3 most common mistakes when trying to lose weight 3 most common mistakes when trying to lose weight
Centr Team
06 Nov 2019
We all know that nutrition and exercise are what get you those fitness results. But when it comes to what you should focus your energy on for weight loss, the facts seem less clear. Should cardio take priority over meal plan considerations? Can you 'burn off' a treat meal with a workout? Is less always best when it comes to calories?
Advanced Sports Dietitian Lisa Middleton has the three most common food and fitness errors people make when trying to lose body fat.
1. Not watching what you put in
If you don't burn that much in a sweat session, your best shot at sustaining the calorie deficit needed for weight loss is in the amount you put in.
"Food intake has more influence on weight-loss outcomes than exercise," Lisa says. "Calories are obviously important, but for the best results, you need to consider the timing and types of calories you're getting throughout the day, particularly in supporting your workouts."
"That could mean making sure you're not too low on carbs or energy before exercise and factoring in some protein afterward for recovery. What's important is that while you're in a calorie deficit, you're not missing out on the vital nutrients that keep your body fueled."
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2. Overestimating your energy burn
Bad news, everyone: a hard workout probably won't undo a big blowout meal (but it'll still do your fitness some favors). The amount of energy you burn in a gym session is not only less than most people assume, it's also variable depending on factors like age, weight and body composition, not to mention the kind of exercise.
"Half hour of weights may only burn a bit under 100 calories, while high intensity cardio could be around 400 calories per half hour, but then muscle mass increases your ability to burn energy overall," Lisa says. "Even people doing the same workout would burn different amounts. Cardio gym equipment is notoriously inaccurate for measuring this."
But according to Lisa, that's not really a problem.
"The benefit of exercise is not so much in the amount you burn, but in the ongoing metabolic effects that help you to burn more daily," she says.
3. Hard work and low-cal overkill
If you're pushing yourself to do double the intense exercise on as few calories as possible, it's an unhealthy choice that will trip you up in the long run.
"When it comes to exercise, more is not always better for weight loss," Lisa says.
"Lots of people overdo it, not letting their bodies recover and cutting down on calories too much. This can cause weight loss plateaus, slowed metabolism and fatigue, which won't help your training. And even though cardio sessions burn more calories, you can't overlook strength training either."
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Not that you'd want to miss out on one of Luke's great strength sessions.
Ultimately, you need to balance efficient training and nourishing food to achieve sustainable results. Don't forget you want your fitness journey to feel good so you're motivated to go on, too. So rather than starving yourself after a workout, treat your body and mind to a nutrient-rich recovery meal, like our Beef, Lime & Coriander Fajita Bowl.
