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If only being fit was this easy, right?[/caption]
Men and women of all ages seem to meet a common issue of gaining weight
, despite putting in hours of hard work at the gym each week.
If you are working out but still gaining weight, or simply not losing any weight, then you may find the experience to be quite demoralizing. This is perfectly understandable, however, the answer to why your may be gaining weight instead of losing it is probably simpler than you think.
The 3
Pillars of a Great Physique
When it comes to building a lean body, there are three main factors you need to take into consideration:
weight training, diet, and cardio.
If you neglect even one of these, then the other two will almost certainly suffer.
Becoming progressively stronger and improving your performance in the weight room is a great way to build muscle and stimulate your metabolism.
[tweet_box design="box_12"]"Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great." - John D. Rockefeller[/tweet_box]
Practicing sound nutritional habits ensures that you will be able to recover from your workouts, build ample quantities of lean muscle mass, and give your body with the nutrients it needs for everyday health and well-being.
Adding a moderate amount of cardiovascular exercise will keep your heart healthy while also improving your endurance levels both in and out of the gym. Of course, cardio will also help you burn a few extra calories so you can lose weight more easily due to
an accelerated metabolism.
While you might be working hard lifting weights, it is absolutely crucial that you do not neglect the quality of your nutrition, as otherwise all of your efforts could potentially be wasted.
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Hang this on your fridge...[/caption]
The Missing Link: How Eating Fat Can Help You Lose Weight
Not every single person needs to do
significant amounts of cardio
because
weight training and diet are almost certainly the two more important factors in the equation
.
With this in mind, the weak link for most people is typically their diet. It is important to be honest with yourself. Take a look at the food you have eaten over the past few days and make an honest assessment of whether or not your choices are truly conducive to your weight loss goals.
You should make sure you are
eating plenty of lean proteins
as this will help to stimulate your
metabolism
so you burn more calories. You should also eat enough quality carbohydrates to
fuel your workouts
, but not excessive amounts as this could stunt your progress.
Finally, a
moderate amount of healthy fatty acids
will help keep your hormonal production where it needs to be, while also
reducing inflammation
and keeping your immune system healthy. The majority of your fat intake should come in the form of unsaturated fats from foods such as extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, and so on.
A Few Final Thoughts about exercise and weight loss
Exercise alone is usually not enough to elicit weight loss.
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Seems simple enough right? But simple doesn't mean easy.[/caption]
Think about the foods you are eating, amount of water you drink, your alcohol consumption, quality of sleep, and other general lifestyle factors that may be hindering your progress.
Strengthening these weak links will make sure that the hard work you are putting in at the gym continues to pay dividends in the long-term.