Losing Weight with a Health Condition: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistakes To Avoid During Weight Loss : Losing weight when dealing with a physical condition is different from a regular weight loss journey. Your diet, exercise routine, and overall strategy should be tailored to your specific condition, as certain health issues can make it harder to shed weight.

For example, in PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), weight gain is influenced by insulin resistance, high androgen levels, and a slow metabolism. At the same time, excess weight can worsen PCOS symptoms, creating a vicious cycle.

Recently, a health influencer, Sujata, shared her 38 kg weight loss journey in just 10 months despite having PCOS. She also highlighted 10 common mistakes people make when trying to lose weight. Let’s dive into these mistakes so you can avoid them and achieve sustainable weight loss.

10 Mistakes to Avoid While Losing Weight

1. Focusing Only on the Scale

Many people judge their progress solely by the number on the scale, but weight fluctuations are normal due to water retention, muscle gain, and hormonal changes. Instead of obsessing over the scale, track progress by:

Taking progress photos
Measuring your waist, hips, and body fat percentage
Noting how your clothes fit and how you feel

2. Skipping Meals or Cutting Calories Drastically

Extreme calorie restriction can backfire. A very low-calorie diet slows down metabolism, leads to muscle loss, and increases hunger hormones, making you prone to binge eating.

Eat balanced meals with enough nutrients to fuel your body
Avoid starvation diets, as they are unsustainable and harmful

3. Doing Too Much Cardio and Ignoring Strength Training

While cardio helps burn calories, excessive cardio without strength training can result in muscle loss. This, in turn, lowers metabolism, making long-term weight loss harder.

Include strength training at least 3-4 times a week
Building muscle burns more fat and helps maintain weight loss

4. Relying on Fad Diets

Fad diets that cut out entire food groups or promote rapid weight loss might show quick results, but they are not sustainable. Most people regain the lost weight once they return to normal eating habits.

Follow a balanced diet that includes all food groups
Avoid extreme diets like keto, detox teas, or meal replacements

5. Not Eating Enough Protein

Protein is essential for:

Building muscle
Boosting metabolism
Keeping you full longer

A low-protein diet can slow down weight loss and cause muscle breakdown. Make sure to include lean protein sources like eggs, chicken, fish, lentils, and Greek yogurt in your meals.

6. Avoiding Healthy Fats

Many people think fat is bad for weight loss, but healthy fats are necessary for:

Hormonal balance
Brain function
Overall well-being

Include avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish in your diet instead of eliminating fats completely.

7. Ignoring Sleep and Stress

Not getting enough sleep and having high stress levels can mess up your hormones, especially cortisol, which increases:

Hunger cravings
Fat storage (especially belly fat)

Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night
Practice stress management techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga

8. Overestimating Calories Burned During Exercise

Many people think they burn more calories than they actually do and end up overeating as a reward. For example:

 A 30-minute walk may burn 150-200 calories, but a single chocolate bar can have 300+ calories.

Focus on nutrition and portion control, not just exercise

9. Eating Mindlessly

Snacking throughout the day, eating in front of the TV, or not paying attention to portion sizes can lead to overeating.

Eat mindfully and enjoy your meals without distractions
Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues

10. Not Drinking Enough Water

Dehydration is often mistaken for hunger, leading to unnecessary snacking. Water also:

Boosts metabolism
Aids digestion
Helps control appetite