The Worst Weight Loss Mistakes (and What to Do Instead)
Weight loss is often the number one reason people decide to change their diet and start working out. After more than 20 years of coaching and training, I can confidently say that nearly every client I’ve worked with has talked to me about their “goal weight” and asked about the latest weight-loss trends they’ve seen online. While it’s encouraging that more people are starting to care about things like blood glucose levels, bone density, and muscle mass, weight and appearance still tend to dominate the conversation when people seek guidance to improve their health and habits.
For every year I’ve worked in this field, I’ve seen three times as many weight-loss fads come and go. I’ll admit it, I’ve jumped on a few bandwagons myself early in my career. But it was working closely with clients, helping them reach a healthy weight, sustain it, and build lasting habits that turned me into a full-fledged skeptic of the latest quick-fix weight-loss craze.
Even among well-informed, health-conscious people who genuinely want to make an effort, myths about weight loss remain pervasive. In this article, I’ll break down the top three things that don’t work, and I’ll share some solid, sustainable strategies that actually do.
But first…
Let’s Get One Thing Straight
Before we dive in, I want to make something crystal clear: body size and health are not the same thing. Some people with larger bodies can sometimes be in better health than others who are smaller. Your body size isn’t the primary marker of your health, and no one, including you, should pass judgment on someone else’s body size. Unsolicited advice about weight loss is not okay. Shame has never inspired anyone to make meaningful, healthy changes. Be compassionate and respectful. Kindness doesn’t cost you a thing.
Now, with that said, let’s talk about the top three weight-loss trends that don’t work, and what to do instead.
1. Overly Restricting Your Calories
One of the first things people do when trying to lose weight, and one of the most common pieces of advice they receive, is to cut calories. But here’s the issue: more often than not, this translates to overly restricting calories, which can become a serious problem.
Calorie restriction can be an effective strategy, but only if you do it safely and correctly. To do this, you first need to understand your numbers:
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): The number of calories your body needs to function at rest.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure): The number of calories your body needs based on your lifestyle and activity level.
Your TDEE will be higher if you’re active and lower if you’re sedentary. If you’re healing, pregnant, or breastfeeding, you’ll also need more calories. Your BMR will be higher if you have more lean body mass.
Why is this important? Because cutting your daily caloric intake below your BMR can harm your health, and sabotage your weight-loss goals. For example: If your BMR is 1500 calories per day and you’re aiming for 1200 calories because some influencer called it the “magic weight-loss number,” you’re setting yourself up for problems.
Why Extreme Calorie Restriction Fails:
It’s Unsustainable: Diets that require drastic cuts below your BMR are the definition of crash diets. And like any crash, it’s only a matter of time before you hit a wall and revert to old habits.
It Ignores Behavior Change: Slashing calories doesn’t address why you make certain food choices or help you build better habits around nutrition.
It Harms Your Health: Your body needs calories to function. Long-term calorie restriction can lead to chronic fatigue, impaired cognitive function, a weakened immune system, and even damage to your heart. It can also throw off your hormones and reproductive health.
What to Do Instead:
Focus on building sustainable habits around food choices and portion sizes through mindful eating. When you put your energy into sustainable lifestyle changes, you can make progress with small, daily actions rather than relying on extreme, unsustainable practices.
A great place to start is meal planning and preparation. When you plan your meals and snacks, you’re less likely to make impulsive food choices when you’re stressed or hungry. Meal planning doesn’t have to mean spending your weekends prepping a week’s worth of identical meals. It’s about having a framework that helps you stay aligned with your goals, whether you’re eating at home, dining out, or cooking for your family.
In my Build PATH coaching program, I work with clients to develop personalized strategies for meal planning, nutrition, and habits. This foundational work sets the stage for long-term, sustainable progress.
2. Too Much Cardio
The second mistake I see people make when trying to lose weight is dedicating the majority of their workout time to cardio. This trend started during the aerobics craze of the ’90s and has stuck around ever since. And honestly? I get it. Cardio machines can feel like a safer bet than wandering over to the free weights section if you’re new to strength training or feeling self-conscious.
But here’s the truth: focusing solely on cardio won’t help you lose weight and keep it off because it doesn’t do much to change your body composition.
Why Cardio Isn’t Enough:
Aerobic exercise (aka “cardio”) helps your body use oxygen more efficiently, which is great for heart health and endurance. But it doesn’t build lean muscle. And lean muscle is the key to long-term fat loss.
Muscle tissue is “metabolically expensive,” meaning it requires more energy to maintain than fat tissue. Building muscle increases your metabolism, allowing your body to use energy more efficiently instead of storing it as fat. This is why having more lean body tissue, like muscle, increases your BMR.
What to Do Instead:
Incorporate strength and resistance training into your routine. Strength training helps you build lean muscle, which not only reshapes your body but also boosts your metabolism. And no, you won’t get bulky. Even people who want to gain significant muscle mass have to train intensely and eat in a calorie surplus to see those kinds of results.
If you’re just starting, begin with simple movements and gradually increase the intensity. Beware of falling into your comfort zone with strength training. You will need to work on progressive overload training if you want to make progress and see results. Working with a coach or trainer (like me) can help you build confidence, learn proper form, and progress safely.
3. Obsessing Over Weight Loss as a Destination
This may seem counterintuitive, but I want you to stop focusing so much on weight loss itself. Many people treat weight loss as a finish line, the point where everything in life will magically fall into place. But the number on the scale isn’t a destination. When you’re hyper-focused on losing weight, you’re more likely to fall into the trap of unsustainable practices and bad advice.
Bodyweight isn’t the only indicator of good health or happiness. The way you approach your daily life and the choices you make to care for yourself are much better measures of overall health.
What to Do Instead:
Shift your focus to building a life that makes you feel good in your body. Prioritize habits that align with your goals and help you build confidence, like learning to cook nourishing meals, committing to a consistent fitness routine, and making time for recovery and rest.
When you prioritize small, meaningful actions every day, you’re not just working toward a number on the scale—you’re building a lifestyle that supports your long-term well-being. The result? You’ll not only reach your goals—you’ll sustain them, and you’ll change the way you think about health, self-care, and your body.
Final Thoughts
Sustainable weight loss isn’t about extreme sacrifices or temporary fixes—it’s about cultivating mindful, intentional habits that support your overall well-being. When you focus on consistency and kindness toward yourself, you’ll notice shifts not only in your body but in your mindset and how you move through the world.
Be well, Arrabella.
If this article resonated with you, take the first step toward sustainable health with my PATH coaching programs, designed to meet you where you are and help you build a life where you feel strong, energized, and confident.
