7 Weight Loss Mistakes “Healthy” Women Make

Last Sunday morning, I took my family to have brunch at a local restaurant. It was busy with families and couples chatting, eating, and enjoying their morning. I overheard the woman at the table next to us talking to her friend about all her “healthy” habits. In just five minutes, she mentioned about four of the seven mistakes I am going to share with you today. She was the inspiration for this message.

Unfortunately, I hear about these mistakes all the time. Nine times out of ten, when a woman comes to me for weight loss help, she tells me about all the “healthy” things she is eating, drinking, and doing. And nine times out of ten, those “healthy” things are not actually healthy at all. Sure, some of them are healthier than eating fast food or skipping breakfast. But if you need to get past a weight loss plateau, lose those last five or ten pounds, or fix digestive, metabolic, or thyroid problems, these “healthy” habits will not work.

In this article, you will learn about seven common “healthy” habits that need to be re-evaluated.

Mistake #1: Eating Focused on Numbers

“Nick, I have been keeping my calories to about 1,000 for six months, and I am not seeing any weight loss. Should I eat less?”

Actually, you should double your calories. Let me explain. At the end of the day, if you have a calorie deficit from eating good quality food and exercising, you should see weight loss. But you will only see weight loss if you have a healthy metabolism and balanced body.

If you have been eating too little, or eating too much of the wrong things, you have slowed down your metabolism. Counting calories, weighing your food, and tracking points is not a sustainable way to live or eat. Instead of counting calories, focus on the quality of your food.

Mistake #2: The Wrong Kinds of Active

“Nick, I have been doing one hour of cardio on the treadmill four days a week. It says I burn 600 calories, but I do not think I am losing any weight.”

It would be a good idea to reduce your cardio and increase your strength training. Here is why. Long sessions of cardio, especially on a treadmill, can raise your cortisol levels and decrease your lean muscle mass. When you lose lean muscle mass, your metabolism slows down. Remember, muscle is the only tissue that burns calories. You do not want to lose muscle, whether you are a man or a woman.

Also, with cardio, you get no afterburn effect. If you burn 500 calories doing cardio, that is it. You get no extra boost throughout the day. If you burn 300 calories doing resistance training, you will burn an extra 600 calories throughout the day. That makes it a 900-calorie workout. Instead of working out more, try working out harder for less time.

Mistake #3: Superfood Obsession and Overload

“Nick, I am taking a multivitamin, an antioxidant supplement, a superfood smoothie, and spirulina pills. Why do I still have gas and bloating problems?”

Probably from all the things in your pills. Loading up on tons of expensive superfoods is not going to make you healthy. In fact, sometimes it can have a worse effect. Many women think they can eat fast food because they are taking an antioxidant supplement. Wrong. You cannot make up for a poor diet or lifestyle with supplements.

Focus on whole, real foods before you spend your hard-earned money on supplements.

Mistake #4: Low Foods: Sugar, Fat, Calorie

“Nick, you said to start eating real food, so I started buying low-fat milk, low-sugar drinks, and low-calorie snacks. That is good, right?”

Wrong. The only thing “low” foods will make low is your metabolism, not your weight. If you see the words “low” followed by “sugar,” “fat,” or “calorie,” the product you are looking at is probably loaded with chemicals, artificial sweeteners, and additives. It is processed to death.

You do not need low anything. You want a high metabolism. You do not get that by eating low foods. You must eat life-promoting foods that are high in nutrients. Avoid low processed foods. Focus on eating foods that are high in nutrients. This is the easiest and most effective way to learn the right way to eat for weight loss and long-term success.

Mistake #5: Overeating “Healthy” Foods

“Nick, I have gone gluten-free. I only eat olive oil potato chips, grass-fed milk ice cream, and brown rice tortillas and pasta, but I still have not lost any weight. What is the deal?”

Have you ever heard the phrase “too much of a good thing”? Well, you can eat too much of even the most “healthy” foods. Gluten-free junk food is still junk food. If you are not exercising enough, it is easy to eat too many gluten-free cookies.

After you gain control of your food quality, start to pay attention to your food quantity.

Mistake #6: 1000 Crunches a Day Keeps Your Abs Away

“Nick, I want to work my abs because I want a flat stomach. Why do we barely do any crunches at boot camp?”

Because you want a flat stomach, of course. Crunches are mostly a waste of time. Unless you know exactly how to do a perfect sit-up or crunch, you are doing your abs, your neck, your back, and your fat loss a disservice. You can crunch all day, but a squat is better for your stomach all day, every day.

Learn how to engage and work your core instead of trying to find the next ab workout. Your abs are best worked once you burn off the fat around your midsection. Skip the crunches and start squatting.

Mistake #7: Snack Attack

“Nick, I eat a granola bar or a 100-calorie pack for a snack. I have been doing this for the past six months, and I think I have gained weight. You said to eat snacks. What is going on?”

I also said you probably need to eat more calories and avoid processed, crappy foods like granola bars and 100-calorie packs.

Snacks can make or break your fat loss efforts. A great snack choice would be almonds with a pear, a hard-boiled egg with an apple, or organic beef jerky with grapes. Eating granola bars, chips, lattes, or not eating snacks at all is a recipe for weight gain.

Plan your week and prepare your snacks on the weekend. That way, there is no room for impulse purchases.

Final Thoughts

There are many other “healthy” habits that you could be doing that are not so healthy at all. Before you act on healthy suggestions from your friends, family, TV shows, magazines, or even me, do your own research and make an educated decision.

Many times, people jump from one “healthy” habit to another because they just want to lose weight and are frustrated with their lack of results. Do not fall for “healthy” claims. Understand what makes a food healthy or unhealthy. Base your decisions on your own intuition, how you feel, science, and trusted sources. Stop making these mistakes and start seeing real results.