Weight loss can be an uphill battle for some people. And you may be one of them, that's why you’re here!

Sometimes, you won’t see any result despite the healthy lifestyle changes you’re making. It may be because you are following outdated or misguided advice or you’re not just doing it right.

Here are 16 basic weight loss mistakes you might be making that prevent you from seeing the results you’ve always wanted to see.

1. Not eating whole foods

Eating a lot of highly processed foods may be convenient, especially if you are on-the-go, but it’s never good for your overall health, including your weight.

In fact, processed foods have been suggested in human and animal studies to be a major contributor to high rates of health problems, including obesity.

This is believed to be stemming from the processed foods’ negative effects on gut health and inflammation.

Whole foods, on the other hand, tend to be filling and self-limiting, thereby helping you consume less calories.

As much as possible, try to pick minimally processed, whole, single-ingredient foods. There are a number of best fruits for weight loss, which can be your go-to snack.

2. Not getting enough protein

Increased protein intake is absolutely beneficial when you’re trying to shed pounds.

This nutrient has been found to reduce appetite, increase satiety, maintain or increase metabolic rate, and lower the amount of weight regained, as well as protect muscle mass during weight loss.

Protein-rich diets, containing 0.6–0.8 grams of protein per lb, have been found in one review to help appetite control and change body composition.

Make sure each of your meals includes an excellent protein source to help with weight loss. Aside from meat and dairy, there are still many different sources of protein, including legumes, beans, and flaxseeds.

3. Eating low fat or “diet” foods

Eating processed low fat or “diet” foods is absolutely one of the biggest diet mistakes you can make. These foods can sabotage your weight loss efforts, as many of them are jam-packed with sugar.

For example, a 170-gram serving of low-fat flavored yogurt can harbor 23.5 grams of sugar, which is over 4 teaspoons.

It is important to note that the recommended sugar content for a 2, 000-calorie diet is less than 12 teaspoons.

What’s more, consuming low-fat products may leave you eating more food than your body needs, and they can make you feel hungrier as well.

So focus on nutritious, minimally processed foods rather than these low-fat or “diet” foods. Choose the best fruits for weight loss and the best vegetables for weight loss, as they are naturally low in fat, but loaded with nutrients.

4. Not getting enough fiber

Not getting enough fiber is also one of the biggest mistakes when trying to lose weight. A low-fiber diet disrupts not only your weight loss efforts but also your overall health.

In fact, the viscous fiber, a type of soluble fiber, has been shown in studies to help reduce appetite by forming a water-holding gel, which moves slowly through your digestive tract, leaving you feeling fuller.

Although all types of fiber have been suggested in research to promote weight loss, viscous fiber, in particular, has been found in a review of several studies to reduce weight and waist circumference even without restricting calorie intake at all.

What’s more, fiber not only improves digestion but also reduces your risk of some chronic conditions.

5. Eating too often to prevent hunger

Eating every few hours to prevent hunger is one of the most basic weight loss mistakes many people make.

This only makes you consume more calories than your body needs throughout the day and leaves you feeling hungry from time to time.

Eating two to three meals a day has been found in one research review to reduce inflammation and lower risk of weight gain.

The advice to never skip breakfast, regardless of appetite, seems to be misguided.

Women who usually skip breakfast have been asked in one study to eat breakfast for 4 weeks, and they have been found to experience weight gain by the end of the study.

Therefore, it can be deduced that the key to losing weight may be to only eat when you are hungry.

6. Eating more fat than recommended on a low-carb diet

Low-carb diets, like the keto diet, can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

In fact, they have been shown in studies to reduce appetite, which eventually resulted in reduced calorie intake.

Many of these diets allow a large amount of fat because its appetite-suppressing effects will help control your calorie intake to lose weight.

However, one of the biggest diet mistakes of some low-carb dieters is consuming more fat than what is recommended, leading to overconsumption of calories for a calorie deficit.

If you’re on a low-carb diet yet still seeing little to no results at all, try to revisit the amount of your fat intake.

7. Not being watchful of your calorie intake

Weight loss typically comes with a calorie deficit, which means you need to burn more calories than you consume.

Take note that calorie deficit requirements vary from individual to individual. Plus, some people tend to underestimate or overestimate the number of calories in a meal.

In fact, one study asking adult participants to exercise on a treadmill, estimate the amount of calories burned, and eat a meal containing the same amount of calories, observed that study participants incorrectly estimated the number of calories in food and exercise.

Although it is important that you eat healthy foods, make sure that you are eating the low-calorie or weight-loss-friendly ones, or limit your portion sizes if you are having healthy, yet high-calorie foods, like fish and nuts.

