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1. And the number one slot goes to...DIETING.
Whether it's Atkins, Lighter Life, South Beach or Bournemouth Beach – why do we do it? We radically restrict our food choices and calorie intake and bask for several days and sometimes weeks in the glow of being "very good" . Which means we've been brilliant at denial and starvation. And then comes the backlash. Your body literally puts its foot down, refuses to play ball and the eating fest begins. You've all heard the phrase – " If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got". Doing the same thing over and over (dieting) when you're getting exactly the same poor results (wildly yo-yoing weight patterns) is one definition of insanity.
2. Forgetting the simple calories in/calories out equation.
In order to lose weight you have to expend more calories than you take in. So the simplest starting point is to forget calorie intake (no wildly optimistic stabs at restricting food) and concentrate on burning as many calories as you can each day. Many a reluctant dieter has become so absorbed in this activity that before they know it the weighing scale arrow is somehow shifting to the left...
3. Doing the wrong sort of exercise.
Cardio is great – so get on out there and cycle, swim, hike of whatever does it for you (and if you look hard and determinedly enough there will be something). However you need to add in some strength training to increase your muscle mass and experience the greatest positive changes to your body shape and calorie-burning capacity.
4. Lacking patience.
This is a biggie – once we've made a decision of any kind don't we all want things to happen NOW? I can promise you absolutely with a 100% guarantee that if you can cultivate patience then your weight loss efforts will always be rewarded. It's a known fact that humans very often give up on any challenging new venture at the very point when it was about to bear fruit. Make a plan, stick to it through thick and thin and trust it's all happening perfectly.
5. Overlooking the calorific content of drinks.
Don't forget that those moreish lattes, mochas and cappucinos add whopping amounts to your calorie intake. And that's without the squirty cream.
Fruit juices are very misleading as they appear healthy and therefore seem to be a good choice. They are – but they cannot be ignored as a substantial source of energy. And talking of drinks - it's often reported that we do not take in enough fluid. My suggestion is that every so often try having a drink of water or similar when you start to 'fancy something'. If you're anything like me then (unless I'm literally dying of thirst) the appeal of plain water is verging on zero. I drink diluted fruit juice. You may be astonished to find that you're thirstier than you think and are then able to divert the initial urge to eat.
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