As summer edges closer, many Australians are starting up diets in a bid to sculpt their dream beach body.
And while some take a healthy approach, others are making common mistakes that are setting them back and preventing them from achieving their goals.
So to help people understand why they’re not seeing results, Australian personal trainer and performance nutrition coach, Camilla Akerberg, recently shared some of the mistakes people are making.
One of the most common mistakes, Camilla explained, is simply not eating enough and exercising a lot.
While some take a healthy approach to dieting, others are making common mistakes that are setting them back and preventing them from achieving their goals
So to help people understand why they’re not seeing results, Australian personal trainer and performance nutrition coach, Camilla Akerberg, shared some mistakes people are making
One of the most common mistakes, Camilla explained, is simply not eating enough and exercising a lot
‘This seems to be a common perception of what you need to do to lose weight. No no no. Getting leaner, and certainly not maintaining leanness, is NOT about not eating,’ Camilla, 27, wrote on her blog.
‘It’s about eating the right nutrition in the right amounts that suits your body in its current state at that specific time, your activity level and your goal.’
Eating too little often throws hormones out of balance and as a result, the metabolism will slow.
‘Your metabolism will slow down and your hormones that tell your body to burn fat will drop. Due to hormonal changes you may also lose the ability to feel full,’ Camilla said.
‘Your metabolism will slow down and your hormones that tell your body to burn fat will drop. Due to hormonal changes you may also lose the ability to feel full,’ Camilla said
To prevent this happening, Camilla recommends eating nutritious foods, never skipping meals and starting the day with a nutritious, 300-500 calorie breakfast
To prevent this happening, Camilla recommends eating nutritious foods, never skipping meals and starting the day with a nutritious, 300-500 calorie breakfast.
Alternatively, eating too many calories will slow down your weight loss so Camilla recommends tracking calories and macros for a while to understand what and how much you’re putting in your body.
Avoiding carbs is also a common mistake people make, with Camilla warning people not to avoid any food group entirely.
‘Whilst lowering your carbohydrate intake can aid you lose weight, cutting down on any one food group remarkably (fat-free or no-carb diets) will leave you short on nutrients that your body needs,’ Camilla said.
Alternatively, eating too many calories will slow down your weight loss so Camilla recommends tracking calories and macros for a while to understand what and how much you’re putting in your body
Avoiding carbs is also a common mistake people make, with Camilla warning people not to avoid any food group entirely
‘If you eat zero carbs the body will turn amino acids- your muscles- into glucose (carbs) to fuel the brain.’
This leads to all kinds of uncomfortable side effects including lethargy and loss of strength.
Instead, Camilla recommends staying away from processed carbs and enjoying good ones like sweet potato and wholegrains.
Finally, Camilla says following the same diet as a ‘ripped’ friend or idol will likely not work.
‘There is a remarkable difference in the nutritional needs of a lean girl maintaining her figure and an overweight girl trying to lose body fat – even if you weighed the same as her or were the same height,’ Camilla said.
‘If you eat zero carbs the body will turn amino acids- your muscles- into glucose (carbs) to fuel the brain,’ Camilla said
Finally, Camilla says following the same diet as a ‘ripped’ friend or idol will likely not work
‘That’s because she has more lean body mass than our second woman as muscle requires more energy to maintain than body fat,’ she said
‘First of all – Lean Body Mass.
‘For Example: A 56 kg woman has 30% body fat and a second woman weighing 56kg has 20% body fat. While they share the same total body weight, the leaner woman will have a higher calorie maintenance.
‘That’s because she has more lean body mass than our second woman as muscle requires more energy to maintain than body fat.’
Camilla recommends eating an amount of food ‘based on your estimated maintenance level, activity level and goal’ rather than doing what works for someone else.
Camilla shares her health and fitness tips on her website and blog.