Have you hit an exercise plateau? Let’s get you out of your rut. Here are some reasons you are not getting the results you have been looking for and some tips to get back on track.
Overeating. You may be exercising for at least 30 minutes 5 or 6 days a week, but you may also be consuming more calories than burning. Be careful of the amount of calories you consume each day. You may start off the day fine and splurge at night. Your body does not burn as many calories at night as it does earlier in the day. Try not eating a meal at least 2 hours before you go to bed.
Overtraining. Your body can have the opposite effects if you are putting too much stress on it. If you are doing cardio and lifting heavy all the time your body will get confused whether it’s burning fat or sugar. Chronic cardio is the quickest way to overtrain. This will lead to a state of fatigue, inflammation, and system stress on the body.
Not eating enough. If you are not consuming enough calories, your body goes in to a defense mode and ultimately slows down your metabolism. An un-active average woman needs at least 1200 calories a day, and an un-active male needs at least 1500 calories a day. Eat 5 small meals a day to keep the metabolism active.
Not enough variety in exercise. If you do the same workout everyday, your body will get used to the routine and not change. If you want to see change you must do the work. Add at least one new workout in your routine each week to keep the body confused.
Eating too many “diet foods”. Studies have shown that zero calorie sweeteners may cause weight gain. The reason for this is that your body thinks the sweet taste contains calories. When we don’t get the calories the body needs or wants we tend to consume more calories to fill us up. Instead of having a zero calorie drink try coconut water or water with cucumbers, lemons, or fruit to add taste.
Do not get frustrated. Just focus on tweaking things up in your routine and give this a couple weeks for your body to adjust. Keep up the great work!!
-Shannan Flannagan