a product of weight goals, desires for an optimum waist, belly and bust size) focusing on the endgame can tempt us into thinking we should be progressing faster than we are.
Focus on the process. It may take a little more time to do it right, but doing it right is always worth it.
Skipping meals
After all we’ve said in this blog and to each and every one of our clients, folks still sometimes believe that skipping a meal entirely is a legitimate dieting solution.
It’s not.
Research has consistently shown that, in general, breakfast skippers weigh more than breakfast eaters.
Eat your meals. Just make wise choices at those meals.
Consuming excessive liquid calories
Breakfast smoothies, morning coffee, a soda at lunch, and sweet tea in the afternoon on the veranda add up quickly!
Substitute as much as you can with water and enjoy a calorie-free diet soda from time to time.
Other ideas:
- 100% Fruit and vegetable juices
- Skim milk
- Light beer
Eating oversized portions
Food tastes good. We get it. But portion sizes are out of control. Refer to our post Suggested Serving Size for a fun, modern take on determining portion control.
Flying solo
Moral support. Accountability. A helping hand.
A weight loss journey is easier when you’re not going at it alone. Talk your spouse into joining you. Find a friend who’s enthusiastic to also lose weight, join on online community and schedule an appointment for a consultation with us here at Mediplan Diet Services.
Your weight loss community – whether it’s your husband or a group of folks online – will encourage you, challenge you, and motivate you to keep moving and progressing!