London: A leading fitness author has shared the common mistakes people make when trying to lose weight and revealed just how to tackle them. Joe Warner, 38, a training expert who has appeared on the cover of Men’s Fitness, spoke to FEMAIL and explained that too many people focus on cutting out carbohydrates, doing cardio, and ditching all ‘bad’ food groups.
To make the journey more successful, he suggests eating carbohydrates around your workouts, focusing on HIIT weight training instead of going for a jog, and limiting treats such as ice cream and burgers instead of cutting them out completely.
Try This Natural Remedy to Lose Weight
He said of his tips: ‘I constantly see people making the same eating, exercise, and lifestyle mistakes, which is severely hampering their efforts to lose weight and get back in shape. ‘My myth-busting advice contains a lot of instantly-applicable advice and info that people looking for a 2020 overhaul should find hugely beneficial.’
Mistake 1: Focus on Carbs, not Calories
Carbs have replaced fats as the number one perceived reason for the global obesity crisis, and almost anyone who wants to lose weight starts by saying: ‘I’m cutting out carbs’. While it’s true there are no ‘essential’ carbohydrates – unlike with protein (essential amino acids) and fats (essential fatty acids) – carbs are an incredibly efficient energy source.
Many types contain essential micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, as well as pre and probiotics and fiber for optimal digestive health. Anyone who has tried cutting out an entire food group will already know it’s very difficult to do and inevitably leads to carb cravings.
So it’s not a sustainable approach to eating – nor living – and is why almost everyone who ‘quits carbs’ is back eating them – and more than ever before – within a matter of days.
Mistake 2: Focus on the End Goal, not the Weekly Wins
When wanting to lose weight everyone focuses on the conclusion of their fat-loss challenge: the moment it’s all over and they stand tall and proud in the mirror looking lean, toned, and defined. It’s human nature to fixate on the destination and not the journey, and while that’s a perfectly rational mind when you’re off on your summer holiday, it won’t work when wanting to lose fat!
Why? Because if you don’t have a ‘road map’ of how to get to that destination of having a leaner and more defined body you’re never going to reach it. Not having a plan is a bit like taking a road trip without a map or GPS: it doesn’t matter how fast you go or for how long you travel, you’ll end up going round in circles – or give up before you get to where you want to be!
Mistake 3: Focus on Perfection, not Progress
When you have a ‘perfection philosophy’ you pile huge amounts of pressure on yourself before making a single positive change to your life. You pressure yourself to make every training session perfect, and every morsel you put in your mouth must be the perfect food in the perfect amount.
You need to get the perfect eight hours of quality sleep at night, and then be perfectly calm and stress-free all day. The slightest imperfection in any of these four areas and there’s the overwhelming desire to quit. You want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, telling yourself ‘I can’t do this’, or ‘now’s not the right time’, or even worse, ‘If I can’t be perfect all the time there’s no point even trying.’
