Hitting the gym daily but not seeing results on the scale? Make sure you're not making these mistakes!
Skimping on recovery time. You don't want to waste any days and skip workouts, I get it. However, in order to repair muscle, allow for growth and see our body changing, we must allow it to recover! A strict exercise regimen is pointless if we never allow ourselves any rest. Exercise is the breaking down of the body, but recovery is where our progress is actually made. Make sure you are taking a day off at least once per week and getting your 8 hours of sleep every night. Another reason you should make sure to rest? It helps to prevent injury. Just think- if you hurt yourself, you're going to be sidelined for a lot longer than one day so the one day of rest per week is worth it!
Doing the same thing, at the same time, the same way, every single day. Remember, if it doesn't challenge you, it wont change you. I've said this before, but our bodies are amazing and they adapt to exercise quickly. If you are doing the same type of workout every single day, eventually you're body isn't going to respond anymore. Make sure to change up your routine at least every 12 weeks!
Taking it too easy. You don't have to sweat or wake up sore to know you got a good workout in. However, in order to see results, you should walk out of the gym sweaty and a bit tired after most exercise sessions. It's easy to go on the elliptical or walk on the treadmill for an hour and go through the motions of an easy workout. Sometimes this is necessary, but again, challenge is necessary for change!
Eating too many calories. You're eating all the right foods but in excess. Or, maybe you have no idea how much you really are eating because you don't measure your proportions or pay attention to serving sizes. Even after years of measuring my servings, I still do it to this day. Not only that, but keeping a food journal has been one of the best (and free!) ways to keep track of how many calories you're taking in each day. In order to see fat loss, we must have a calorie deficit at the end of the day. In other words, we have to burn more calories than we take in on a regular basis.
Eating the wrong foods. Okay, so you're writing down everything you eat and measuring your food servings but the majority of your calories are coming from starchy foods that are high in carbohydrates and lacking protein. Not only is this going to cause you to be nutrient deficient at some point due to lack of balance in important vitamins and minerals, it also may hinder your weight loss. It's important to eat protein at every meal. Even if you don't go over your allotted calories for the day, if all you are eating is bread, you're body is going to store some of that as fat. This is due to constant increases in insulin levels every time you eat a high carb meal. Balance out those carbs with some protein and fiber with each meal.
Eating too little calories. Some of us are like, I wish I had this problem, right? I know I certainly have no issue with this (it's just the opposite). I do get clients sometimes however, that are so motivated they are being very strict with their diet, and almost too strict. If we consistently stay too far below our calorie range, our bodies will go into starvation mode. During this mode not only do our calories get stored as fat because our body has no idea when it will get fuel again, but we also cannot recover properly and will not have energy for future workouts.
Paying attention to the wrong numbers. Maybe the scale isn't moving but your clothes are fitting better. If this is the case, don't worry about that number on the scale. It's true that muscle weighs more than fat. So if your clothes are fitting better, and your friends are noticing changes in your physique, take that as confirmation that you are doing the right things! You are liking losing inches which is more important when it comes to health, than losing pounds!
Question of the Day:
What is a common mistake you have made when trying to lose weight?
Of Other Possible Interest...
To follow up on my post yesterday about the Biggest Loser Season Finale, visit these links for trainers- Jillian, Bob and Dolvett's reactions to the final weigh-in of this season's winner, Rachel.
Dolvett and Jillian's Reactions
Bob Harper's Reaction
Turn this on in your office to make your Friday afternoon go by a bit quicker. It's a little corny, but peppy!
Friday- Rebecca Black
No comments:
Post a Comment