You’re eating healthy, exercising, and doing everything “right,” but the scale won’t budge. It’s frustrating, and it can leave you feeling like your efforts are just going by the wayside. Many women make a few common mistakes when it comes to weight loss—and it’s not their fault. Our society has trained us to focus on the wrong things. These things could be holding you back from reaching your desired weight without you even realizing it. Let’s explore three of these common “mistakes”, so you can start making changes today and finally see the progress you deserve.

Behavior 1: Over-restricting your diet

Raise your hand if you’ve heard this before “eat less, move more.” Yeah, me too! Many women believe that the fewer calories they eat, the faster they’ll lose weight. Cutting too many calories or entire food groups can slow down your metabolism, making it harder to release the extra weight. Why? Your body doesn’t know when the next meal will come so it holds on to everything, basically it goes into “starvation” mode and holds onto fat.

Actionable Step: Instead of overly restricting, shift your focus to eating three balanced meals, white protein, healthy fat and fiber. This will help fuel your body and let it know that another meal is coming soon, so you can relax. Bonus points if you can eat at the same time everyday.

Behavior 2: Over-relying on cardio for weight loss

Cardio is great for heart health and longevity, but too much can raise your cortisol levels (the stress hormone), which can lead to weight retention, especially around your belly. Plus, if you’re doing endless hours of cardio you might be losing muscle mass, which slows your metabolism.

Actionable Step: Incorporate strength training 2-3 times per week to build muscle, boost your metabolism, and burn fat more effectively. You don’t have to have a gym membership, you can do this from, home using your own body weight. Think counter push-ups, full-body squats. Even 20 minutes 2-3 times a week can make a big difference!

Looking to rev up your metabolism without endless cardio? Check out the Freedom Formula Club, in it we have all kinds of at home ways to meet your movement needs.

Behavior 3: Not managing stress properly

I am sure you have heard this one before. Easier said than done, right? Depends on your approach. Chronic stress raises cortisol levels, which can cause your body to hold onto fat—especially in the belly area. Stress also makes you more likely to crave comfort foods, which can derail your weight release efforts.

Actionable Step: Prioritize stress relief in your daily routine. Take a second and really think about: what helps you relieve stress. What are your triggers? Everyone is different. Here are a few ideas: Practice deep breathing, take a walk, try yoga, call a friend or meditate. Just 5-10 minutes a day can reduce cortisol levels and help jumpstart your weight release.

Client Win:

One of my clients struggled with belly fat despite exercising every single day and eating clean. Once she started incorporating more stress-relief techniques, she noticed not only that her mood improved, but the weight finally started to shift. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make the biggest difference!

Are you making these weight loss mistakes?

Take a look at the Freedom Formula. This is exactly what you have been missing.