The failure to lose unwanted body fat can be attributed to several factors but most, if not all, of them can be summarized into “too little of that and too much of this” statement. When you find which ones you are doing too much and which ones you are doing too little of, you can make the appropriate adjustments.
Too Little Training Intensity, Too Much Low-Intensity Cardio
Beginners should obviously start slowly but they should also grow gradually! When your body becomes accustomed to the demands placed upon it by the same workouts and weights, your body undergoes a plateau where no new progress is made. You can’ become too comfortable with your workout or else you will plateau.
Keep in mind, too, that low-intensity cardio may be suitable for beginners building their cardiovascular fitness level. But when it’s done over and over again, the body also becomes too comfortable with it.
The solution: You should increase your training intensity as your body becomes stronger. You must also say goodbye to low-intensity cardio and say hello to high-intensity interval training and resistance training, both of which can be done in an Anytime Fitness gym.
Too Much Food, Too Little Protein
We’re not just talking about eating plates upon plates of food but, more importantly, about hidden calories in apparently healthy food. You may, for example, be eating a healthy fruit and vegetable salad but you’re getting more calories than you need, not only from the main ingredients but from the sauces and dressings, too.
Be careful about the ratio between carbs, proteins and fat that you get from your daily food consumption. The ideal ratio is 40% carbs, 40% proteins, and 20% fats, all of which should be from healthy sources, such as complex carbs from whole grains, proteins from lean meat and fish, and fats from fatty fish and avocado.
And be sure to limit, if not eliminate, alcohol from your diet, too. You should only drink water for the most part while coffee, tea and milk should be consumed only when necessary. These drinks also contain sugar, which will have an adverse impact on your fat loss success.
Too Little Sleep, Too Much Stress
Fat loss isn’t just about diet and exercise either. Your body reacts to the amount of sleep and stress that you subject it to, whether deliberately or not.
Your body’s insulin sensitivity increases when you become sleep deprived, which means your fat loss goals will be further from your reach. You must then get 6-8 hours of restful sleep every night.
Your body will also release more cortisol, a hormone that can increase body fat storage, when you’re under constant stress. You must then learn to relax and let go of the sources of your stress, even the ones about losing fat.
Now that you know about these fat loss blunders, you should be able to make the right changes in your approach.