Weightloss: Ten common mistakes, part II

December 19, 12:10 PMColumbia Fitness ExaminerStephanie Gibson

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Let's continue our discussion on the last five of the ten common mistakes made by individuals trying to lose weight.

       6.   Misinterpreting food labels -Food labels can be very tricky and some of them are that way on purpose.  Dirty trick, I know.  Keep in mind that the labels' job is to attract buyers.  You must read the fine print.  Always note serving size.  Something may appear low fat or low calorie when you assume that the serving size is what you'd normally eat.  Check the serving size.  It may be completely different than what you thought.  Sometimes it's even ridiculous!  Also remember that "no fat" or "no sugar" doesn't mean "no calorie".  You must keep track of the calories.  "No trans fat" does not mean "fat free".  It just means it is free of one type of fat that is highly processed and thought to be detrimantal to human health.

        7.   Mistaking water weight loss for fat loss - Your body sweats to keep itself cool and regulate body temperature.  It is composed of water and electrolytes such as sodium and potassium.  The water you lose during exercise will show up on the scale after exercise.  That weight will come right back when fluids are replaced. 

       8.   Buying into the ol' "magic beans" trick - We've all fallen for some of these at one point or another.  They make it sound so great, I know!  Supplements, pills, powders and potions that promise extraordinary fat and weight loss are a multibillion-dollar industry.  These things are everywhere!   There's always someone ready to give the latest scheme a try.  That someone is looking for a fast, easy and quick fix solution to their weight problems.  What he or she is getting is a big waste of money.  Some of these products can even have negative health consequences. " If it sound too good to be true, it probably is."  I know we've all heard that before, but it still holds true especially in the weightloss supplement arena.

       9.   Follow the latest trend in dieting advice - The number of trendy, unsound diets that target unsuspecting dieters with undocumented and even unhealthy practices grows about as fast as the "magic beans" business!  I tell my clients that any diet that limits you to a single food or food group and eliminates any food group entirely is not sound.  Yes, you may lose weight, but when you eventually go back to the real world, it'll come right back.  I even go as far to tell my clients that diets in general don't work.  A "diet" has a beginning and an end.  At the end you go back to the same eating habits that made you go on the diet in the first place.  You must make permanent , healthy, lifestyle changes to achieve lifetime health and fitness that keeps you looking a feeling great.  Period.

      10.   Consider surgical solutions to their weight problem - There are two popular surgical "solutions" to obesity.  Liposuction or removing fat from specific parts of the body is an outer aesthetic procedure.  Again, go back to the lifestyle that took you to the plastic surgeon in the first place and you'll be earning frequent flyer miles at his office.  I will have to add, though, I have "heard" of cases where someone goes through all the hoops of a healthy diet and committed exercise program for a long period of time only to still be stuck with some "love handles" or "saddlebags" that just won't budge.  In this case, I think it's a great option.  The other surgical option is gastric bypass surgery.  It is a very invasive procedure that makes the stomach smaller by allowing food to bypass part of the small intestine resulting in fewer calories being absorbed.  This procedure is generally reserved for morbidly obese individuals whose life depends on weight loss.  It carries many risks and there have been cases of death from the many complications that can occur.  I have seen it be very successful in some people.  These people do make tremendous lifestyle changes as a part of the surgical treatment.  I've seen some people get very mediocre results.  I suspect that these individuals have not made the necessary changes in their lifestyles they are supposed to make as part of their treatment.  I have also heard of some deaths that are a result of complications and some near deaths occurring as well.

There you go! Recognize any of these common mistakes in your own health and fitness plans.  If you do, and I think all of us do, just chalk it up to a lesson learned and move on.  Another little gem I share with my clients,"To get a fabulous bod, you need three things; a healthy diet,  exercise,  and wanting it badly enough."