Many people struggle with fat loss. Many have limited success, but then are hindered in their progress after dropping the first five pounds. Even worse, they can fall along the wayside before even seeing any real results.

If this describes your fat loss experience then you are probably falling into one of the following 5 common pitfalls that lay along the fat loss journey.

Fat Loss Deterrent #1 – Lack of Patience

A popular reason for wanting to lose body fat is because an important event is coming up and you want to look good for it. Business meetings, class or family reunions, weddings, summer beach vacations, etc. can all provide good motivation for fat loss. However, you have to keep in mind that it took a good amount of time to pack on those pounds and it will take some time and effort to get rid of them as well.

You might jump into a weight loss program full force only to lose steam when you don’t feel you’re getting the results fast enough. In order to overcome this pitfall, give yourself sufficient time to get into shape and lose body fat. Also, keep at your program because the first several weeks are not only the hardest in regards to physical effort, but also in fat loss results. However, if you stay at it faithfully then you will eventually start seeing those coveted results that provide further motivation to press harder towards your fat loss goal.

Fat Loss Deterrent #2 – Fighting Against Yourself

You muster up the gumption to hit the gym and get in a pretty good workout. However, once the sweating is over, you proudly pat yourself on the back, head home and hit the couch for several hours of television entertainment. What’s more, you pick up the phone to call and order a pizza with everything on it, accompanied by potato chips and a liter of soda.

The problem with such a scenario is that this is exactly how you gained all that extra weight in the first place. Unfortunately, hitting a weight loss program a few days a week without changing such habits won’t produce desired results. Help yourself lose weight by taking additional walks, parking further from destinations, taking the stairs, signing up for a summer sporting event, or other forms of activity that get you off the couch and moving.

Fat Loss Deterrent #3 – Not Using Enough Resistance

Another mistake many people make is doing only cardio exercises to lose weight. Although cardio is an effective means for losing weight, it does not provide sufficient results alone. At least half of your weight loss program should incorporate resistance training as well.

Free weights, weight machines and bodyweight exercises are all effective resistance exercises. Resistance training will help to increase your metabolic rate, allowing you to burn more calories efficiently, even after the workout is over.

Fat Loss Deterrent #4 – Lack of Intensity

Even if you are combining resistance training and aerobics in your weight loss program, if you’re only tackling the exercises half-heartedly, you will fail in your weight loss efforts. Both aerobic exercises and weight training need to be performed with intensity in order to lose adequate body fat. When you arrive at the gym to perform your workout, focus on the task at hand and hit your exercises hard.

An intense workout includes using heavy weights that will challenge you and put adequate stress on your muscles. Muscle mass is obtained by stressing the muscles to failure and that can’t be accomplished with small dumbbells and low weight. The plus with developing muscle mass is that muscle uses much more energy, which will help to burn up more of those pesky stores of belly fat. In order to maximize weight loss, chose compound exercises that work more than one muscle group over isolated exercises.

Fat Loss Deterrent #5 – Changing Programs Before Completion

If you want to get results in fat loss, you have to stick with your weight loss program through completion. Lots of folks get tired or frustrated with a program and change to another when they don’t get the results they’re looking for as fast as they hoped. Or, people will change programs because they come across another catchy cure-all that promises the world. Go back to deterrent #1, muster up some patience and work your program. If you are training effectively according to these tips then you will eventually see fat loss results.