By It can be very frustrating when your hard work and efforts are not getting you to where you want to go. I have been there, and I know your struggle. I want to applaud you for seeking some help with this, as if you keep on doing the same thing, you will get the same results – wasting precious time.
Let me give you some pointers with this, and see if you can resonate with any of the following, as well as solutions on what can be done about it.
4 ways you could be inhibiting your weight loss goals
- Your food choices are not in line with fat loss goals. Sometimes we are not aware that those little things, like hidden sugars in sauces and so called healthy protein bars, can and do in fact, stop us from achieving our fat loss goals. Read all labels when you are looking for a healthy snack in the supermarket. Better yet, why not just not go to the supermarket, and opt for only natural, real and food that actually spoils! Eat an abundance of salads, vegetables, low fructose fruits and a good variety of healthy fats. Focus on real, high dense and nutrient rich foods. What you need to think about is the amount of protein as well. Are you eating enough of if? Protein is a thermogenic food, requiring you to burn calories as you digest it. Protein also keeps blood sugar stable, and keeps you full for longer periods. Say good bye to cravings!
- You are doing far too much exercise, elevating stress hormones that inhibit weight loss. Too much exercise is actually counterproductive. It leaves us exhausted, stressed and in a position to give up on our dreams of that body we desire. To me, what you are doing above is way too much, and a waste of burnt calories. You could be expending them doing something that will actually get you results. My best advice is to stick with training for hypertrophy and strength. These two goals will see you eventually gaining a nice volume of muscle, strength, and losing a tone of body fat too. Believe me when I say, that your body will welcome this. Soon enough, people will start commenting on how fit you look, how shapely you are. Yes, it takes time, but it’s worth it!
- You are eating too much food, and not allowing a calorie deficit. Could you in fact be eating far too much food than you need, and consuming excessive carbs? What you must do, is determine your rough macronutrient count, and stick to it. There are many calculators online, but I prefer just using my palm for the amount of protein I need, due to the size of my body. I don’t even think about vegetable consumption. I just try to eat as many veggies as I can, preferring cruciferous veggies over all else. Think spinach, kale, broccoli and asparagus.
- You are not being patient enough. Sometimes when we have a goal, we don’t think about the steps to achieve it, and throw ourselves in. This can cause a lot of issues, mainly burn out and injury (When it comes to exercise that is!). Before you start any plan, it’s necessary to write down your goals, what you want to achieve and when? Why do you want to achieve it? Be specific, but realistic. You can’t expect to lose 15kg in 1 month! Things take time, and you chip away at your goal one meal, rep and one day at a time. Being consistent, showing up to training, and giving it your all will ensure that the goal will be achieved!
4 ways to solve your most pressing weight loss problems immediately
- Try intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is great for fast weight loss, and also the potential to build muscle mass. This is by far, my most favourite method, because it works and the results will not only stun you, but the health benefits of it far out-weight any diet. It’s also one of the most easiest lifestyles to follow. All you need to do is stop eating between certain periods of time, and then eat again! How easy can this be? Other diets leave you feeling depleted, cranky, moody, and the side effects are constant caloric restriction that encourages binge eating. Not with fasting! You may actually be thinking the opposite – that when feeding time comes around, you will eat everything in sight. Well, think again, because your body naturally stops wanting to eat all the time, as it doesn’t need to! When you fast, you allow your body to reset it’s metabolism, and flatline insulin. You actually become a fat burning, energy utilising machine! No other diet (as far as I’ve tried anyway) makes this much of a huge impact. Read more on some of my other blog posts. Give it a try, and you will never look back.
- Focus on conditioning with weights, and leave the excessive training alone. Weight training is by far, the best form of exercise to diminish body fat, and increase muscle mass and strength. I have found that training in a fasted state, produces HGH, which increases my ability to put on muscle mass, and burn fat. I am forever in balance! How does one train fasted and be able to achieve this? Well, because your body is better able to utilise energy, it re-trains itself to shuttle stored energy and fat when it’s needed – all the time! Especially when you are weight training. This is possibly the best thing about IF. It
- Use HIIT for stubborn fat burn occasionally. If all else fails, and you want to hurry things along, try HIIT. Outdoors is best if you can. Find a great hill, or a set of stairs. A good option is 30 seconds on with 30 seconds rest for about 20–30 minutes. You want to be able to go all out when you do this. Make sure you are absolutely out of breath and cannot do one more second of it! That’s when the results happen. Do this 1–2 times a week. Less is more.
- Watch your macros, and eat for performance. As above, eat within your macro level, and increase as you start to build your muscle mass. Eating for performance means consuming real food, wholesome meals and nutrients that will help you achieve high levels of health, and allow you to perform at your best. If you do this constantly, you will get the best results. It is ok to have a cheat meal per week, but only when you begin to lose weight. Give it about a month or so. Then slowly introduce one cheat meal per week. Sometimes you may be lucky enough to have a couple of cheat meals. This is only when you have achieved the body composition you want.
- Be committed to the game, no matter how long it takes. This can take a while, weight loss and building muscle always does. There will be highs, lows and everything in between. It’s all part of the process. The journey is never ending, and there will always be something new to learn. Keep your eye on the prize, seek help when you need it, and keep on striving. This is the way to success.
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