“I Think My Friend Has An Eating Disorder”. What To Do?

Although eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are far more common in girls, guys can get them, too. So how do you know if a friend has an eating disorder? It can be hard to tell — after all, someone who’s lost a lot of weight or feels constantly tired may have another type of health condition. But some of the signs that a friend may have an eating disorder include:

• Your friend has an obsession with weight and food (more than general comments about how many calories he or she eats in a day). It might seem like your friend talks about food, weight and being thin and nothing else.

• Your friend knows exactly how many calories and fat grams are in everything that he or she eats — and is constantly pointing this out.

• Your friend feels the need to exercise all the time, even when sick or exhausted.

• Your friend avoids hanging out with you and other friends during meals. For example, he or she avoids the school cafeteria at lunch or the coffee shop or diner where you usually meet on weekends.

• Your friend starts to wear big or baggy clothes. Lots of people wear baggy clothes as a fashion statement, but someone who wears baggy clothes to hide their shape might have other issues.

• Your friend goes on dramatic or very restrictive diets, cuts food into tiny pieces, moves food around on the plate instead of eating it, and is very precise about how food is arranged on the plate.

• Your friend seems to compete with others about how little they eat. If a friend proudly tells you she only had a diet soda for breakfast and half an apple for lunch, it’s a red flag that she could be developing an eating disorder.

• Your friend goes to the bathroom a lot, especially right after meals, or you’ve heard your friend vomiting after eating.

• Despite losing a lot of weight, your friend always talks about how fat he or she is.

• Your friend appears to be gaining a lot of weight even though you never see him or her eat (people with bulimia often only eat diet food in front of their friends).

• Your friend is very defensive or sensitive about his or her weight loss or eating habits.

• Your friend buys or takes laxatives, steroids, or diet pills.

• Your friend has a tendency to faint, bruises easily, is very pale, or starts complaining of being cold more than usual (cold intolerance can be a symptom of being underweight).

What to Do

If a friend has these symptoms and you’re concerned, the first thing to do might be to talk to your friend, privately, about what you’ve noticed. Tell your friend that you’re worried. Be as gentle as possible, and try to really listen to and be supportive of your friend and what he or she is going through.

It’s normal for people with eating disorder to feel guarded and private about their eating problems. Try not to get angry or frustrated. Remind your friend that you care.

People with eating disorders often have trouble admitting — even to themselves — that they have a problem. Trying to help someone who doesn’t think he or she needs help can be hard. Many people feel successful and in control when they become thin, but those with eating disorders can become seriously ill and even die. If your friend is willing to seek help, offer to go with him or her to see a counselor or a medical expert.

If your concerns increase and your friend still seems to be in denial, talk to your parents, the school guidance counselor or nurse, or even your friend’s parents. This isn’t easy to do because it can feel like betraying a friend. But it’s often necessary to get a friend the help he or she needs.

Eating disorders can be caused by — and lead to — complicated physical and psychological illnesses. You can support your friend by learning as much as you can about eating disorders. Your friend’s body image and behavior may be a symptom of something else that’s going on. Many organizations, books, websites, hotlines, or other resources are devoted to helping people who are battling eating disorders.

Being a supportive friend also means learning how to behave around someone with an eating disorder. Here are some ways to support a friend who is battling an eating problem:

• Try your best not to talk about food, weight, diets, or body shape (yours, your friend’s, or even a popular celebrity’s).
• Try not to be too watchful of your friend’s eating habits, food amounts, and choices.
• Try not to make statements like, “If you’d just eat (or stop working out so much), you’ll get better.”
• Focus on your friend’s strengths — that he or she has a great smile, is helpful and friendly, or good at math or art.
• Try to avoid focusing on how your friend looks physically.

Most important, remind your friend that you’re there no matter what. You want to help him or her get healthy again. Sometimes you’d be surprised how asking simple questions such as “what can I do to help?” or “what would make you feel better?” can lead to a great conversation about how you can help your friend heal.

