1. UNDER-EATING CALORIES

The easiest way to tell your body to store fat instead of burning it is to stop feeding it! This may seem counter-intuitive until you sit down and think about it. Let’s be honest, if we were simply calories in vs calories out, do you really think that there would be so many of us struggling with weight? Hormones play a bigger part in fat loss than most understand. If you want to learn more about how your hormones affect fat loss, be sure to listen to my super informative webinar replay below after you finish reading this!

2. SLEEP AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

This is BIG. It actually ties with my number one. Yeah, it’s that important. But these are usually the first things to go in our rush rush go go just one more episode on Netflix lifestyle (I too am guilty!). Establishing a self-care routine and stress management protocol can be what makes or breaks fat loss. Oh and under-sleeping has the same effects on the body as over-training! So, make it a priority and for the love of everything good, don’t skip sleep to get your workout in. Be sure to check out my tips on stress management.

3. CARDIO BUNNY PROBLEMS

Assuming that more cardio is better and feeling crushed or defeated if you don’t get your workout in for the day. Oh and this is a big one, assuming you can’t lose fat if you don’t workout. I know PLENTY of people who exercise 2-3 hours a day with a layer of fat Santa would be jealous of! I’m just sayin’.

4. DEMONIZING A MACRONUTRIENT

Low carb, keto, low fat. Your body was BUILT to utilize all these macronutrients, and avoiding them often has some unfortunate consequences. Instead of demonizing a macronutrient, find a plan that helps you control your intake in a way that optimizes your body and helps your hormones work for you, instead of against you. This is easier than it sounds!

5. EXPECTING BIG CHANGES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME

Your motivation is high, your commitment is spot on, but when you don’t see the scale changing, you get discouraged and move on to the next plan. You will never know if a plan is working for you if you don’t give it enough time. I was majorly guilty of this a few years ago.

6. DECIDING ON A PLAN, BUT BEING INCONSISTENT IN THE EXECUTION

Or making a million changes to the plan to fit your “wants or needs”. While I don’t believe in one size fits all plans, I can tell you that the easiest way to not see progress is to constantly change the rules. Your body WANTS routine, but by constantly changing the rules, you never get that routine, and you quickly find yourself back in your old habits.

7. YOU RELY ON A MEAL PLAN OR PRE-MADE MEALS TO FUEL YOUR FAT LOSS

I know that meal plans come from a good place, but let’s be honest. Pre-made meal plans and ready-to-eat meals teaches you NOTHING about how to sustain a lifestyle for the long term. Enter in rebound weight gain as soon as you get tired of the meal plan or pre-made meals. As my friend says, “If you can read, you can cook.”

8. YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE FAT LOSS WITHOUT AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER OR COACH

This was me for a long time. Listen, I get it. You look around and think if she can do it so can I. But I’m telling you right now, we LIE to ourselves pretty much all the time! I’ll start tomorrow. Just this one little thing. And on and on and on. Relying on yourself for motivation and accountability makes a tough situation even harder!

9. USING A SCALE TO MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS

The scale doesn’t weigh in on your misery. By not focusing on non-scale victories like wearing a smaller size pants, waking up without bloating or constant fatigue. Using only a scale to measure your progress, is not a true indication of fat loss and an easy way to make yourself a crazy person.

10. RELY ON HIGHLY PROCESSED DIET FOODS LIKE PROTEIN AND SPECIAL K BARS AND LEAN CUISINES

If you look closely at the ingredients in these items you will see a pattern of added sugar, high fructose corn syrup and chemicals you can’t pronounce. While these maybe great for “weight loss” (see number under-eating calories) your body does not recognize these as REAL food and will continue to store them away in fat. This will make you smaller, but fatter in the long run.

I have been guilty of every single one of these at some point in my life. I wanted fat loss to be easy. And when it wasn’t, I assumed I was doing it wrong or I wasn’t trying hard enough or that something was wrong with me. Even as a personal trainer, when I was supposed to “knew” all the things, I struggled with fat loss. Knowing and doing are two different things, and I use that to fuel every conversation I have with my clients.

Need a starting point for fat loss nutrition? Learn the basics in my Back to Basics Fat Loss Nutrition self-paced course!