Fitness
6 Habits to Break Right Now if You Want to Lose Weight Fast
The end of 2024 is coming up fast. Have you seen the results you’ve wanted on your fitness journey? If you’ve been exercising but seeing limited results, there’s a chance some of your habits are holding you back. A few simple changes can help you avoid weight cycling, which is when you gain weight right after losing it, and begin promoting healthy habits that you’ll be able to rely on for a lifetime.
Don’t forget that weight doesn’t determine your health. You should always check with your doctor to discuss other aspects of your wellness that you can focus on instead of weight loss.
Here are the top pitfalls you should avoid to help improve your chances of success. They’re not as big of a change as you might think.
1. Stop thinking in the short term
Everything on this list is somewhat of a hard truth, but this is often the hardest to accept (and change). If you approach weight loss with a short-term attitude, you may not make it anywhere except on the yo-yo diet train.
Without a long-term approach to weight loss, you may lose 10 or more pounds in two weeks and then suffer a rebound when you discover that regimen wasn’t working for you. This is all too common when people embark on strict diets such as keto or paleo or fad diets that promise rapid weight loss. In reality, for most people, a well-balanced diet that includes all food groups and even some treats works best in the long run.
Part of successful, sustainable weight loss — losing the weight and keeping it off for good — is understanding that fad diets, excessive exercise and “detoxes” don’t usually work. They last only as long as your willpower lasts, and I’m willing to bet that’s not more than two weeks to a couple of months.
There are no quick fixes, miracle cures or magic pills when it comes to weight loss, despite what the wellness industry might have you believe: Losing weight requires dedication to a plan that supports long-term healthy habits.
The general recommendation for weight loss is a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week, although initial weight loss might surpass that for people who are very overweight, and then slow down to the suggested one to 2 pounds per week. Studies have shown this to be an effective way to lose weight without losing too much water or lean tissue — and to avoid a rebound.
Overcoming an all-or-nothing mindset promotes long-term weight loss.
2. An all-or-nothing mindset could be harmful
Many people who struggle with a short-term attitude also struggle with an all-or-nothing mindset. I began my health and fitness journey with this mindset. I cut out all processed foods: no bread, no pasta, no milk, no cheese and no individually wrapped snacks. I basically existed on chicken, vegetables and berries.
This was great until it wasn’t, and I ended up on a CVS run for all the chocolate and Goldfish I could hold in two hands. Then, because I’d “ruined” my diet, I would eat as much as I could physically handle, because, “Why not? I already ruined it.”
Then I’d feel bad about the snacks I ate and return to my overly restrictive regimen the next day. This is a destructive cycle to be in, but it’s something I see all the time with personal training clients. An all-or-nothing mindset can keep you in a perpetual cycle of lose-gain-lose, not to mention shame and guilt around food.
This all-or-nothing concept applies to fitness, too: If you’ve been doing the most effective workouts to get in shape in the least amount of time left and right but don’t feel fitter or stronger, you might be doing too much. Toning it down could — counterintuitively — be the answer to improving your fitness (and playing the long game).
A supportive community, IRL or online, can keep you motivated to lose weight and stay fit.
3. A stronger support system could do the trick
Supportive friends, family members and significant others are critical to successful weight loss. If I was asked to cite the most common reason for not sticking to a healthy diet from my past personal training clients, I would say stigma.
That’s right. As silly as it sounds, people really do get made fun of for eating healthy, especially in regions where food is an integral part of the culture. Growing up in southern Louisiana near New Orleans, I experienced this very often when I decided I was making changes to my diet.
At family gatherings and social outings, I’d get comments like, “That’s all you’re eating?” or, “You’re really not going to eat any dessert?” or, laden with sarcasm, “Next time we’ll have a salad potluck.”
It’s not fun to be ridiculed or scoffed at, especially for things you care about (like your health!), so it can be very easy to fall into a trap of eating — and drinking — for the sake of your social life. This is why a solid support system is key to long-term weight loss. Without it, the journey can feel lonely and intimidating.
If you currently feel you lack a support system, try having open conversations with your friends, family and partner about it. You can make it clear that they don’t have to change their eating habits if they don’t want to, but that your health means a lot to you and you’d appreciate it if they didn’t mock or downplay your hard work.
If an IRL support system isn’t working out, turn to online communities that promote both health and body positivity. I really love Flex and Flow on Instagram, Health At Every Size and the Intuitive Eating Community. These communities emphasize health without emphasizing weight, which is helpful because when you focus on health outcomes, you’ll reach your happy weight with ease. Reddit also has a great forum (/r/loseit) where you’ll find lots of real-life stories about weight loss.
