In this article I hope to give you an insight into some of the main reasons I believe why it is that people struggle to lose weight. Some you may have overcome yourself and some you may be aware you need to fix, but are not yet at a stage were you ready to take action.
Consider the following points one at a time, whether they are relevant to you, and whether you are really doing it well enough to yield results?
1. You are impatient with the process; you see a rapid progression and expect it to be sustainable.
2. You are not consistent. The plan you have been set or have set yourself is varied all too frequently and you have no idea what actually works.
3. You don't eat enough food. All too often I hear people saying if they eat less surely they will lose fat. The human body is smart; it will not get rid of something if it feels it needs it to survive.
4. You blame your body before you blame your actions.
5. You follow a plan from www.Generic.com. Your body may look similar to your friend's, but it may operate completely different. You need a plan specifically tailored to your needs.
6. From Monday to Friday you're on an everlasting quest to find the highest quality best fat burning organic foods and herbal detoxes but come Saturday night you undo any possible benefits with 3 bottles of Pinot Noir.
7. You spend half of your weekly shopping budget on a new detox drink. However, your liver naturally detoxes for you. If it doesn't work, you should see a doctor.
8. You reward yourself far too easily; a treat after 3 weeks of going to the gym can easily set you back a week.
9. You think you can eat an unlimited amount of health foods. An organic chocolate bar is still chocolate, yes it's better than Cadbury's, but it's still almost as high in calories.
10. Metabolic Defect - Prolonged periods of severe calorie reduction can significantly slow metabolism.
11. Hormonal imbalances, especially in women, can predispose to weight gain. For example, extra estrogen in relation to progesterone can contribute to weight gain. High levels of the stress hormone cortisol can cause weight gain indirectly by increasing appetite.
12. You are unaware that you are eating too much sugar. Often foods you seem to think are healthy are filled with sugars, additives and allergens that make it frustrating to lose weight.
13. Your thyroid isn't functioning properly. The thyroid gland is the primary regulator of your body's metabolism. If it does not function properly people can have weight loss as well as weight gaining issues.
14. You use a hard workout as an excuse to eat. Obviously you need to eat around training, and more so around a weights session. When you're training just so you can binge afterwards, its wasting time, effort and money.
15. You don't eat enough fat. FAT BURNS FAT! Not only do good fats help to burn the bad fat in your body, it helps your immune system, it keeps you fuller for longer and helps to reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels.
16. You have bad digestion. If your gut isn't in a good way it may severely slow down your weight loss or may even stop it. You can correct this with eating probiotic and prebiotics
17. You find it difficult to say no to booze. Alcohol may seem unlikely to cause too much damage with its empty calories; however it does a lot more damage than what we think. The body burns alcohol first then carbohydrates second, then fat and lastly protein. If you drink, you won't be burning any calories until you've cleared the alcohol from your system. It's also been shown that alcohol can have a damaging effect on tendons and muscle growth. All in all, limit the drinks or stay away altogether!
18. You expect your step counting watch to magically destroy fat but remember it's just a watch! If you tell me you haven't done any cardio but you've done 10,000 steps today, I will say well done but let's do something about the fat you've been unhappy with the last few years. 10,000 steps a day is good but obviously isn't enough to shift the weight.
19. You're distracted. If you're planning on achieving a great result, then process needs to be a priority. Get to the gym early, switch off from everything that is bothering you and avoid thinking of yourself as a loser for being focused on something positive.
20. You think you're fat. This is one of the most important points of all. Don't be too hard on yourself as a negative attitude will greatly impact your ability to succeed. Set small, realistic goals and surround yourself with people eager to see you do well.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
