Exercising But Having Trouble Losing Weight?

If you are getting frustrated because you are exercising and still having trouble losing weight, it may just take looking at things in a different way. The truth is that you can exercise every day and still not get results and there could be many reasons for this. In this post I will try to discuss some reasons you may be exercising and not losing weight.

1- Nutrition

There is no doubt that a majority of the time people exercise and have trouble losing weight is because of a poor diet that is keeping the pounds on. You may be wasting all the hard work in the gym or in your home workout only to ruin it at the dinner table. If you ask most people about their diet, most will say the same thing. Many people think they are eating healthy but if they were to actually journal what they ate for a week they may be surprised. Those added hidden calories from flavoring, salad dressing, gravies, and many sugary drinks can really get you off course.

You should always be aware of what you may be eating and drinking, especially when out. If you are not preparing your food then you are leaving yourself open to added sodium, sugars, and fats. Also, many foods with the claim of fat-free can be just as bad if not worse. They may have the claim of no fat but often that is replaced with added salts and sugars. Cooking your own meals will give you the knowledge of the ingredients and the amounts used compared to the unknown of eating out or prepared meals.

2- Intensity

The intensity of a workout is crucial to targeting the fat zone and to achieve weight loss. When it comes to weight loss people will often think long bouts of steady state cardio is the best way. The fact is your intensity is what is most relevant. It is important to get the heart rate in a zone where you are burning the fat stored in the body.

A great way to achieve this is using high intensity interval training (HIIT). It doesn’t matter if you are using a cardio machine or walking around the park, there is always a way to increase the effectiveness. Using HIIT will assure you to get the most out of your workout. An example of high intensity interval training would be running for 1 minute, walking for 2 minutes, and then repeating the process for the duration of your workout.

Whether it be in a class, on a treadmill, or in your living room, get the most out of what you are doing by making sure you raise your intensity throughout your program.

3- Doing The Same Routine

If your exercise routine consists of doing the same type of workout over and over, there is no doubt you will have trouble losing weight. When it comes to working out, challenging different muscle groups and keeping the routines fresh can go a long way to burning fat. Mixing it up can help target different muscle groups creating a balanced physique. Try switching up cardio equipment and switch up the intensity levels. I have personally seen people waiting to use a certain machine because that is the only one they ever use, even though other machines are open. If you always wanted to try a specific class then go ahead and give it a shot, you may surprise yourself and find you liked it.

Again, the last thing you want to do is just go through the motions in your workout routine, so you should have the mindset of getting the most out of what you are doing. This also goes for weight training as you can mix up the number of sets, reps, weight, and types of exercise being used. The great thing about exercise is there are so many different ways to get in better shape so why not take advantage of as many as possible.

Summary

If you are unsure if you can start a weight loss exercise routine always seek the advice of a physician. With that being said, it doesn’t matter what your exercise of choice is, if you are having trouble losing weight, it could just be a few tweaks to your exercise routine to jump start the weight loss again. The thing is, just don’t give up! Taken that step to commit to exercise is often the hardest part, so once you do you are well on your way!