10 Common Mistakes That Sabotage Your Weight Loss Journey

Embarking on a weight loss journey is often filled with excitement, determination and a vision for a healthier future. However, we often encounter unexpected obstacles along the way and stray from the path we set out on. It's easy to get caught up in the latest diet trends, fitness fads and social media inspiration, which can sometimes lead to setbacks. Understanding common pitfalls can help you navigate your path more effectively.

In this article, we’ll delve into ten common mistakes that can derail your weight loss efforts. Along with each mistake, I’ll provide practical, actionable strategies to help you overcome these challenges and stay on track toward your goals. By being aware of these common traps, you’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions and achieve lasting success.

Mistake 1: Setting Unrealistic Goals

One of the most significant barriers to successful weight loss is setting unrealistic goals. Many individuals start their journey with lofty ambitions, such as losing 10 kg in a month or fitting into a specific dress size within a short timeframe. While having goals is essential, it's crucial to ensure they are attainable.

Why This Matters: Unrealistic goals can lead to disappointment, frustration and ultimately, abandonment of your weight loss efforts. When progress doesn’t match your expectations, it’s easy to lose motivation and feel like a failure.

Practical Strategies:

• Break It Down: Divide your larger goal into smaller, manageable milestones. Celebrate each achievement along the way, whether it’s losing your first 2 kg or completing a week of consistent exercise. This helps maintain motivation and reinforces positive behaviours.

• Focus on Non-Scale Victories: Shift your focus from just the scale to other achievements, such as increased energy levels, improved mood, better sleep or enhanced physical fitness. These victories can be equally, if not more, important than the number on the scale.

• SMART Goals: Adopt the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) when setting your goals. As a weight loss dietitian, every single person I have seen has focussed on weight loss as a goal but I would argue that weight loss is an outcome. Our goals should be related to the things we can act directly on – and that’s not the weight on the scale. What we can act on is the behaviours we engage in that then translate into that goal. So for example, instead of aiming to lose a specific amount of weight, consider setting a goal like, “I want to exercise three times a week” or “I want to include vegetables at each main meal” because it’s these behaviours that then result in a 0.5 kg per week weight loss (the most common goal I see set).

Mistake 2: Skipping Meals

Many people believe that skipping meals is an effective way to cut calories and lose weight. However, this approach can backfire, leading to increased hunger and binge eating later in the day.

Why This Matters: Skipping meals can disrupt your metabolism, slow down weight loss and create a cycle of deprivation and overeating.

Practical Strategies:

• Regular Meal Schedule: Establish a regular eating schedule that includes three balanced meals and one to two healthy snacks each day. This helps regulate hunger hormones and keeps your energy levels stable.

• Balanced Meals: Focus on creating balanced meals that include lean protein, plenty of vegetable and smaller portions of healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. For example, a breakfast of scrambled eggs with spinach, tomato and capsicum and a slice of whole-grain toast provides a nutritious start to the day.

• Snack Smart: Keep healthy snacks on hand such as fruits, yoghurt or high protein nut bars. When hunger strikes, reaching for these nutrient-dense options can help prevent impulsive choices.

Mistake 3: Overly Restrictive Dieting

Many believe that strict dieting—eliminating entire food groups or significantly reducing calorie intake—is the key to successful weight loss. However, overly restrictive diets can backfire, leading to feelings of deprivation, cravings, and ultimately, binge eating.

Why This Matters: When you deny yourself the foods you love, it can create a cycle of craving and restriction that’s hard to break. This often leads to unsustainable eating patterns and frustration when weight loss stalls or regresses.

Practical Strategies:

• Moderation, Not Elimination: Instead of cutting out entire food groups or foods you enjoy, aim for moderation. Allow yourself to indulge in your favourite treats occasionally. For example, if you love ice cream, consider building in a small serving as a treat rather than forbidding it altogether.

• Have a Moderate Calorie Deficit: Aim for a moderate calorie deficit that promotes steady weight loss without extreme restriction. A deficit of about 500 calories per day can lead to a steady, sustainable rate of weight without feelings of deprivation.

• Mindful Eating: Practice mindful eating by paying attention to your hunger cues and enjoying your food without distractions. This helps you develop a healthier relationship with food and promotes portion control.

• Focus on Nutrient Density: Choose foods that are rich in nutrients while being lower in calories. Foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can provide essential nutrients without excessive calories, supporting your weight loss goals.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Portion Sizes

Underestimating portion sizes is a common mistake that can lead to consuming more calories than intended and is often a reason why weight loss has stalled when people feel they are “doing everything right” or “eating really healthily”. Many people serve themselves large portions out of habit, which can sabotage their weight loss efforts.

