Doing everything right but NOT seeing results?
The pitfalls that sees many people struggle to understand why they are not getting the results they think they should….
Here is the scenario; you’ve been training hard (real hard) for the last 6 months. You have eaten zero carbs, been at the gym 6 days a week and the scales just AREN’T BUDGING!
This is a frustration that lots of people come to us feeling.... if this sounds like you, it’s not your fault.
How can the fitness industry be booming, yet we as Australians be the most overweight country on earth? How can so many people be getting it so wrong?
The truth is, most people do spend lots of time in the gym; they exercise, eat well, and seemingly do all of the right things. Yet, why aren’t we seeing changes?
Although the answer can vary dependant on some people’s genetic make-up or underlying medical issues, the majority of people can fall into three distinct categories that can effectively serve to sabotage their weight loss or body fat loss goals:
- Being a cardio bunny: The old adage of “cardio for weight loss” is flawed, and has been shown to be wrong through thousands of medical studies. Yes, cardio most certainly has its place (recent research shows it to be extremely effective in getting rid of belly fat), however, if cardio is our only method of exercise then this will eventually lead to a stalling of our metabolism and the erosion of our muscle. Why is muscle so important? The more lean muscle one has (male or female) the higher our resting metabolic rate will be and the more efficient our bodies become at burning fat. Doing huge amounts of cardio will only work for so long and will almost always lead to weight gain. Jump off that treadmill and start implementing tip 2.
- No resistance (weights) training: Doing weights is one of the most important things you can do for your body. The first benefit is that it helps create lean muscle tissue in your body; the more of this we have, the more efficient our bodies are at burning fat and the more fat we burn when not exercising. Atop of this, it also helps to strengthen our bones and help keep our joints in good condition, strengthen connective tissue and also protect our tendons. A great by-product of being leaner, having less bodyweight is also the new-found confidence that you will have knowing that your progress is taking you forward; and once you start, you will love lifting some heavy stuff in the gym.
- Part time nutrition: Yes, it seems obvious, but many people fall into this category. Eating well Monday to Thursday and then eating whatever they like Friday to Sunday. Remember that your body likes consistency, and spiking your blood sugar, loading up on carbs and generally being unhealthy on weekends cannot be outdone by training hard during the week. Our bodies are very intelligent, and unfortunately when given the choice between low and high body fat, it will inevitably try to maintain higher body fat. Focus yourself on making better choices and creating norms and standards that make it easy to maintain healthy eating patterns every single day. And remember, a “balanced” diet is not 50/50; you must make some permanent changes in order to get permanent results.
So there you have it guys; if you are any of the above, focus on changing things up and monitor how you are tracking; we have found that once our clients make these changes they get the results they are after.