10 Things To Avoid When Starting A Weight Loss Program

Starting a weight loss program can be hard, very hard. In fact, it's such a tough challenge that many people who start out on a weight loss program with all the best intentions in the world, never make it to the end. So many people starting a weight loss program spend so much time and effort concentrating on what they SHOULD be doing, that they forget to account for they things they SHOULDN'T  be doing.

Here's a quick checklist of things to avoid if you want your weight loss program to be a success. Sounds a bit contradictory, but if you want to win the battle of the bulge you need to be a looser...

1. Don’t dive into the toughest weight loss program in the universe
This is a mistake made by many. We get dozens of people contacting us and saying they started a super restrictive diet and saw no results. Our advice is always to follow a weight loss program that is right for the individual needs. Rushing into a weight loss program that is too strict usually results in failure.

2. Don’t ignore reality
If you're considering a weight loss program, be realistic. Don't expect to correct a lifetime of bad eating habits overnight. If you've never done any exercise before, trying to qualify for the Beijing Olympics is probably not going to happen.

Set yourself easy and simple goals. Nothing creates success like success and nothing motivates like reaching goals. Remember, some people lose weight faster than others, so don't be disappointed if you only lose 5lbs in a week and somebody you know "says" they lost 20lbs.

If your goal if to lose 5lbs, then pat yourself on the back and move onto week 2.

3. Don’t become a gym-junky
We all start out our new weight loss program full of drive and enthusiasm. If you use this energy for daily workouts at the gym, end of week 1 will probably find you tired, sore and frustrated. The body has a natural healing process which kicks in after a workout in the gym so it needs time to recover. It's this healing process that builds muscle mass. Going from couch potato to a daily workout is probably not going to help so early on in your weight loss program. Again, use some common sense and keep it real.

4. Don’t get too nasty on calories
Burning more calories that you eat is the basis of any diet based weight loss program. Cutting down too drastically on calorie intake though can have the opposite effect to what you want to achieve. Your body gets used to having a certain amount of calories every day and if your new weight loss program cuts down too drastically on this calorie intake, your body will go into standby mode and start storing everything it can get it's hands on, meaning more fat accumulation, which sort of defeats the object of your weight loss program.

5. Don’t miss meals
A successful weight loss program is about getting enough of the right types of food in the right amounts, not starvation. Skipping meals is not the right way to diet and can never form the basis of an effective weight loss program.

6. Don’t weigh yourself every day
Give your new weight loss program a chance. Weighing yourself every day is doing the exact opposite of this. Get into your new routine, follow your weight loss program and forget about daily trips to the scales. Give your weight loss program a chance.

7. Don’t let emotions get in the way of your success
How many mistakes have you made because of pride, anger, jealousy ? If you usually reach for an ice-cream when you get bored, the answer is "don't get bored", keep yourself occupied. The devil makes work for idle hands, and in this case those idle hands are usually reaching for a candy bar, cake, doughnut, whatever.

8. Don’t be afraid to ask for support
If you find yourself needing support, don’t be afraid to ask your family or friends. You're already coping with your new weight loss program, so don't pile on more pressure.

9. Don’t deny yourself treats
Reaching your goal for the week should be rewarded. A weight loss program should be enjoyable as well as effective, so don't deny yourself a moderate portion of your favorite treat, the key word here being "moderate".

10. Don’t bet your shirt on will-power
Analyze, write things down, make lists of what you can and cannot eat. Cravings have a funny way of creeping up on us when we least expect, so be prepared for this and don't rely on the cravings never showing up - they will.