As we all know adhering to a healthy diet and consistent training schedule go hand in hand when it comes to achieving your goals. But what if you're not getting the results you want yet you feel like you are doing everything right? Taking a look at your lifestyle factors could play a major part in overcoming certain plateaus and barriers in your journey.
Diet Adherence
This is the most important factor for any diet no matter who you are. If you are on a diet and not able to stick to it then well, sorry to say but you are not going to get the results you want. Discipline will only take you so far until old habits start to reappear and take over.
Make sure that you are not cutting out or restricting yourself from certain food groups, yet making sure you are incorporating a variety of foods and food groups into your day. As soon as you decide to cut out a certain food or food group, your body is automatically going to crave it.
If you know that you are going to be going out for dinner with friends or family, make sure you plan ahead. Planning ahead such as looking at the menu and incorporating that specific meal into your day will ensure you are staying on track and sticking to your goals.
Stress
People much more often than not underestimate the amount of stress they are under. Stress can impact fat loss and muscle gain by excess inflammation, lowered immunity, lowered gut health, lack of sleep and can impact daily brain function. By understanding your stress triggers and learning how to adapt to them will ensure that you keep your stress levels down and ensure you keep feeling your best daily.
If you are feeling stressed, consider things to implement such as, yoga, reading, meditating, journaling, listening to music or going for a walk.
Sleep
We all need sleep. We need sleep for a variety of reasons such as for recovering and repairing and for the regeneration of muscle tissue. Lack of sleep can impact your results and most of you wouldn't even know it. For example lack of sleep causes your leptin levels to decrease in your body which leads to excess hunger the next day. Because of this your body thinks you need way more food than you actually do which then leads to an excess consumption of food, and in particular, carbohydrates.
To overcome lack of sleep, make sure you are consistent with a nightly routine and make sure you are going to sleep at the same time each night. Other factors such as, cutting out stimulants before 3pm, avoiding using technology an hour before sleep and increasing the ventilation in your room (such as leaving a window open) will go hand in hand for a better night's sleep.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