Source: http://kidshealth.org

Top 10 Nutrion Secrets To Weightloss PART 2

Part 2 of our fantastic article on ways to ensure you stick to your weight loss plan.

Secret 7: Turn off the Tube
Time spent watching TV is time spent being completely sedentary (and thus expending minimal amounts of calories) and often eating as well. Most people mindlessly consume snacks while mesmerized in front of the television, not noticing the rapidly multiplying calorie intake. Case in point: The successful NWCR “losers” watched less than 10 hours of television per week.

Don’t be a couch Potato!

Secret 8: Retrain Your Brain
Interestingly, most people who have lost and kept off the most weight tend to be “lower left” brained, meaning they are organized, controlled, methodical and disciplined. This is not to say that those of us who thrive on spontaneity or embrace clutter are doomed- it’s just a matter of retraining our brains. Encourage clients to become better organized by writing a grocery shopping list and sticking to it! Before your next exercise session, plan your workout schedule for the next week and make a promise to stick to it. These efforts will help solidify their lifestyle change and make permanent weight loss more of a reality.

Secret 9: Start Today and Don’t Cheat
It’s easy to put off starting a serious lifestyle change to a later date. Likewise, it’s easy to “cheat” and eat an extra piece of cake here, a pizza there. It’s important to be diligent when attempting to lose weight, because people who don’t cheat on a regular basis are 150% more likely to maintain their weight loss. Encourage clients to adopt a “doable” healthy lifestyle they can stick with; this will reduce those compelling urges to unwittingly sabotage their weight management success.

Be strong! Don’t give in to temptation!

Secret 10: Know that Birds of a Feather stick together
A study of 12,067 people followed over 32 years concluded that obesity spreads through social ties. That
is, obese people tend to have obese friends. Pairs of friends and siblings of the same sex seem to have
the most profound effect on each others weight loss. Some researchers suspect that the spread of obesity
has a lot to do with an individual’s general perception of the social norms regarding the acceptability
of obesity. The logic works like this: If my best friend and my sister are both obese and I love and admire
them all the same, then maybe it’s not so bad that I gain a few pounds. Clients can reverse this psychological
phenomenon by inviting pals to work out at the gym or go for a bike ride with them to stay or get fit.

We hope you can implement some of these tips into your daily life to help you with your weight loss goals. If you would like further help, please fill out the consult form by clicking the link below!

Personal Trainer Ballarat PerFit- Top 5 Winter Exercise Tips

Top 10 Nutrion Secrets To Weightloss PART 1

Follow these 10 nutrition secrets and you will be on your way to a great body transformation

Secret 1: Control Portions
Less than 20 years ago, a standard cup of coffee with whole milk and sugar measured in at 1 cup and 45 calories. Today, many java junkies have replaced that cup with a Starbucks 4 cup Grande Mocha Frappuccino, which weighs in at a whopping 380 calories (www.starbucks.com). To burn all those extra calories, you would have to walk for at least one hour. Successful weight “losers” control their food portions. In fact, research suggests portion control is the greatest predictor of successful weight loss. Control portions by learning to read nutrition labels; carefully measure out servings; eat only a single helping; use smaller serving dishes; and resist the urge to “clean your plates.”

Secret 2: Be Mindful When Eating
Many people turn to food when they are bored or stressed out. Learn to only to eat when hungry and stop when you’re full. That means paying attention to everything you eat. You should ask yourself why are you heading to the fridge or pantry. Are you really motivated by hunger, or are you really just bored, stressed, sad, tired and maybe even full from their last meal or snack! Emotional eating can wreak havoc on a well-planned weight management program.