Exercise is important for an overall healthy lifestyle, but it’s hard to lose weight from exercise alone.
4. Exercise doesn’t always conquer all
If you’re at all attuned to the wellness industry, you’ll know this saying: “Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.” Even if your goals don’t include a shredded stomach, the adage is still relevant. You just can’t out-exercise a poor diet.
Exercise should be part of your overall approach to weight loss because it’s proven to aid weight loss (not to mention its long list of other health benefits), but it’s difficult to lose weight from exercise alone. Many people overestimate the number of calories they can burn from their workouts; it’s typically a lot less than you think, and far less than the calories your body burns at rest during the day just maintaining your current physique.
For example, a 154-pound man will burn fewer than 450 calories during an intense, hourlong weight-lifting workout. You can easily cancel that effort out if you don’t pay any attention to your diet. The exact number of calories you burn during exercise depends on many factors, including your current weight, the intensity of the activity, the length of the workout, your age and your body composition.
Plus, focusing on only exercise can lead to a destructive cycle of exercising extra to burn off calories you feel you shouldn’t have eaten. Or you may end up feeling like you need to “earn” your calories through exercise. Either way, taking this approach can lead to a strained relationship with food and exercise, as well as stalled weight loss.
Some people, such as those who have spent years putting on muscle mass, can eat lots of calorie-dense food and not gain weight because muscle burns more calories at rest. Even if you can eat whatever you want and lose or maintain your weight, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you.
A diet rich in fruit, vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins and some whole grains will serve you best in terms of sustainable weight loss and health. Combined with a consistent exercise routine, you’ll experience sustained weight loss and weight maintenance once you reach your goal weight.
Chronic stress and sleep deprivation can hinder weight loss progress.
5. Sleep more, lower stress and eat better
Losing weight will be much harder if you’re chronically stressed, sleep-deprived or overworked. This scenario may sound familiar to you:
- You wake up motivated and ready to seize the day. You have plans for a post-work interval run and your healthy, prepped dinner is waiting in the fridge for you.
- A few hours into the day, your lack of sleep catches up with you. You reach for the afternoon coffee.
- By the time work is over, you’re way too drained to go for that run. You decide to skip it.
- You’re tired and maybe a little stressed or moody, so you nix the healthy dinner and hit a drive-through instead — because you want comfort food.
This is OK if it happens occasionally (everyone deserves a lazy evening every once in a while), but weight loss will seem impossible if this happens all the time.
The truth is that nutrition and exercise are only two components of a healthy life that can lead to weight loss. While important, too strong of a focus on nutrition and exercise can cause you to overlook other factors that are just as important: sleep and stress management.
Supplements don’t work unless you do.
6. Supplements can’t do all the heavy lifting
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that fat burner supplement in your medicine cabinet isn’t going to do the work for you. Certain supplements may help you reach your weight loss goals, but you have to work to make your supplements work.
For example, incorporating a daily protein shake in the mornings can help you feel fuller throughout the day, which may help keep cravings at bay. Increased protein intake can also help you build muscle, which aids in body recomposition.
Certain weight-loss supplements do have some evidence backing them, but no supplements are proven like the method that no one wants to take: eat fewer calories than you burn.
Fitness
How Jeremy Clarkson Reset His Health and Fitness at 66 – Walking, Pilates and Trying ‘Not to Die’
Rewind a decade or so, and Jeremy Clarkson had a particular disdain for exercise, healthy eating and denying himself life’s pleasures. He never worked out, smoked 40 cigarettes a day and, in his own words, drank four pints of wine daily. Now, at 65, his entire outlook on health and longevity has shifted.
At the heart of Clarkson’s desire to change are his young grandchildren.
‘I’m not going to dwell on the joys of being a grandparent because what can be said about it has already been said. But I have decided that it is so wonderful that I want it to go on for as long as is humanly possible. Which means I must do everything in my power not to die,’ he wrote in his column forThe Times.
And the British TV personality has certainly had a couple of wake-up calls.
After being admitted to hospital with pneumonia in 2017, Clarkson then suffered what he described as ‘really bad coronary artery problems’ at the end of 2024. Documented in the latest series of Clarkson’s Farm, he experienced a ‘sudden deterioration’ in his health and needed a stent fitted to restore proper blood flow.
Why Clarkson Finally Started Taking His Health Seriously
Since then, he has taken up reformer Pilates, had a pickleball court installed at his Oxfordshire home and started going for walks when the weather is just right.
