Not seeing the results you're expecting at the moment? Think that you've tried everything to shift that body fat? Getting frustrated by the lack of results? Here's a list of 6 things to check on in your day to day that might be affecting your progress:
👉 Low activity: if your daily activity, outside of the gym/your planned workout, is low then you won't be burning as many calories as you think. You may not be moving around enough to create the calorie deficit that you think you're in. Try get your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) up where ever/ whenever possible. This means parking further away from the shop, taking the stairs, doing some cleaning/gardening, fidgeting, or walking around while you're taking a call. Anything that increases your energy output is going to help to burn more calories outside any planned exercise you have already done/going to do.
👉 Over eating 'healthy' foods: we're constantly told that avocados, nuts, smoked salmon, oils are healthy for us and while they are great to have in our diet, we need to make sure that even these healthy foods are portion controlled. There's a huge difference in calories between half and a whole avocado or between 10g and 20g of nuts, even though it might not look like it to the eye. Not matter what the food source, it helps to be weighing & tracking accurately to know where you stand.
👉 Over eating at the weekend: you can be as good as you want Monday-Friday but if you blow your weekly calorie deficit out with a couple of loose days at a weekend then you'll be back to maintenance or possibly even in a surplus by the end of the week. It doesn't mean weekends can't be enjoyed, there's a tonne of ways you can fit social occasions in with your goals. If you know you're going out for dinner and drinks on a Saturday evening, make sure you have a lower calorie/higher protein breakfast and lunch, you could also take a look at the menu before you head out and make a good choice before alcohol and hunger distract you! Weekends also tend to be the time when we are most out of routine and things can easily creep in untracked, or forgotten. If you want to keep consistently moving towards your goals, make sure you keep tabs on everything you do over a weekend to ensure you can enjoy it while still making progress.
👉 Forgetting the little extras: whether it's at the weekend or in the week, all those little bits you forget to track or think won't matter will all add up! Nibbling while you're cooking, having a few chips off your friends plate, finishing your kids dinner... it's all calories and if it's a regular thing these will all add up. Tracking everything as you eat it is the best way to ensure nothing is forgotten, take a picture of everything you eat if you need and then make sure it's all in your log at the end of the day. Oils, sauces, dressings and drinks also often get forgotten - make sure all of these are getting tracked too, they all count!
👉Portion control: the dinner for one you just ate might have actually been 2 or 3 servings according to the packet. Make sure you read labels properly and check the calories per serving/portion size, you can easily have consumed twice/three times the calories without realising. Nutrition information on food packaging is often recorded to make things look a little better than they are, you have to really pay attention to realise the low calorie amount, advertised on the front of the packaging, may only be for a third of the contents. This is an easy way to be caught out, so double check when you're entering things into MyFitnessPal.
👉 Stress: stress over long periods can effect your hormones. This can not only inhibit fat loss but ultimately leaves you less focused on your goals. Take a little time out to get some headspace.
So if fat loss is a goal right now and you're struggling to make progress, try and be mindful of these 6 things and see if they make any difference.
