Are you sick and tired of busting your butt day in and day out, only to see little to no results in return?

It can be incredibly frustrating, and it's no wonder that you might start to feel stressed out and annoyed with your lack of progress. You may even be tempted to throw in the towel and quit altogether.

But before you do, I want to shed some light on a few key points that you might be overlooking when it comes to losing weight and improving your overall health.

These are the 7 bad habits that you need to fix in order to keep your fitness journey moving in the right direction. Let's dive in and explore each one in detail.

1. Focusing on eating too clean

Creating extreme limitations on yourself when it comes to food can have negative consequences on your overall well-being. For instance, following a strict diet that consists of eating bland chicken, rice, and broccoli every day may leave you feeling miserable. However, the problems go beyond just the lack of variety in your meals.

If you adhere too strictly to this restrictive eating plan, the moment you deviate from it and indulge in something "off plan," your body may react negatively to the sudden change. Instead of enjoying the food, you might end up feeling sick or experiencing discomfort. Therefore, it is important to find a balance that allows for flexibility in your dietary choices.

It is all too common for people to feel guilty if they do not meet some arbitrary standard of "eating clean." However, this guilt is unnecessary and unproductive. The concept of categorizing foods as "good" or "bad" only perpetuates a negative mindset and can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food.

Moreover, this extremely restrictive clean eating mindset can easily develop into an obsession with food. Constantly focusing on what you can or cannot eat can consume your thoughts and negatively impact your mental and emotional well-being.

Additionally, such a strict approach may result in nutrient deficiencies since you are limiting the variety of foods you consume. This can have detrimental effects on your health and leave you feeling unwell in the long run.

Ultimately, it is essential to change your mindset around food. Instead of labeling foods as good or bad, focus on creating a balanced and sustainable approach to eating that includes a wide range of nutritious options. By doing so, you can break free from the guilt associated with deviating from a rigid eating plan and allow yourself to enjoy food while maintaining your well-being.

2. Including too much food diversity

While including a diverse range of foods is beneficial for maintaining optimal health, it is essential to strike a balance.

Incorporating too much diversity can be overwhelming and may even lead to increased cravings.

Surprisingly, studies have shown that we are less likely to overeat when we consume the same meals repeatedly.

By providing ourselves with less variety, we establish a routine and develop healthier habits. Moreover, this discourages a slippery slope effect where we begin incorporating more and more foods into our diet.

Simplifying our approach by implementing a set grocery list and weekly meal plan with a few key ingredients can alleviate the stress associated with grocery shopping, meal prepping, and macro tracking.

Ultimately, this streamlined approach promotes consistency in our dietary choices.

3. Always going hard and never cycling intensity

If you have been dieting and in a deficit for a while, you might feel mentally and physically burnt out. The continuous restriction of calories can have a significant impact on various aspects of your well-being.

Lower energy levels, impaired cognitive function, sluggish recovery, hormonal imbalances, and other effects may start to manifest. It's important to understand that your body perceives weight loss as a threat to its survival, and as a result, it resists change.

Break through plateaus and combat the mental and physical fatigue by giving your body a much-needed break from the calorie deficit.

During the weight loss journey, there comes a point where your body begins to have cravings at the lower calorie intake and becomes resistant to further progress. Your mind, on the other hand, fights against what you know you should be doing, further exacerbating the lack of motivation and training intensity.

This is when implementing a diet break can be highly beneficial in resetting both your mental and physical state.
By increasing your calorie intake back up to maintenance level for a week or two, you provide your body with a chance to normalize. However, it's crucial to approach this diet break with a strategic plan rather than mindlessly indulging in everything in sight.

A thoughtful and structured approach will ensure that you nourish your body while avoiding any unnecessary setbacks. Take this opportunity to reassess your goals, re-energize your mind and body, and pave the way for sustainable progress on your weight loss journey.

4.  Only using the scale to measure progress

The scale is one tool we can use to access progress, but it is important to remember that it doesn't show us the full picture. While it can make you feel like you're not getting results, even when you are truly building, it's crucial to recognize that the scale only shows your weight at a specific time, on a given day.