Why This Matters: Overeating, even healthy foods, can hinder weight loss progress. Learning to recognise appropriate portion sizes is vital for maintaining a calorie deficit.

Practical Strategies:

• Measure and Weigh Foods: Take the time to measure and weigh your food, especially when starting your weight loss journey. Using a food scale can provide a clear understanding of what constitutes a serving size. Many of us struggle with visually discerning portion sizes, so having a tangible reference can help ensure you’re eating appropriate amounts.

• Use Smaller Plates: Opt for smaller plates and bowls to help control portion sizes. This can create the illusion of a fuller plate, making it easier to enjoy your meal while consuming less.

• Be Mindful of Product Packaging: Many food packages list serving sizes, but they are arbitrarily set by the manufacturers can often be misleading. Be aware of the difference between what is listed as a single serving and what you might be consuming in one sitting. When snacking, consider portioning out snacks into smaller bowls or bags rather than eating directly from the package to prevent mindless overeating.

• Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Practice eating slowly and mindfully, allowing yourself to enjoy each bite. This helps you recognise when you’re satisfied and prevents overeating.

Mistake 5: Overemphasising Exercise for Weight Loss

Exercise is often viewed as the cornerstone of weight loss, but in reality, its direct contribution to weight loss is smaller than many realise. Physical activity makes up only a small portion of total daily energy expenditure (around 5%), with the majority coming from your resting metabolic rate and digestion. While exercise is essential for overall health, it’s important not to overemphasise its role in the weight loss equation.

Why This Matters: Relying solely on exercise to lose weight can lead to disappointment if you don’t see results on the scales. It can also create a mindset that compensates for poor dietary choices with increased exercise, which isn’t sustainable or effective for long-term success.

Practical Strategies:

• Focus on Nutrition First: Weight loss is primarily driven by what you eat. A moderate calorie deficit through proper nutrition is far more effective for weight loss than relying on exercise alone. Instead of trying to “burn off” excess calories, aim to manage your intake with balanced, nutrient-dense meals.

• Exercise for Health, Not Just Weight Loss: Exercise has countless benefits beyond weight loss, including improving cardiovascular health, boosting mood, building muscle and enhancing overall physical function and well-being. Strength training and cardiovascular exercise are essential for maintaining muscle mass and metabolic health, which support long-term weight management.

• Don’t Overestimate Calories Burned: It’s easy to overestimate the number of calories burned during exercise, leading to overeating. Smart watches make it easy to have an estimate of your calories burned however, these can significantly overestimate our calories burned for a number of reasons.

• Incorporate Consistent Activity: Instead of focusing solely on gym workouts, incorporate movement into your daily routine—walking, taking the stairs, gardening or even playing with your kids. While exercise alone may not drive significant weight loss, staying active supports overall health and can help prevent weight regain.

Mistake 6: Hyper-Focusing on the Scales

When embarking on a weight loss journey, many of us place excessive emphasis on the scale as the primary measure of success. It’s common to step on the scales daily (or even multiple times a day) and become fixated on that number. While tracking weight can provide some insights, hyper-focusing on the scales can lead to frustration and unhealthy behaviours.

Why This Matters: The scale is not always a reliable indicator of progress. Weight can fluctuate due to numerous factors, including fluid retention (which on its own can have several contributors), hormonal changes, muscle gain and other bodily processes. Relying solely on this number can result in feelings of defeat and may discourage you from continuing your efforts.

Practical Strategies:

• Consider Multiple Measurements: Instead of solely relying on the scale, incorporate various methods to assess your progress. Take body measurements (like waist and hips circumference), notice how your clothes fit and track your energy levels and overall mood and well-being. This holistic approach provides a more comprehensive picture of your progress.

• Frequency Matters: If you find yourself feeling anxious after weighing in, consider limiting how often you step on the scales. You might choose to weigh yourself weekly or bi-weekly instead of daily. This helps to reduce the emotional rollercoaster associated with daily fluctuations. I find most people find it hard to stay consistent over the weekend, so weighing on Friday and Monday can help them to see a pattern over time (each week I spend Monday to Thursday getting back to where I was the previous Friday).

• Mindset Shift: Work on shifting your mindset to view weight loss as a journey towards overall health rather than a singular focus on the scale. Remind yourself that sustainable weight loss involves building healthy habits, improving your relationship with food, and enhancing your physical and mental well-being.