Secret 3: Exercise Regularly
Fitness is key in losing weight and keeping those pounds off. More than 94% of articipants who succeeded in their goals in the National Weight Control Registry increased their rate of physical activity (NWCR 2007). In fact, many who lost weight reported walking for at least 1 hour per day. And for those who kept the weight off, exercise was also crucial. This was evident because the registry participants who dropped out of fitness programs ended putting the weight back on (NWCR 2007). Remember, as people lose weight, a proportion of each kilogram comes from muscle; that, in turn , slows down the metabolism and makes it difficult to keep the weight off. Although walking and other cardiovascular exercise is important for burning calories, a resistance training program is essential to help preserve their lean tissue and keep up their metabolic rate.

Secret 4: Check the Scale
While it is not advisable to become obsessive about weight to the nearest 0.01 kilo, people who maintain their weight loss do so by keeping periodic tabs on the scale, weighing themselves ideally once per week. This way they are able to identify small weight increases in time to take appropriate corrective action.

Secret 5: Eat Breakfast
More than 75% of the NWCR participants eat breakfast daily; only 4% never do. And research suggests that breakfast eaters weigh less and suffer from fewer chronic diseases than people who skip breakfast.

Secret 6: Monitor Intake
One of the strongest predictors of successful and maintained lifestyle change is monitoring dietary intake. While it can be tedious to keep a daily food log, research has shown that this practice is a highly effective and proven strategy.

To Be Continued…. See Part II Soon!

Can You Eat Healthy When Ordering Fast Food?

This is a good question!! Many of us are just too lazy to eat healthy. We always seem to find time to shop for a new dress, go to the movies or watch the football game but not enough time to have a good healthy dinner. Grabbing a pie and beer at the game is way too convenient. Yes, eating healthy costs a little more and takes a little more time and energy to prepare, but what is more important that football game or your long term health? If you do not have your health, you will eventually not be able to
attend the footy!!
Fast food chains have been one of the major contributing factors to our obesity problem here in the Australia. In all major cities, you can find every type of food on every corner with a drive through window attached!! Fortunately, many fast food chains have re-directed their efforts to become more health conscious for us busy people on the go!! If you ask, most outlets have the nutritional specifications about their food. The things to be aware of are the fat content per serving, the sodium content and of course, the calories.

Here are some tips when you decide to drive through one of these chains:

1. Order only grilled items on the menu. Avoid the fried fish or chicken.

2. Be aware of the calories and carbohydrates from the “white flour’ buns on your burgers/rolls. If possible,
eliminate the bread and order a pita wrap or salad in its place.

3. Try a honey-mustard sauce on your grilled chicken or as a salad dressing- Be aware of how many
fat grams and calories are in salad dressings.
4. Order the small burger meals instead of the large ones even though they are apparently “better value” (but not for waistline!).

5. Forget about the extras such as bacon or cheese on your burger. Omit it and add mustard and ketchup. You will save
yourself a lot of fat grams.

6. Avoid your “high sugar” drinks and milk shakes. One 750ml soft drink has as much as 50 grams of sugar. (Sugar turns to fat very quickly if not used).

7. Order low-fat milk, diet sodas, tea or water to drink.

8. If ordering pizza, eliminate the high-fat meats and go light on the cheese. Eat a big salad with boiled egg whites (if possible) on top to help satisfy.

9. If at a salad bar, “anything green” is a good start. Do not add ham, bacon, pasta salads or high-fat dressings. Limit your croutons, cheese and nuts. Add boiled eggs without yolks for protein. Vegetables such as celery, tomatoes, peppers, and corn are good for filling you up. Careful with the high calorie breads served at salad bars- they are good on the lips, but terrible for the waist and hips.

10. Last but not least, avoid high-fat desserts such as ice cream, apple pies and cakes. Order the low-fat yogurt instead.
Eating out or driving through your favorite fast-food chains does not have to allow you to “break the laws” of good, healthy eating- Follow the rules, search the menu and order smart. GOOD LUCK!

If you would like some more help with your nutrition, a PerFit customised nutrition plan is for you. We sit down and create a sensible eating plan with the foods you like, to help you get the body of your dreams! Click on the free consult link at the top of this page to get started!

