Trying to lose weight can be frustrating, especially when you feel like you’re doing everything right but still not seeing results. The truth is, there are a number of weight loss mistakes it’s easy to make, and they hold many women from seeing the progress they want and deserve.
So, let’s dive into 7 of the most common weight loss mistakes I’ve seen as an online weight loss coach, and how you can fix them for lasting success.
1. Focusing on Carbs and Sugar Instead of Calories
There’s a lot of confusing information out there about carbs, sugar, and processed foods. And to be clear, it’s great (and important) to aim for mostly natural, whole foods for optimal health. But ultimately, sustainable weight loss comes down to your calorie intake above everything else.
Why This Is a Problem: Focusing too much on carbs, sugar or processed foods can lead to restrictive eating patterns, without addressing the bigger picture – your overall energy balance. You might also find yourself avoiding foods you enjoy unnecessarily, which can make your plan harder to stick with.
What to Do Instead: Keep aware of your calorie intake and focus on eating in a moderate calorie deficit. Prioritise protein-rich foods to stay fuller for longer and maintain muscle mass. Incorporating a variety of foods, including those you might label as “indulgent,” can help you create a balanced, enjoyable approach to eating that’s easier to sustain.
2. Labeling Foods as ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’
Many women fall into the trap of viewing foods as either “good” or “bad.” This mindset can create guilt and lead to overeating when you’ve had something deemed “bad.”
Why This Is a Problem: Feeling guilty about food often triggers emotional eating or an “all-or-nothing” approach, making it harder to stick to your plan. This pattern can erode your confidence and make progress feel unattainable.
What to Do Instead: Understand that no foods are ‘good’ or ‘bad’, and no single food will make or break your progress. Aim to eat mostly nutrient-dense foods for health, but allow yourself to enjoy your favourite less nutritious foods without guilt. A balanced, healthy and sustainable diet includes both nutritious meals and a sprinkling of foods you love.
3. Prioritising Cardio Over Strength Training
Cardio is often seen as the go-to exercise for weight loss, but aiming to lose weight through cardio alone can lead to muscle loss and a slower metabolism. We can also easily forget that calorie intake makes a much bigger impact on weight loss than the exercise we do. Sadly it’s very easy to eat back what you ‘burn off’ with a tasty bar of chocolate or a couple of extra snacks.
Fitness watches tend to overestimate what we burn, sometimes to quite a significant level. And importantly, we don’t want cardio to be just something we do to burn calories and lose weight. Ultimately we want to do it for all the health benefits it brings, and incorporate strength training for the many benefits that brings too.
Why This Is a Problem: Without strength training or eating enough protein, we will lose muscle. Losing muscle means we get weaker, and our metabolism drops, resulting in having to consume less calories to reach or maintain our goal weight.
What to Do Instead: Incorporate strength training into your routine at least 2-3 times per week. Building muscle helps keep your metabolism high, improves body composition, protects your bones, and supports long-term health. If you want to lose fat and tone up, stay active (cardio is brilliant for our health and fitness), lift weights, and aim to get stronger over time.
For more on how to start strength training, check out my blog here:
Strength Training: Why it’s a Must For Women
4. Striving for Perfection Instead of Progress
Many women set unrealistically high standards for themselves, expecting perfection in their diet, workouts, and routines. Then when they fall short, they feel like they’ve failed.
Why This Is a Problem: This mindset can lead to burnout and make you overlook the progress you’ve made. It can also make the journey feel overwhelming, which increases the chances of giving up entirely.
What to Do Instead: Celebrate small wins and focus on consistent improvement. Even small changes, like drinking more water or adding an extra 1000 steps to your day, add up over time. Progress, not perfection, is the key to long-term success. Remember, every positive step you take brings you closer to your goal, even if it doesn’t feel significant in the moment.
5. Relying on Motivation Instead of Habits
Motivation can be fleeting. It’s easy to stay on track when you’re feeling motivated, but what happens on the tough days?
Why This Is a Problem: Without solid habits, it’s hard to stay consistent when motivation fades. Relying on motivation alone can also lead to frustration when you feel less inspired, making it harder to keep going.
What to Do Instead: Build routines and habits that make healthy choices automatic. For example, meal prepping or scheduling workouts can reduce decision fatigue. Keeping promises to yourself builds trust and consistency over time. Over time, these habits become second nature, helping you stay consistent even when motivation is low. Think of it as creating a foundation that supports you regardless of how you’re feeling.
6. Feeling Guilty Instead of Looking for Wins and Lessons
Many women criticise and beat themselves up anytime they feel like they’ve gone off track. But this often leads to eating more while feeling bad, and then repeating the same pattern in the future.
Why This Is a Problem: Feeling bad about yourself can perpetuate a cycle of emotional eating and self-sabotage. This cycle can make it harder to regain control and move forward positively.
What to Do Instead: Shift your focus to what you can learn. Reflect on what happened, identify wins (even small ones), and plan how to handle similar situations differently in the future. Then, move on and make your next choice a positive one. Each mistake is an opportunity to grow and improve—don’t let guilt hold you back from making progress.
7. Obsessing Over the End Goal Instead of Enjoying the Process
Focusing solely on the end goal – like reaching a specific weight – can make the journey feel stressful and unenjoyable. This often leads to giving up when progress is slow.
Why This Is a Problem: If the process feels like a chore, it’s harder to stick with it long enough to see results. Fixating on the destination can also make you miss out on the positive changes happening along the way.
What to Do Instead: Focus on how good it feels to nourish your body, move regularly, and get stronger. When you enjoy the process, reaching your goals becomes a natural outcome that’s easy to sustain. Embrace the small wins, like feeling more energetic or sleeping better, as these are just as important as the final result.
To Sum up 7 Common Weight Loss Mistakes: Small Changes Lead to Big Results
If you’ve been making any of these mistakes, don’t be hard on yourself—they’re common and completely fixable. By shifting your mindset and focusing on sustainable habits, you can make lasting progress. Each step you take in the right direction matters, and over time, those steps add up to significant changes.
There are plenty of episodes all about weight loss, mindset, nutrition, menopause, strength training and more on my podcast, Think Healthy with Hayley:
And if you’re looking for all the guidance, encouragement and support you need to help you reach your goals in 2025, I’d love to work with you. Check out the link below for more information and to apply for coaching:
Online Weight Loss Coaching with Hayley
