Are you working out endlessly only to see the weight scale staying the same? This frustrating effect is actually quite common with gym – goers. Before you give up on working out, see if any of these reasons might be to blame.
1. Doing The Wrong Type of Training
Make sure your exercise plan fits with your physique goals. Take a look at bodybuilders, swimmers, distance runners and cycling sprinters, and you’ll notice their body shapes and performance levels are very different. What you’re doing in the gym can dictate whether you’re breaking down tissue or building muscles, or not really helping your muscles much at all.
2. Under Eating
Lean, strong bodies need fuel to burn. Having too lower calorie of a diet while engaged in a heavy fitness routine can leave your body in conservation mode. To keep your engine burning, make sure your diet is loaded with high-quality, nutritious foods, protein and balanced meals throughout the day. Try tracking your intake to make sure your daily calorie deficit is not too large or too high.
3. Ignoring Recovery
Even top athletes struggle with this one, but taking time off is crucial. Chronic training can increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body, which is known to prevent healthy weight loss, especially around the midsection. Taking a day off or getting enough quality sleep can keep hormone levels in check.
4. Poor Sleep
Sleep is essential for keeping pounds off. However, struggling to fit workouts in might be detrimental to your sleep schedule. Waking up earlier than your natural wake time to fit in that morning workout can encourage better rest later. Having your cortisol increased and lack of sleep can also lead to craving sugar, constant fatigue, a cranky disposition and weight gain can all be signs that you’re not sleeping enough.
5. Overcompensating
The “but I earned it, I went to the gym today” mindset can get even the most fit athlete in trouble. Sure, sweating it out at the gym gives you a little diet leniency, but it isn’t a free for all. If, after each workout, you give yourself permission to have an extra latte, cocktail, cake, you might be consuming more than is needed by your body and negating all your fitness gains.
Bottom line, there are many factors that can contribute to not seeing the weight loss you desire when starting a new fitness training routine. The best approach is to assess your eating, training and goals with a professional to make sure everything is working together for a successful outcome. If you’re not assessing then you’re just guessing [if changing any areas of your physique is something you’re aiming for].
Another approach is to step away from the scales. Focusing only on total body weight doesn’t tell the full story of what is happening to your body composition. Periodically test your body fat composition, which is more important than total weight, and focus on how your clothes fit and how healthy and energized you feel.
Have a great week,
Lean Body Team
[smbtoolbar]