Top 5 Exercise Mistakes that are Sabotaging Weight Loss

Exercise is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle and has tons of benefits from weight loss and having a healthy body to noticing improvements in mood and confidence. So why is it that we can consistently work out and still not see any results? Well, there are a lot of different factors that come into play when you exercise, especially if your goal is weight loss! If you are looking for some of the most common exercise mistakes that may be preventing your from losing weight, tips for weight loss routines, workouts that support weight loss, or nutrition tips, then you are in the right place!

The information shared through this website, emails, products and services is for informational and educational purposes only. It may not be the best fit for you or your personal situation. I am a Physical Therapist but I’m not your doctor. It shall not be construed as medical advice, nor as a replacement for professional medical advice, diagnosis and/or treatment.

1. Not Being Consistent

The #1 mistake I see people making in the gym is not being consistent with their workouts. If you are the type of person that goes to the gym every once in a while only when you have some extra time, then you are not going to see results.

It takes at least 2 days of exercising the same muscle group per week to notice improvements. For example, you need to strengthen your glutes at least 2 times per week to see any real changes. Even if you work out 5 times a week but only do glutes during one of those workouts, then you probably won’t see much of a difference in that area.

It takes being consistent and performing 2 workouts with at least 48 hours in-between for recovery to see real changes. In the same way, only exercising once a week or every other week is not going to get you the results you want physically.

The good news is, simply being consistent is almost guaranteed to give you the results you want. You don’t gain 100 pounds with one week of eating unhealthy the same way you won’t lose weight with one week of healthy eating.

The best thing you can do for yourself and your fitness goals is to get started on a consistent program NOW! If you are waiting for a sign then THIS IS IT!

2. Trying to Out-Exercise a Bad Diet

Unfortunately, I have been guilty of this one in the past. Having the mindset of, “I can eat whatever I want as long as I work out,” will only set you up for failure.

The misleading part of that statement is that we often don’t burn as many calories as we think we do. So, when you just ate a 1,400-calorie meal for lunch and then go to the gym where you may only burn 300-600 calories, it leaves you consuming wayyyyyy more calories than you burned.

Being in a calorie surplus is the best way to gain unwanted weight so if this is an area you struggle with, I recommend taking a hard look at how many calories you are actually eating.

It is absolutely impossible to “out exercise” a bad diet. Nutrition alone and even combined with workouts is key to reaching your goals. If you want more specifics on knowing how to fuel your body properly for your workouts, check out this post.

3. Not Eating Enough

On the other hand, getting too carried away with your “diet” can leave you feeling weak and without enough energy to fuel your workouts.

If you notice yourself feeling fatigued more than usual, lightheaded, or even weak despite consistent exercise, take a look at how much you are eating and add some healthy carbs back in to your diet. Not to mention, working out and not eating enough can be very dangerous.

Low blood sugar can cause you to pass out or simply fail to repair muscles that are damaged during the normal stress of exercise. Our bodies react to this stress by going into starvation mode which causes you to actually hold on to the weight you are trying to lose.

Eating a few hundred extra calories a day could be the very thing your body needs to drop those last few pounds you’ve been struggling to lose.

4. Overtraining

The signs of overtraining can sometimes be difficult to catch, especially if you’ve been working out for a while now. Overtraining usually happens when you exercise too much without allowing your body time to recover in between, ultimately causing more damage than growth.

You would be surprised at how easy it is to overtrain. It definitely doesn’t take Olympic level training to get to this point where you are starting to see the effects.

Signs of overtraining can be similar to not eating enough: weakness, fatigue, unable to lift as heavy or perform as well as usual, and lack of energy and motivation. If you are training 6 or 7 days a week, working the same muscle group on back-to-back days, or simply not allowing yourself to have at least one rest day a week then you could be overtraining.

For me personally, I will never workout more than five days a week for my own sanity, but I’ve found the best number for me is four days a week. This definitely doesn’t mean I lay on the couch for the other three days straight but it does mean I’m not doing intentional exercise those other three days.

The best way to give your body a reset if you think you are overtraining is to take an entire week off. You can still perform active rest by taking walks, riding a bike, or even participating in gentle recreational activities the same way you would on your “rest” days.

The key here is to lay off the heavy weights and HIIT for a week and see if that makes a difference by allowing your body to recover. From my own experience, coming back after a week actually makes me feel stronger and more energetic than ever.

5. Not Getting Enough Sleep

I would dare to say that sleep is THE MOST important part of a workout. It is absolutely possible to do everything right: a clean diet, a healthy amount of the right exercise, low stress, all while being consistent and still not see any progress because of poor sleep habits.

Poor quality sleep can actually lead to metabolic dysregulation which directly affects your ability to lose weight. It can also increase sugar cravings which makes it THAT MUCH harder to maintain a healthy diet. Not to mention, it can be nearly impossible to have enough energy for a workout when you’ve been sleeping poorly for several nights much less any longer. Sometimes it can be as simple as needing a new pillow or not eating too close to bedtime that can help you sleep better.

If you have tried everything to improve your sleep with little success and you are worried this may be the cause of your lack of progress, it may be time to talk to your doctor and see if there is an underlying issue.

I hope you found these top 5 exercise mistakes helpful and can recognize the areas that may need some improvement in your own fitness routine. If you liked this post, please don’t forget to leave me a comment and let me know which tip you found the most helpful!

If you are struggling to see results in your workouts and would like a little more guidance in this area, checkout my new eBook: Sculpting Secrets.