Around this time of year, some people really like to lock in on their health journeys, ready to transform for the new year or lose a few pounds following the indulgent holidays.
However, losing body fat and excess pounds can be a challenge, as it requires a lot of hard work and a lot of lifestyle balance. Between ensuring you’re eating right, getting in enough macronutrients, exercising, and keeping a positive attitude, weight loss can get overwhelming really fast. Luckily, a fat loss coach and TikTok content creator, Amanda Black, made a video on the “two biggest mistakes” women tend to make during their health journeys, and how to fix them. Read more about what she had to say below.
@ablack_fitness 2 mistakes to avoid making on your weight loss journey #sustainbleweightloss #WeightLossForLife #weightlossforwomenover30 #weightlossresultsforwomen #weightlossmindsetshift ♬ original sound – Amanda | 30+ Fat Loss Expert
1. ‘Downplaying’ Your Progress
Have you ever been determined to lose weight, worked really hard for a week or two straight, then stepped on the scale and were disappointed by your results? Many people look at the scale, see that they’ve lost one to three pounds, and get discouraged. However, Amanda notes that it’s super important to acknowledge that losing any amount of weight is something to celebrate, and that you shouldn’t be putting down your numbers, even if they’re lower than you expected.
“You’re doing nothing wrong,” says Amanda in her video. “The average sustainable loss is half a pound to a pound on average per week. If you’re losing two to four pounds a month, you are falling beautifully in a sustainable range of weight loss. The only reason you think it’s ‘only,’ and it’s ‘not enough,’ is because you’re distracted by the internet’s highlight reel of telling you that losing five to ten pounds in a week or a month is normal.”
Instead of getting discouraged or feeling like you’re not losing weight fast enough, celebrate every half-pound or pound you lose, and remember that slow and steady wins the race when it comes to sustainable fat loss.
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2. Giving Up Too Early
One of the biggest reasons why people struggle to maintain weight loss results is due to consistency. Either they lose the weight and then don't keep up with their routines, or they get tired of the healthier lifestyle adjustments and stop practicing them after a few weeks.
Weight loss is the ultimate challenge because not only does it often require changes to your daily habits, but it also requires you to keep up those habits. If you stop after two to three weeks, you won't see the results you want. Additionally, if you're not seeing any results after a few weeks, you might not realize your body could be changing off the scale, and you might want to adjust your "game plan."
"You're going to have to see it through longer," says Amanda. "Giving up isn't gonna get you anywhere, but you know what is? Trial and error. Adjusting the game plan and modifying [it] so you do lose weight. Be adaptable, pivot your strategies, and understand that there is trial and error involved here."
