5 Fat Loss Mistakes

Working in the health and wellness industry from as long as I have, I have noticed some common mistakes that people make when it comes to fat loss. Most people join the gym or see a dietician with the goal to lose weight. This is absolutely fine but what do you mean by weight? Your body consistent of your muscle mass, your internal organs, your bodily fluids, a variety of systems and more. I say this because shifting the concept of weight loss to fat loss is essential when wanting to hit your optimal set point. There are so many factors at play when it comes to fat loss, many that we may not even be aware of.  

• Stress levels – this is often glazed over by inexperienced trainer but can ultimately be the reason a person quits or plateaus. Stress is controlled by our levels of cortisol (stress induing hormone), when our levels of cortisol are at a consistent high this can cause our body to store fat because it fears death! For women we tend to store this type of fat in our belly’s. You may have noticed that during stressful times in your life you gain weight, even if you are mindfully eating the same. This is because stress wreaks havoc on the body when present for lengthy periods of time. Try mediation, exercise or even speaking with a therapist as ways to deals with the stresses in your life.  
• Ditch the scale – for the same reason I opened with. As a society we are so obsessed with losing weight that we forget that our bodies have a set point that we need to survive and be healthy! As we lead healthier lifestyle we also tend to gain muscle mass which means the weight loss may slow or even reverse, but it does not mean this is a bad thing!  
• Supplements – these should only be used if absolutely needed, real food first. Some people may benefit from supplements like Omega 3’s to decrease inflammation in the body or a scoop of protein powder in you smoothie to help you hit your goals. A common mistake people make is to take 15 different pills (supplements) that claim to have fat burning or weight loss properties. This is not a natural way for the body to lose fat in a healthy way and can in fact make it harder to lose weight with the use of supplements in the future.  
• Over restriction – yes in order to lose weight your calories in must be less than the calories expended. But this does not mean to eat 500 calories a day and burn 600 purposeful calories. This may cause fat retention as your body believes it is starving and needs to retain a readily available source of energy (FAT). If you do begin to lose weight it may not necessarily be because you are losing fat but rather losing muscle because your body is feeding off any and all sources of immediate energy. 

There are SO MANY mistakes that people make when it comes to losing weight. This is why it is so important to consult with a professional and do it right the first time. I want to reiterate that if you are looking to slim down for the summer, or fit in a smaller size jean – your goal is NOT to lose weight, it is too loose fat.