It doesn't take into account the fact that you may have gained muscle and lost fat, or vice versa.
It is easy to fall into the trap of looking for fast results and allowing the scale to dictate your thoughts, but in reality, it is just a number.

Think about it - do you really remember what you weighed on September 20th, 2019? The answer is likely no, because it ultimately doesn't matter. Hitting a specific number on the scale doesn't guarantee that you will feel any better or be satisfied with how you look.

Rather than investing so much energy into what the scale says, it is important to recognize that it is just one piece of the puzzle. Yes, the scale can be a great tool for collecting data and seeing trends, but it cannot account for various factors like water retention, muscle gain, organ weight, glycogen levels, hormonal fluctuations, and so much more that can easily influence the number you see.

Instead, focus on using the scale as one tool among many. Take progress pictures, track your measurements, and pay attention to how your clothes fit as better indicators of your progress. Remember, true progress goes beyond just the number on the scale.

5. Trying to out exercise a bad diet

You might feel more comfortable being uncomfortable in the gym rather than tackling the challenges of altering your nutrition or behaviors. It's essential to recognize that while physical activity is beneficial, it can only contribute to a limited calorie deficit.

Eventually, if you want to continue progress, you'll have to make adjustments to your eating habits. Neglecting this aspect may force you to engage in excessive exercise, potentially leading to burnout, injuries, or even the development of metabolic adaptations that are difficult to reverse.

Changing your nutrition is an inevitable part of achieving your goals. You can't avoid it. Working hard alone doesn't guarantee progress if your efforts are not aligned with the right direction.

As time passes, your body becomes accustomed to the training stimulus, diminishing the deficit you once created solely through exercise. Consequently, you'll need to incorporate nutritional changes to maintain progress.

Embracing this reality is key to long-term success. Recognizing that your nutrition must be harmonious with your goals is crucial for continued progress and overall well-being. So, don't shy away from the discomfort of changing your eating habits; it's the pathway towards sustainable improvements and reaching your desired outcomes.

6. Treating your workouts only as a mean to lose weight

Set performance goals to keep you motivated and consistent, rather than solely focusing on how many calories you've burned. By doing this, not only will you find your progress to be more enjoyable, but you will also notice that you are becoming stronger, more athletic, and overall a healthier version of yourself.

Weight loss can often be a tricky journey, especially if your sole focus is on shedding pounds. This mindset can make going to the gym feel like a chore, as you are constantly chasing the number of calories burned.

Instead, shift your attention towards performance goals, such as increasing your strength, completing more repetitions, or achieving milestones like being able to do push-ups or pull-ups. By setting these side goals, you will find yourself staying on track and remaining consistent in your gym routine.

Not only will this help you develop healthy habits, but it will also ensure that you continue to lose fat while staying motivated throughout your fitness journey.

7. Not doing something when it was better than nothing

Sometimes life happens, throwing unexpected events and vacations our way, leaving us short on time. It's during these moments that we may find ourselves questioning whether we should abandon our meticulously crafted plans or strive to follow them perfectly.

But what if we only have 30 minutes instead of a full hour to complete a workout? Should we simply forgo it, believing it to be insufficient?

Absolutely not.

In fact, making the most of those precious 30 minutes is crucial because even a small effort is better than none at all.

Consistency is key, and even if you can't follow your plan to the letter, doing the minimum will still help you develop the behaviors necessary to propel yourself forward. Something is always better than nothing, and gaining just 1% progress is far superior to consecutive days and weeks of achieving nothing.

Even when circumstances hinder your ability to adhere strictly to your plan, there are still small victories to be found. Perhaps you can focus on hitting your daily protein goals or ensuring you stay hydrated by reaching your water intake targets.

Additionally, finding ways to get your steps in or incorporating a shorter, more time-efficient workout can contribute to staying on track amidst the chaos.

Remember, it's important to control what you can of the day, even when obstacles arise. By seeking out these small wins and adapting to the circumstances, you demonstrate resilience and maintain a sense of accomplishment.

So, the next time life throws a wrench into your plans, embrace the opportunity to find alternative paths and forge ahead, because every step forward, no matter how small, is progress in the right direction.