‘Eventually, I decided that organised, indoor exercise was not for me and decided instead to do walking. Not when it’s raining obviously. Or if it’s too cold, or hot. And not if I’m busy. But on a reasonably temperate Sunday morning, I’d get out there and pootle along,’ he wrote.
‘So far I’ve relied on luck to keep me alive. But I’m in sniper’s alley right now and I have to work at dodging the bullets. Two years ago, I saw old age as a wearisome tangle of tubes and knee-replacement surgery. Now though, thanks to my grandchildren, I’m actively looking forward to it.’
Clarkson’s comments highlight just how much his attitude to ageing has changed.
‘I’m buying time. It hurts and it’s expensive. But it’s better than wasting your money on a new watch.’
The Diet Changes Behind Clarkson’s 3-Stone Weight Loss
Diet has also become a key part of his health overhaul.
He now eats burgers wrapped in lettuce rather than buns and opts for alcohol-free versions of his Hawkstone beer. Underpinning much of that change has been a microdose of the GLP-1 medication Mounjaro, which Clarkson credits with helping him lose more than three stone in six months by suppressing his appetite – although he admits he doesn’t particularly enjoy the experience.
‘When you are on Muntjac [his name for Mounjaro] you can come down in the morning and idly help yourself to a small handful of sunflower seeds,’ Clarkson said. ‘And it’ll feel like you’ve just finished a massive Christmas lunch. You’re stuffed.
‘So you find yourself living a minibar existence. Tiny packets of milk, sachets with only three grains of sugar in them, vodka in thimbles. That’s not living, though. That’s existing.’
If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.
Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.
Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…
You can follow Ryan on Instagram or on X
Fitness
Fitness coach debunks 8 ‘crazy’ exercise myths women still believe: From periods and workouts to weightlifting
Despite growing awareness around fitness and women’s health, several outdated exercise myths continue to persist. From misconceptions about strength training to beliefs surrounding periods, pregnancy and weight loss, many women still receive advice that isn’t backed by science. These myths can not only slow progress but also discourage women from prioritising their health and fitness. (Also read: Can eating too much protein be harmful? Experts explain why excess intake may do more harm than good )
Fitness coach Zoe recently addressed some of the most common misconceptions women continue to hear in a June 12 Instagram post titled, “craziest exercise myths women still hear.” Here’s what she had to say:
1. Periods mean complete bed rest
According to Zoe, menstruation does not mean you need to stop exercising altogether. “No. You can train. Just adjust intensity if needed,” she wrote, explaining that while energy levels may fluctuate during different phases of the menstrual cycle, movement and exercise can still be beneficial.
2. After marriage or kids, fitness is not important
Many women are often made to feel that fitness should take a back seat after major life changes such as marriage or motherhood. Zoe strongly disagrees. “That is exactly when it becomes more important,” she said, highlighting the need to maintain strength, mobility and overall health while navigating increased responsibilities.
3. A C-section means your core is gone forever
Recovering from a Caesarean delivery can be challenging, but Zoe says it doesn’t mean women should give up on rebuilding strength. “Wrong. It means you need rebuilding, not giving up,” she wrote, emphasising that gradual rehabilitation and proper training can help restore core function.
4. Walking around the house is enough exercise
While daily movement is important, Zoe points out that it isn’t the same as a structured workout. “No. That is movement, not full training,” she explained, noting that a balanced fitness routine should include strength, mobility and cardiovascular exercises.
5. Sweating more means more fat loss
Many people associate excessive sweating with effective fat burning, but Zoe says that’s a common misunderstanding. “No. It means you are hot,” she wrote. Sweat is the body’s cooling mechanism and does not necessarily reflect the number of calories burned or fat lost.
6. Running will ruin your uterus, boobs or joints
This long-standing myth often discourages women from running or high-impact activities. “No. Poor preparation and weak support is the issue,” Zoe said, stressing the importance of proper training, supportive gear and gradually building endurance.
7. Women should only do yoga, not weights
Strength training is still viewed by some as a male-dominated form of exercise, but Zoe believes women benefit greatly from lifting weights. “Women need strength too,” she wrote, highlighting how resistance training supports muscle mass, bone health, metabolism and overall fitness.
8. Carbs at night make you fat
Carbohydrates often get unfairly blamed for weight gain, especially when eaten in the evening. “No. Overeating does,” Zoe explained, pointing out that overall calorie intake and dietary patterns matter far more than the timing of carbohydrate consumption.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
For Hobart teacher Mary Holton, health means everything.
She started feeling the squeeze from cost-of-living pressures when fuel prices spiked again.
“Going out for just fitness alone was a bit much,”
she said.