Why You Should Eat Five Meals A Day

Now, you may be asking yourself how eating 5 times a day could possibly be good for you! This eating plan, of course, consists of good, healthy foods along with goods habits- you cannot eat pizza 5 times per day to be a lean, mean working machine. The only thing you would be is a big blob of blubber! Foods high in carbohydrates, like pizza, drag you down, bloat you and deplete your
energy. It is time for you to change your habits and start eating light and healthy.
Your first step to change your lifestyle and your eating habits is to start the day with a good healthy breakfast. Your body needs source of protein and carbohydrate at breakfast. Continue your day eating a good source of protein, carbohydrates and some fats every 3-4 hours. Do not let your body go more than 4 hours without food as you may slow down your metabolism. What we are working towards is to raise your metabolic rate so you can burn calories all day long. Drink plenty of water before and after meals and throughout the day to curb your appetite. You want to flush out any toxins and excess fat in your body.

Try to plan your meals with the foods you enjoy. If you do not like tuna, do not force yourself to eat it. You will never stay consistent if you are dreading what you have to eat. Eat your meals slowly while sitting down. Too many of us eat on the run, standing in the kitchen or in the car. We do not give our bodies the chance to tell our brains we are satisfied and as you know, if you are not satisfied, you might over eat.
There are going to be days that you might “fall off the band wagon.” For example, you might eat a high fat meal or over eat at dinner. If this happens, do not give up- just get right back on your eating plan the next day and your body will not be affected. If you thrown in the towel, that is where you get into trouble. If you make a mistake at work, you don’t just quit your job – you correct it and move forward. Remember, quitters never win and winners never quit.

Here are some tips to follow if body fat loss is your goal:
• Have your food steamed, baked, broiled or roasted.
• Eliminate any rich, thick sauces and soups such as bernaise, hollandaise, alfredos and sauces (marinara is a better choice).
• Remove skin and fat from chicken.
• Eliminate butter all together.
• Eat smaller portions- more often- never stuff yourself.
• Share dessert- do not eat the whole thing by yourself!
• Learn to just have a taste- if it is a food you cannot resist, stay away from it all together.
• Chew gum while baking- especially during the holidays.
• Ask for your salad dressing on the side- dip your fork in for taste.
• Do not go out to dinner starved- this will lead you to over eat. Drink water before your meals.

Schedule a free consultation if you would like more information on PerFit’s exclusive and revolutionary nutritional programs with guaranteed results! We tailor a meal plan (And a shopping list!) just for you with the foods you enjoy eating.

YOUR HOLIDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE

Well it’s that time of year again, things are starting to wind up and the festive season is upon us. Christmas day and New Years is just around the corner and with each coming week there seems to be more and more alcohol and finger food laden parties. Don’t get me wrong, they are great fun and you shouldn’t miss them but if you’re not careful, this holiday period has the potential to ruin your whole year of good work in the gym! Here are some golden rules to follow to avoid sabotaging your progress.

• Get a head start on your holiday fitness

In the few weeks leading up to the holidays, you should really try and ramp up the exercise to give you somewhat of a head start before the festivities hit. Not only will it get you into the routine of exercising, you will be fitter and healthier than usual which means you will have more “breathing space” of sorts to indulge during the holidays.

Secondly, if you really focus on proper exercise and eating well right now, you will be in good habits when things may get a little difficult.

• Don’t get too stressed out! Enjoy yourself!

When it all boils down, the holidays are a time to be happy and relax a little. If you worry too much about exercise and eating right you won’t enjoy yourself during this period. You need to accept the fact that your diet and exercise habits might not be perfect over this period and not to stress about it. In a month’s time when you are back into the swing of it all, it will just be a distant memory. Being mentally relaxed is also a big part of your health and wellbeing so stressing out over missing a session or eating too much every now and then won’t help at all.

• Have a break from work, not exercise

Sure, the holiday period is a time for relaxing and taking it easy but don’t let your exercise routine suffer too much. If you currently exercise 3-4 times a week and all of a sudden drop off to 1 or even 0 sessions each week, not only will your progress slow but you’ll probably find yourself going backwards.

