Trying to look and feel better is a tough task. There’s no doubt about it – you have to put in the work. However, not all of us are lucky enough to be born with lean genetics or have access to a trainer 24/7. So, what do you do if you’re trying hard but still seeing no results? In this blog post, we’ll look at four common mistakes that people make when trying to lose fat and how they can be avoided so you can finally get those sexy curves!
Mistake 1: Eating Too Little
First, we start with the most common mistake people make when trying to lose fat: eating too little. This is a very common mistake because it’s an easy trap to fall into.
Eat too little and you feel tired, irritable and weak all day long. Eat too little and it makes it difficult to concentrate at work or school. Eat too little and your body goes into starvation mode where it thinks that there isn’t enough food, so it starts breaking down muscle tissue to fuel itself instead of burning fat. Eating less than 1,200 calories per day can lead your body into this state where it stops burning stored fat for energy—it basically starves itself as a survival mechanism!
If this sounds like something you’re doing, then stop now! You need more than 1200 calories per day if you want to build up muscles while losing fat (which is what most people want).
Mistake 2: Doing Low Intensity Cardio Workouts
The second most common fat loss mistake is doing low intensity cardio workouts.
Notice I didn’t say “doing cardio,” but rather “doing low intensity cardio.”
While you may think that walking in the park or taking a leisurely jog up and down your neighbourhood will help you burn fat, it isn’t as effective as high intensity interval training (HIIT). In fact, even if you work out for an hour at a time, if your workout isn’t intense enough to elevate your heart rate above 65 percent of its maximum capacity—the point at which many believe weight loss begins to plateau—you’ll only see marginal results. That’s because when it comes to burning calories and improving body composition, HIIT reigns supreme over traditional steady-state exercise like jogging on the treadmill or cycling at an easy pace in front of The Price Is Right reruns every morning before work.
Mistake 3: Doing Too Much Cardio
The third mistake people make when trying to burn fat is doing too much cardio. Cardio is great for your health, but more isn’t always better. In fact, if you overdo it with the cardio—especially running—you may actually hinder your weight loss efforts by burning muscle instead of fat.
The ideal amount of cardio varies from person to person depending on their goals, fitness level and metabolism (basically how quickly they burn calories). But generally speaking, most people can do 3-5 sessions per week without sacrificing gains in size or strength while still improving cardiovascular health and endurance.
If you’re new to lifting weights, then start slowly by adding in one session every couple of weeks until you reach that 3-session mark (or four if your goal is just general health). If you have an existing workout routine, then try adding one extra session each week until it gets too hard or uncomfortable on certain days due to fatigue or overuse injuries such as shin splints (which tend not only hamper progress but also cause pain).
Mistake 4: Not Lifting Heavy Enough Weights
If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s crucial that you lift heavy weights and do so with high intensity. This means that each time you pick up the dumbbells or kettlebells or barbells or whatever you use at the gym, they should feel challenging—that is, your muscles shouldn’t be able to move them easily (but not so difficult that they’re impossible). It also means that each set should take roughly 60 seconds of effort with no rest in between sets (so no wandering around in between sets!).
Why? Because lifting heavy weights will help build muscle mass and increase metabolism—and building more muscle is one of the best things we can do for our bodies to burn more calories every day. In fact, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, resistance training increases resting metabolic rate by an average of 7 percent for up two hours after exercising! That’s huge news for anyone working toward their fitness goals!
Learn how to avoid these common mistakes when wanting to look better
Here are the top fat loss mistakes you should avoid:
- Being too impatient. You may want to lose fat quickly, but that’s not always possible. If your body has a lot of fat to lose, it will take time for the pounds to come off. Be patient and stick with your nutrition plan and exercise program until you reach your goal — then reward yourself!
- Skipping meals or snacks because they’re “not good.” It’s true that some foods aren’t as healthy as others — but if skipping meals helps keep you from overeating later on, it’s worth it! And snacking can help keep blood sugar levels steady throughout the day so that hunger pangs are kept at bay and cravings are less likely to strike out of nowhere (ahem… chocolate chip cookies). Just make sure those snacks keep track with this total calorie breakdown here before heading out 30 minutes after eating them:
At least 50% lean protein (protein shake + fruit)
At least 10% multivitamin-mineral supplement
(Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium) At least 10% healthy fat (avocado + nuts) At least 20% fruits and vegetables (carrots + broccoli)
Takeaway
The takeaway from this article is very simple. If you want to lose fat, eat enough calories to maintain your weight and do resistance training. Do cardio if you have time, but don’t spend all day in the gym doing nothing but cardio. And finally, track your progress so that you can see where improvement is needed or not needed at all (i.e., if you’ve been doing everything right).
Conclusion
The most common fat loss mistakes are not having a plan, not knowing your numbers, and not tracking your progress. So, if you want to get results from your workouts and healthy eating, avoid these four common fat loss mistakes.
If you have any questions about this article, feel free to leave a comment below.
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