Despite what what some magical pills and drinks may say, losing weight is difficult. For some, it’s a physical, mental and emotional life-long battle that is hard to win. Every body is unique and everyone responds to certain factors differently: exercise, diet, stress, etc. But, if you have been meticulously tracking calories and putting in the effort to exercise every day and still don’t see results, the answer may be stuck somewhere in the parts of your day you think about the least. You may be surprised to find out how much these factors affect your weight.
Where do you work? Are you sitting all day or do you move around? You may be surprised to know that daily exercise does not make up for the 8-10 hours that most people sit during the day. Studies have shown that sedentary desk jobs post serious health risks in addition to weight gain including heart attacks, strokes, a slower metabolisms and a shorter life expectancy. A job that requires you to sit all day long may be one of the reason you’re not losing weight. It’s best to get up every 45 minutes to an hour and stretch and move around for 10 minutes. You can also put a few more steps in your day by using a restroom on a different floor or taking a stroll on your lunch break.
Do you use exercise machines? These gym machines are notorious for reporting false calorie burn numbers, and this disconnect could be a reason you’re not losing weight. The minimal information that you plug in on a treadmill or elliptical before you starting using it does not allow the machine to calculate an accurate number of calories burned during your workout. This can make losing weight more difficult because you may think you can take in more calories during the day than you actually need. I suggest getting a heart rate monitor to wear during workouts to collect more personal fitness data and track your beats per minute, giving you a more accurate calorie burn reading.
What are your workouts like? In order to lose weight, you really need to get your heart pumping, “feel the burn,” and get a little uncomfortable. Light walking, jogging or biking is good for your overall health, but might not cut it when you’re trying to lose weight. Try taking a spinning class, adding sprint intervals to your treadmill runs, or follow along to a high intensity workout DVD – anything that will get you out of your comfort zone for a little bit will be much more beneficial to your weight loss goals. These workouts are an effective way to help tighten that tummy and burn much more calories than a low-intensity workout.
When’s the last time you switched it up? Sticking to the same workout day after day could be another reason why you’re not losing weight. Studies have shown that varying your workouts can help you shed pounds better than a regular routine. By doing this, you are always working different muscle groups and never give your body a chance to get used to one kind of workout. I like to throw in a good mix of workouts every week to keep my body guessing and continuing losing weight. I might run a few days, cycle a few days, then throw a Pilates and strengthening class in there. Variety is the key to progress and it will also keep you from getting bored.
How often do you dine out? It’s a fact: taking the time to cook more meals at home not only saves you money, it can help shave inches off your waistline. Certain dishes on the menu might look healthy to you, but could be loaded with oils, butter, salt, sugar and unnecessary fats. A reason you might not be losing weight is because you think you’re eating healthy meals, but don’t realize that the way they are cooked is not very healthy at all. Cook your own nutritious meals at home made with ingredients you can feel good about. A healthy body is made in the kitchen.