Mary Holton says since joining the group, her fitness across the board has improved. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Many Tasmanians are feeling cost-of-living pressures in a very physical way, with locals saying exercise routines are being dropped, health appointments delayed and wellbeing pushed to the bottom of the list as budgets tighten.
Ms Holton relies on multiple physiotherapy sessions each week, but says paid fitness classes simply are not an option.
“That costs … so to actually go to other classes as well, it’s out of my budget really.“
Ollie Mathewson conducts a free workout session. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
National data shows that almost half of Australians already fall short of minimum physical activity guidelines, and rising prices are making even basic care unaffordable for many.
Consultant clinical psychologist academic Kimberley Norris says this is exactly how unhealthy patterns begin.
“We tend to focus on the most stressful thing first … and health is one of those things we don’t think about until things go wrong,”
Professor Norris said.
Kimberley Norris says humans tend to focus on alleviating stress first and foremost, and warns de-prioritising health can become a cycle. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
For Ms Holton, going to a free workout group in her local community was a game-changer.
“Came down and absolutely loved it. It’s really nice to have a group and it just keeps growing,” she said.
Finding a free exercise group has drastically improved her health, as noted by her GP, and she is part of a growing trend.
Free exercise classes become a lifeline
At a community exercise class in South Arm, south-east of Hobart, the mood is upbeat, with laughter, movement, and a sense of relief.
Participation has more than doubled in the past year, with more than 100 Tasmanians now involved.
Trainer Ollie Mathewson said the surge was unmistakable.
“It’s free of charge for everybody … and over the last 12 months I’ve noticed a lot more people starting to come along,”
he said.
Ollie Mathewson says attendance at his classes has almost doubled over the past year. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Across greater Hobart, free and low-cost alternatives are multiplying and include walking groups, community-run circuits, and morning and afternoon fitness meet-ups.
Tasmanians are increasingly organising their own solutions.
Mr Mathewson said connections drive outcomes.
“A lot of people talk about weight and strength, which are obviously insanely important, having other people there to push you single every week makes it a hundred times easier.“
Professor Norris said one’s health can be prioritised for free.
“What we know about health is, it’s more about sustainable wellbeing, it’s about quality of life,” she said.
“So rather than focusing on how much you can deadlift, how far you can run, it’s about how your life has improved and how close your life is to the way you want to live it.”
She said free options were vital because once people stop moving, it becomes harder to start again.
“If we develop routines in which health is not a priority, then we almost get stuck in this cycle of health always being last.“
Health appointments being delayed or dropped
For some Tasmanians, the financial pressure is forcing even tougher choices.
Amy Dakin says she can’t even think about getting a gym membership with all the other costs of living on her mind. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Amy Dakin, who lives with a compromised immune system, often has no choice but to delay essential care.
“My health needs to be prioritised, but your bills come first, really,” she said.
Jordyn Rowbottom says she’s not the only one changing her hobbies to save on costs. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Jordyn Rowbottom has seen the same pattern around her.
“People are being forced to cut what they can access,”
she said.
Professor Norris warns that these short-term decisions can create long-term harm, not just for individuals, but for the broader health system.
She said the combination of financial pressure and reduced physical activity would create a public health challenge.
Trainers adapting to shrinking budgets
Personal trainer Nickola Orr works with clients across different income levels, ages and needs.
She said affordability now shapes almost every program she designs.
“You want to make sure they can get as much help as they can within their price range,”
she said.
Nickola Orr is concerned about access to fitness and health services in the face of rising cost pressures. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
With the median individual spend on fitness in Tasmania sitting at almost $600 last year, Ms Orr said the warning signs were already visible.
“We’re going to see more results of long-term neglect; higher injuries, more need for mental health assistance. It’s going to snowball.”
Her concerns echo Professor Norris’s academic findings that once healthy routines break down, the consequences ripple for years.
“The changes are very small … while they add up over time, there is no immediate impact,”
Ms Orr said.
Calls for more free and low-cost options
Mr Mathewson hopes the success of free community classes will inspire governments and private operators to expand accessible fitness programs.
“More free options would be a great thing. There are a few now, but there should be more,” he said.
The Tasmanian government has said it will release its 20-year preventive health strategy this month, titled The Health Revolution.
A Department of Health spokesperson said the strategy “will address the broader social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health and wellbeing”.
“Specific issues about access to health services and programs are being considered through the Access to Health Services project, a Commonwealth-State partnership.
“The Health Revolution will complement that project by addressing the root causes of poor health and the underlying conditions to make it easier for Tasmanians to live well.“
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