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The High Performance Journal - January 7th, 2025

Awhile back, I was having a conversation with a client during one of our group mastermind calls.

He had lost his body to his business and was having problems with losing weight. No matter what they tried nothing seemed to stick.

Throughout the past 5 years, he went through something we call the "yo-yo weight loss cycle," where he'd lose and gain the same 30 lbs over and over.

He was a smart and successful guy so this was frustrating as heck.

During our convo, I pinpointed a number of things that held him back from his best body.

So, in this article, I want to share with you what I told him (and more) so you can avoid these mistakes and get into your best shape for 2025.

Ready for that? Keep reading.

8 Critical Weight Loss Mistakes To Avoid In 2025

Mistake #1 - Too Much Focus On Weight Loss. Not Enough On Fat Loss.

What most people don't realize is that muscle is the engine for metabolism.

This is why I say the worst way to lose weight is with cardio and a low-calorie diet.

You want to lose fat. This means that as you lose weight, you need to pair it with a quality weight training program and a nutrient-dense, high-protein diet.

Muscles are among the most important organs in the body. They fuel metabolism, among other processes. Thus, the most important part of losing weight is retaining muscle.

If you don't do this, you end up setting yourself back farther than you think.

Mistake #2 - Short Time Horizons

Our client tried undoing 5 years of neglect in 6 weeks or less.

He had a long-term mindset when it came to his business, but when it came to his body, he chased fast methods and fad diets.

Here's the unfortunate truth most people don't want to hear: You need to give yourself a longer timeframe to get in shape.

You overestimate what you can do in 6 weeks but underestimate what you can do in 6 months to a year.

In general, we split up fat loss into 2 simple phases:

Step 1 - Lose the fat and get metabolically healthy

Step 2 - Keep the fat off and sustain results

And both phases employ different tactics and techniques.

If you don't give yourself enough time to do this, you're climbing up the wrong ladder.

Mistake #3 - Using The Wrong Tools

You've heard it many times, but you can't out-exercise a crappy diet.

So why do you see so many people hit the treadmill and start running when it's time to get in shape?

Even if this does work,, the danger of using exercise to lose weight is that you have to maintain the same (if not more) intensity to burn the same amount of calories.

What happens if you stop? Or get injured? Those calories come back and put you in the same spot as before.

This is why we focus our attention on using the diet to burn the fat and our exercise to help keep the weight off.

Mistake #4 - Not Regulating Your Hunger

Being hungry is part of the fat loss journey but that doesn't mean we can't do things to control it.

A massive part of being able to drop the belly in a sustainable way is to learn how to mitigate hunger.

You can do this in a few steps:

1. Set your frame - Create a meal schedule that correlates with your natural rhythms.
2. Amplify nutrients - The more nutrients you take in the better your control of hunger and appetite.
3. Get the right amount of protein - This is the most satiating of all macronutrients.
4. Drink water - Most times hunger is either boredom or dehydration in disguise.
5. Not doing #5

Control your hunger and you can control the foods that go into your body.

Mistake #5 - Not Making Sleep A Priority

Image courtesy of ​Healthmatch.io​ 

I had a conversation with a different client who had just dropped 60 lbs off his body and kept it off.

The problem was he was feeling hungry all the time and it was affecting his day.

The fix? We increased his sleep from 6 to 7 hours a day. Problem solved.

Sleep is the hidden hand that affects your weight loss goals.

Being sleep-deprived can disrupt hormones regulating appetite and metabolism, increasing hunger and cravings.

It reduces insulin sensitivity, lowers metabolic rate, and leads to higher calorie intake, especially from high-fat and carb-rich foods, hindering weight loss efforts.

Want better results? Make sleep a priority. ​Here's a pdf that shows you how.​ 

Mistake #6 - ZERO Awareness

One of the biggest things holding our client back was self-sabotage.

When I asked why he does this he said, "I don't know".

I dug further, clarified, and asked more questions. We uncovered that he tends to eat his stress and has an "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to his body. If he's perfect with his diet he just gives up.

He lacked awareness as to why he did what he did. But when we shined a light on his biggest constraints it was like a light bulb turned on in his head.

You need awareness. You need to know what's holding you back the most and put all your resources into fixing it.

Once you do this you can probably lose weight without having to even diet.

Mistake #7 - Nutrient Deficiencies

Image courtesy of ​Rupahealth.com

There's a vicious cycle that not many people are aware of and it goes like this:

Step 1 - You lack a key nutrient in your diet

Step 2 - Your mental health and energy become affected

Step 3 - This amplifies hunger and appetite

Step 4 - You wonder why you can't control your diet

Some key nutrients I find lacking in our client's diets:

Vitamin D: Low vitamin D levels can affect metabolism and energy levels.

Vitamin B12 deficiency: This has been linked to obesity and can impact overall energy.

Fiber: Reduces satiety, increases appetite, and hinders weight loss efforts.

Aside from fiber, you can check these through a comprehensive blood test to see if you lack these key nutrients.

Mistake #8 - Identity, Mindset, And Lifestyle

When my client was trying to lose weight he was fixated on the scale. He should have been fixated on how to make it a part of his lifestyle.

What most people don't realize is when you need to change your mind you change the body.

This goes along with fixing your environment, your friend group, and all the way down to how you perceive your journey.

Self-image and identity to change for you to change. You need to change the result from weighing less on the scale to evolving who you are as a person.

And the cool thing is? Anyone can do it. You just need the right tools. Here's a video I did that might help: 

Knowing What Not To Do Is As Important As Knowing What To Do

This journey to getting in shape can be long and arduous.

Let's not make it worse by tripping over these mistakes.

Rome was not built in a day nor will your body.

Give yourself the time necessary. Get help if needed.

You have a good guide on what to avoid. Keep it close as you get your body into it's best shape in 2025.

- Dan

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