Mistake 7: Not Tracking Progress

Failing to track your progress can hinder your ability to stay accountable and recognise what’s working for you. Without a clear picture of your food intake and activity levels, it’s easy to lose focus.

Why This Matters: Keeping track of your progress allows you to identify patterns, hold yourself accountable and make informed adjustments to your plan. Regular monitoring can also serve as motivation to stay on track.

Practical Strategies:

• Food Journaling: Consider keeping a food journal to log your meals, snacks and physical activity. This can help you gain insight into your eating habits and identify areas for improvement.

• Use Apps: Explore mobile apps that facilitate tracking your food intake and exercise. Many of these apps provide helpful features like calorie counts, nutrient breakdowns and progress charts.

• Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular check-ins with yourself to assess your progress. This could be weekly or bi-weekly, allowing you to review your goals and make any necessary adjustments.

Mistake 8: Letting Stress Control Eating Habits

Stress can significantly impact your eating behaviours, often leading to emotional eating or cravings for unhealthy foods. Recognising this connection is crucial for maintaining control over your choices.

Why This Matters: Emotional eating can lead to overconsumption of calories and hinder your weight loss efforts. Developing healthier coping strategies for managing stress is essential for long-term success.

Practical Strategies:

• Identify Triggers: Take note of situations or emotions that trigger unhealthy eating behaviours. Recognising your stress triggers can help you develop alternative coping mechanisms.

• Healthy Coping Strategies: Incorporate healthy stress management techniques into your routine. This might include regular physical activity, practising mindfulness or meditation or engaging in hobbies you enjoy.

• Mindful Breathing: When you feel stressed, take a moment to practise deep breathing (box breathing). Inhale deeply for a count of four, hold for four and exhale for a count of four. This can help reduce stress and prevent impulsive eating.

Mistake 9: Comparing Yourself to Others

In today’s social media-driven world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing your progress to others. Whether it’s friends, family or influencers, such comparisons can lead to feelings of inadequacy.

Why This Matters: Each person’s weight loss journey is unique, influenced by various factors such as genetics, lifestyle and individual circumstances. Comparing yourself to others can lead to frustration and hinder your motivation.

Practical Strategies:

• Focus on Your Journey: Shift your focus from others to your own progress. Remind yourself that everyone’s path is different and what works for someone else may not work for you. I also find many women reflect on past weight loss journeys e.g. when I was in my 20’s I could easily lose weight through xyz and now it’s much harder. When we reflect on the past, often our lifestyles were completely different and I’d almost argue it’s like comparing yourself to another person e.g. if you have young kids, it’s totally unfair to yourself to compare your current lifestyle to your pre-kids lifestyle as the types of pressures and demands you face have changed hugely.

• Limit Social Media Exposure: If social media triggers negative feelings, consider taking a break or curating your feed to follow accounts that inspire and motivate you positively.

• Celebrate Your Achievements: Keep a journal to document your accomplishments, big and small. Reflecting on your progress can reinforce your commitment and boost your self-esteem.

Mistake 10: Losing Sight of Your “Why”

Over time, it’s easy to lose sight of the reasons why you started your weight loss journey. Whether it was for health reasons, improved energy levels or boosting self-confidence, reconnecting with your motivations is essential.

Why This Matters: A clear understanding of your “why” can serve as a powerful motivator, helping you stay focused on your goals even during challenging times.

Practical Strategies:

• Write It Down: Take a moment to write down your reasons for wanting to lose weight. Keep this list somewhere visible, such as your fridge or bathroom mirror, as a daily reminder of your motivations.

• Positive vs. Negative Motivators: Reflect on whether your motivation stems from positive or negative emotions. Positive motivators, such as wanting to feel healthier and more energetic, are more sustainable and empowering than negative ones like guilt, a recent health scare or fear of failure. Shift your mindset to focus on the benefits you’ll gain rather than the negatives you’re trying to avoid. A good example of this is how as a society we quickly became desensitised the to front of package images on cigarettes that were introduced in the mid-2000s. With repeated exposure, we simply tune out the negative and it becomes background noise.

• Regular Reflection: Schedule regular check-ins to assess your motivations and goals. Ask yourself if your reasons have changed or if you need to adjust your plan accordingly.

Conclusion

Weight loss is a journey filled with ups and downs, and encountering obstacles along the way is entirely normal. By recognising and addressing these common mistakes, you can create a more sustainable and successful path toward your goals. Remember that the key to lasting change is not perfection but progress. Be kind to yourself, celebrate your achievements and stay focused on your unique journey. With the right mindset and strategies in place, you can overcome these challenges and achieve the weight loss success you desire.