However, remember that too much of everything is not healthy. Reducing your calorie intake too much, on the other hand, can be counterproductive as well.

In fact, low-calorie diets have been indicated in studies to cause muscle loss and slow down metabolism.

8. Not drinking adequate amount of water

This is one of the most basic weight loss mistakes, and it is very easy to fix.

Drinking water helps you burn calories. Plus, drinking a glass of water before meals can help you eat less.

So try to practice drinking an adequate amount of water every day.

9. Sipping sugary drinks

Many people trying to lose weight purposely stopped drinking soft drinks and other sugary beverages. Well, it is no doubt a healthy choice for your weight and overall health.

However, drinking fruit juice is also one of the basic weight loss mistakes you can make when trying to lose weight.

Like sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juices are also loaded with sugar and may cause obesity and other health problems.

For example, a 12-ounce unsweetened apple juice carries 35.76 grams of sugar, which is even more than the 23.1-gram sugar content of a 12-ounce cola.

What’s more, liquid calories are easy to overconsume.

10. Thinking that exercise is the only key to supercharging metabolism

While it’s true that exercise helps boost your metabolic rate, it is not the only way to do it. There are some other better ways as well, like eating metabolic-boosting foods.

Plus, exercise may increase your metabolism less than you think.

People who are overweight or even those with moderate weight have been shown in studies to overestimate the amount of calories they burn during exercise.

Thus, many people tend to focus more on over exercising, neglecting other healthy weight loss habits, like getting enough sleep and eating a well-rounded diet. That’s what makes it among the many basic weight loss mistakes.

Although exercise is beneficial for weight loss and your overall health, it is important that you also consider other healthy habits that can help you lose weight, and don’t be too hard on yourself.

11. Focusing on the number on the scale

Focusing on the number on the scale is also one of the basic weight loss mistakes you can make. It can make you feel like you’re not getting any progress despite all your weight loss efforts.

Take note that there are several factors that influence your weight. These can include the amount of food that’s in your system and the fluid fluctuations.

Depending on your food and liquid consumption, your weight can fluctuate around 2 to 4 pounds over a few days.

So if there is no change on the number on the scale, that doesn’t mean you are not making any progress at all. It may be that you are losing fat mass but holding on to water.

In addition, you may also be losing fat and gaining muscle if you have been exercising.

So instead of focusing on the scale, try to see if your clothes start to feel looser. Or, you can try using a tape measure to measure your waist circumference and document the result every time you check it to see if you’re losing fat.

12. Not performing resistance training

Resistance training, like lifting weights, can absolutely help you achieve your weight loss goals.

In fact, lifting weights has been shown in studies to be one of the most effective ways to increase metabolic rate and gain muscle.  It may also help increase belly fat loss and improve strength and physical function.

13. Not having regular and healthy exercise

Focusing more on calorie restriction can only lead to reduced metabolic rate and more muscle mass loss.  Having regular and healthy exercise, along with moderate calorie restriction, is ideal for weight loss.

Exercising may help prevent your metabolism from slowing down, increase fat loss, and reduce the amount of lean mass you lose, thereby making it easier for you to lose and maintain your weight.

However, over-exercising is not healthy at all.

In fact, excessive exercise has been shown in studies to be unsustainable in the long term for many people. It may also cause stress and have a negative impact on your endocrine hormones, which help control several body functions.

Doing healthy and sustainable exercise, including cardio and weight lifting, several times a week can help maintain your metabolic rate during weight loss.

14. Setting unrealistic goals

Having unrealistic expectations is the reason many people do not achieve their goals; thus, it is among the many basic weight loss mistakes you can make.

Your goals serve as your weight loss motivation.  Thus, it is important that when you think of your goals, you are motivated to work for it – and not pressured.

Failing to achieve your weight loss goals has been suggested in research to be associated with dissatisfaction and future challenges losing weight.

So make sure to set a weight loss goal that is attainable.

15. Not keeping track of your food intake

Eating nutrient-dense foods is beneficial for your weight and overall health. However, not keeping track of your food intake can leave you consuming more calories than your body needs to lose weight.

Plus, you may not be getting enough fiber, protein, carbs and fat required to support weight loss and overall health.

Keeping track of your calorie intake has been shown in studies to give you a bird’s-eye view of your nutrient and calorie consumption. It also provides accountability on your part.

You can write down the foods you eat within the day and look for a weight loss calculator online to track your calorie intake.

16. Overlooking label information

Many packaged, processed foods are labeled with healthy-sounding food claims, making you want to pick that product.

However, overlooking label information can leave you consuming unhealthy ingredients and unwanted calories, which can absolutely sabotage your weight loss efforts.

Thus, it is important that you carefully read the food label, especially the nutrition facts and ingredients list.