Last updated on March 18th, 2019 at 06:43 am

Ask ANYONE, or don’t even ask, just mention that you want to shed some weight and they will tell you what YOU should do.

It doesn’t matter what that person looks like, it doesn’t matter whether you want to be like them or not. Oh yes, you’re getting that advice, try and stop them.

And that, even though we’re all pretty clear on what we should do to lose weight, right?

Well in case you don’t:

Not eat crap and move regularly.

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It’s just, well we like to overcomplicate and overanalyze stuff. We like to find meaning and purpose in EVERYTHING we do.

Including weight loss.

So today, let’s forget about what we have to do to lose weight and take a look at what we don’t actually HAVE to do to get in shape.

In fact, not only do you not have to do these things, but you shouldn’t do them if you want to lose weight LONG-TERM.

If all you want is to slim down for a wedding or a weekend and then get back to gaining weight slowly, but surely – do whatever you want.

This is only for people who want to reach & keep a healthy weight for a long time.

28 Things You Shouldn’t Do To Lose Weight

1.

Count calories or macros. If you eat real food and not ALL THE TIME you’ll be good. Drink water and don’t obsess over food & calories. The thing is, eating 600kcal of raw almonds is not the same as eating a 600-kcal burger. The structure of almonds is different, so that you don’t absorb all the calories listed. Plus almonds contain vitamin E which you need for great skin and wound healing and a burger contains what? Crap.

Related: 11 science-backed tips to help you lose weight without counting calories

2.

Go to the gym every day. There are so many ways to move your body, you don’t need to go to the gym like at all. You can walk, swim, garden, take the stairs, do a workout at home, go out dancing and you can and should include rest days.

3.

Be perfect for a certain amount of time. Say 21 days? No, you’ll fall off the wagon probably the first week. Just accept that and get back on it without crying like a baby. Nobody’s going to give you a medal, because you didn’t touch cheese for 21 days. Do it and move on.

4.

Avoid your friends. Keep your friends around. If they’re cool, they’ll support you. People who love you and are in a good place in their own life, will support you when you’re trying to improve your own life. And if they’re not, well, I always ask myself – do I want to be like them?

5.

Feel guilty about eating fruit. Yes, some people think it’s wrong, that’s where we’re at in the 21st century fox. As long as you don’t do something crazy like actually eat 50 bananas (or a whole bag) in a sitting you should be fine.

6.

Follow the keto diet. Or any diet. Diets work for some people, but they make most of us actually put on weight. I can tell you from my experience, whenever I start overthinking what I eat and play by the rules of some “diet” I always gain weight, because I feel restricted.

7.

Eat six small meals throughout the day. Yeah, who’s got time to count those and measure everything. If you’re not hungry – don’t eat yet, if you are, eat something that’s common sense.

8.

Do the same workout over and over again, because it’s so effective. Change things up and make it more interesting! Losing weight is all about new. Try a new move every now and then, surprise your body and you’ll be surprised too.

Related: 8 super effective Pilates workouts to get lean while lying on the mat

9.

Eat only at home. If you haven’t prepared any food and wait all day long to eat only home made food, you’ll be starving at night. And you’ll probably eat the first thing you see. And then some more. Don’t let that happen. Eat something acceptable, when it’s time to eat and don’t make a big drama about it. Any wrap, salad or even whole grain pasta will do.

Related: How to eat out and still lose weight.

10.

Meal prep for the whole week. Did you just throw up in your mouth as well? You can prep some food for the next couple of days, but a full week of leftovers is just sad. What works best for me is prepping the ingredients (so cook quinoa, rice, maybe the protein), keep the kitchen tidy(ier) and then prepare fresh meals every day in 10 minutes.

11.

Say no to every food you crave. Have a small thing every now and then to keep your sanity. And I don’t mean cauliflower crust pizza. Better a slice of real pizza, than a whole cauliflower crust pizza that will make you cry on the inside.

12.

Drink coffee to speed up your metabolism. So many rumours, so little facts. If you don’t like coffee, don’t drink it.

13.

Drink apple cider vinegar. Same as coffee. Nobody lost weight ONLY because they drank apple cider vinegar.

14.

Eat foods you don’t like. Start with the healthy foods you like and experiment with some foods you haven’t tried yet. If you eat things you don’t like, you’ll be so proud of yourself that you’ll celebrate at some point with a huge binge party.

15.

Take weight loss supplements/fat burners. Food is all you need and that other stuff can even be dangerous. Make sure to eat enough vegetables – they have the things you need to lose weight – fiber, water and vitamin C.

Related: 9 incredible beauty benefits of getting enough vitamin C

16.

Get ready. Just start already, you don’t need to know everything. You’ll make mistakes and that’s ok.

17.

Buy/Follow a plan. Let’s be real here. When did following someone else’s plan EVER work out? Create your own plan using common sense and what you learn on the internet (yes, I did say that) and don’t be afraid to experiment! If there’s one thing that will help you lose the weight long-term it’s the willingness to experiment and the ability to learn. Don’t skip those.

18.

Find a partner to do it with you. Think about it. You didn’t need anyone to grow your teeth and your hair. And you definitely don’t need anyone else to get in shape. In fact, for me, if I wanna lose weight – I know I’m the only one who’s got my back. Otherwise you might end up adding the other person’s excuses to your own.

19.

Weigh yourself every day. If progress motivates you, as it does with most of us – take measurements. We’ve all heard muscle weighs more than fat – it’s a great excuse I’ve used many times. But while your weight could lie, your measurements (and your hips) won’t. People say take pictures, but to be honest with you it might take a while to really see any difference. And I don’t know about you, but I hate selfies. So take a tape measure and face the truth.

20.

Feel motivated. If you wait to feel motivated to do anything, you’ll just sit all day and watch Netflix. Just do it.

Related: How to actually stay motivated to exercise and eat healthy

21.

Eat low-fat and low-carb everything. Can we say cravings?

22.

Have a one year goal, usually a number. Better set smaller goals you can achieve in less time, say 30 days. So instead of saying I want to lose 100 pounds this year, say I want to go down a size this month. Then another one next month.

23.

Compare your progress to other’s. You’re you, this is your body and your life. Your body will do things at its own time.

24.

Start over tomorrow. No, no, no. Continue. If you ate something you feel guilty about, go back to #11 and eat at your next meal as if you haven’t done anything wrong. You really haven’t. Just keep going.

Related: How to lose weight and actually keep it off

25.

Wait to start eating healthy and exercising after your vacation. See you can either choose to do nothing during your vacation and only eat food at an all inclusive hotel, or you can be active and actually see and experience things you haven’t seen before. And this will then help you lose weight, without obsessing about it.

26.

Work out and not eat when you’re on vacation. Again go sight seeing, try some food and enjoy life.

27.

Wake up at 4am to work out for 1.5 hours. You need 7.5 hours of sleep for your body to work well. If you don’t go to bed at 8.30pm, waking up this early can only sabotage weight loss. Find time to fit in a 15-30 minute workout during the day. It’s your choice when, doesn’t need to be in the morning.

28.

Eat protein bars, drink protein shakes, protein protein. Seriously, just eat enough real food. You’ll get the protein you need.

And that’s it, I’ve got nothing else, folks – keep eating healthy and moving every day and you’ll see results!

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