In order to successfully lose weight and more importantly body fat, it is important to work out a structured plan of action before you set out otherwise you risk wasting hours down the gym exercising or waste time and money on the wrong types of food and drink.

Below are the 4 deadly sins that many people who are looking to lose weight fall into and without understanding each of these dieting traps you will struggle to lose fat effectively. Each of these 4 factors complements the others, so if any of them are missing from a weight loss program then life is going to be much tougher.

1) Only Focusing On Exercise

One of the biggest errors most people make when to trying to lose fat is focusing mainly on doing exercise. They forget that the right fat loss diet accounts for around 70% of a successful fat loss program and that exercise accounts for just 30%, so all those people who sweat it out at the gym day after day only to go and pig out on a burger and fries an hour later are really just wasting their time. Everyone needs a different volume of carbohydrates, protein and fat to be healthy in there own body so this needs to be properly assessed and worked out during a successful diet program.

2) Following Generic 'one size fits all diets'

Following a one size fits all diet plan will only get you so far with permanent weight loss. You are unique and so should your diet plan to suit your body type, your lifestyle and your goals. Most diets are not specifically customised to suit you and this is where they can fail with weight and fat loss.

3) Not Doing Strength Training

Strength training or doing weights and building muscle bulk is very important when trying to lose weight or body fat. Not only will you be burning fat when doing the exercises but you will also have a lasting fat burning effect because new muscle burns extra fat.

4) Doing The Wrong Type Of Cardio

While nutrition and resistance is a huge factor when trying to lose fat, cardio training also helps burn more calories but also maintains and conditions your heart and body. Traditional, long slow cardio workouts will burn some extra calories but the most effective way to lose fat is by doing interval training.