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The Things You are Not Doing to Lose Weight…
Don’t Ignore These 5 Things!
by Samantha Olivier
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Sure, sticking to a well-designed diet plan is one of the many essentials of healthy weight loss, or even more specifically, fat loss.
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But even though you might be consistent with your low-carb intake, staying as far away as possible from sugars, processed foods, and fast food joints, it seems as if your progress is grinding to a halt.
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Since not all of us are blessed with a Speedy Gonzales-like metabolism, there are 5 behavioral patterns you can reconsider in order to optimize your weight loss game.
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1. The cardio comfort zone
Perhaps some of you are avid runners. Unfortunately, moderate cardiovascular activity, albeit healthy, isn’t ideal for getting rid of those annoying love handles. In fact, it’s more likely to help you burn muscle.
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So instead of staying in your cardio comfort zone, you should consider adding some HIIT into your workouts. Do short bursts of intense movement such as sprints and brief breaks of up to 30 seconds or one minute. These will help you boost your metabolism, increase your endurance and burn fat.
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2. The heavy plates at the weight room
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You might be scared to get injured, or you simply don’t find the notion of lifting heavy weights all that attractive, but your body will love those heavy plates.
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Heavy compound movements are the key to powerful fat loss that also serve to build lean muscle. And no, you will not get too bulky if you’re a lady trying to lose weight.
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Don’t underestimate yourself – your body is capable of moving tremendous amounts of weight, and going for the heavy barbell will help you activate fast-twitch muscle fibers, instead of only using the weaker, slow-twitch muscle fibers.
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When you use both groups optimally, you let your body torch fat, build muscle and increase your metabolism.
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3. “You don’t even have a pl__”…
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Any decent weight loss nutrition plan needs its side-kick exercise plan. Are you going to the gym every week with no idea which muscle groups you know you should target?
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Do you know how many sets or reps you should do or how long the breaks should be? Do you know the best ways to recover after a workout?
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If not, these and similar loopholes in your program will only set you up to fail. Organize your weekly schedule to include at least three to four training sessions. Always prepare your gym outfits for every workout.
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Plan for your meals to be well-balanced around your training and provide your body with the right fuel.
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In-depth workout plans also help you keep track of your progress, which often proves to be the key to achieving your fitness goal.
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4. Too busy to hydrate
Once again, no matter how much effort you put into eating well, overlooking a single factor such as your water intake can derail your progress.
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Yes, we’re often reminded that drinking more water helps us feel full for longer during the day. The result is that this helps you curb those sugar cravings and control your appetite.
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However, the role of water is much more complex than that. Your body requires water to function properly, and that includes maintaining healthy digestion, absorption of nutrients, burning vs. storing fat and flushing out toxins.
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When you fail to drink enough water, your kidneys, liver and intestines cannot make use of the food you consume.
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This results in more of what you consume ending up stored as fat instead of being flushed out or used as energy and for muscle-building.
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5. No rest for the wicked
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Finally, even if you follow through with all the aforementioned steps, and still not manage to get enough sleep, your body will not be able to keep up.
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Lack of sleep could also create a internal state of stress which can cause inflammatory responses. This is not helpful to your weight loss efforts.
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A single sleepless night won’t be so detrimental. However, if you have the habit of not getting enough quality sleep, your body will excrete more cortisol, the stress hormone. This will end up increasing your appetite for sugary and fatty foods.
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When you’re sleep-deprived, your body is also not as good at processing food, including sugar. You’re much more likely to store that unprocessed food as fat instead of burning it off. Your metabolism also slows down, further hindering your weight loss.
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A power nap may help you get through the day, but make sure to create a regular sleeping schedule to finally see the desired weight loss results.
Article by Samantha Olivier
Samantha.marry.olivier@gmail.com
Samantha has a B.Sc. in nutrition, and has spent two years working as a personal trainer. You can find her at Ripped.me, or in a tea shop.
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