As nice as it is to sleep in and then “veg” out all day, getting to the gym or even exercising outside for 30-60 mins 3 days a week will go a long way to helping you maintain your health and fitness levels. Did you know that exercising for an hour 3 times a week is less than 2% of your whole week? Its not the much at all, is it ?You’ll also get more out of the day as you’ll be more energetic. However if you feel the need to snooze afterwards….at least you’ve earned it!

• Christmas Day survival guide

Christmas day can be worse than other parties as it’s usually an all day event!  Here are some quick pointers to help you out.

-          If you eat from a smaller plate you will not eat as much as in your mind will still be eating a full plate (or two….or three!).

-          Eat lean meats such as turkey and chicken instead of pork and ham.

-          Cut back on the trimmings such as gravy and other sauces.

-          Instead of snoozing on the couch, participate in the game of backyard cricket or whatever game the family is into. If there is no game going, start one!

• Improvise on vacation

If the gym is your soul outlet for exercise, when you go away during the holidays you may be limited as to what you can do so it’s time to improvise. Getting outdoors and doing some cardio work such as running, cycling or swimming can be a great change of pace. You can still get a good resistance work out in without machines and free weights. You can do body weight exercises such as push ups, squats, dips, lunges, chin ups etc. If you have advanced to a point where you need more resistance you could fill a backpack and put it on your back while doing these exercises. You can also use suitcases and bags as makeshift weights and dumbbells. You’re only limited by your imagination!

If you are interested in getting some ideas for exercise programs you can do over the holidays when you are away, getting involved in our men’s only or women’s only boot camps may be just what you need. You will learn some great exercises that don’t require a lot of equipment to help maintain your fitness while not in the gym.  Check them out at www.BallaratBootCamps.com

• Don’t let the parties poop your progress

I’m all for letting my hair down and having fun at Christmas parties. It is the silly season after all isn’t it? The problem comes when you have multiple BIG parties where you over indulge on the alcohol and nibbles. It’s quite easy to consume 3-4 times your daily calorie allowance at one party (that’s not including the rest of the day’s food either!). Let’s put that into perspective- Let’s say you had 3 big parties where you really let yourself go. You would have consumed up to, or even more than 12 days worth of calories (most probably coming from sugar and saturated fat). Hypothetically (PLEASE DON’T DO THIS) you would have to not eat for the next 12 days just to counteract the damage.

To minimise the effects of these parties, make sure to exercise earlier in the day. You should also eat a good meal before going to the party. This will mean you have already filled up on good food and won’t be nibbling on junk at the party. You should also plan to only have 1 or 2 big parties and pace yourself or don’t drink at all at the others. Not only will your body thank you, but you will save money and chances are you won’t be the one doing something embarrassing!

I hope you all have a relaxing holiday period and this article will help you to maintain your health and fitness over this time. If you have any questions or would like some help in other areas, feel free to book a consultation at the top of the page!

HOW TO REVIVE YOUR MOTIVATION

Everyone at one point or another has struggled for motivation to exercise or to eat the right things. Have you struggled to get out of bed on a cold morning to get to that cycle class? What about not pushing yourself to get those few extra reps out on the leg press? Have you ever stopped your treadmill session halfway through as you couldn’t be bothered? If any of this sounds familiar, you know how hard it is to keep going when you’re not motivated. Here’s a few ideas to help you refocus and stay on track.

• Have specific goals.

I have mentioned this in a previous article but I’m mentioning it again because its so damn important. It’s so much easier to push yourself when you have a goal in mind. It gives you some purpose and direction. You know there is something great that is waiting for you at the end of your journey. If you don’t have a goal, get one!

• Turn the main goal into a “goal journey”

It’s always great to have long term goals such as waiting to lose 20kg of body fat or to squat another 60kg but sometimes these goals are just too distant. The accomplishment of these goals can be months or even years away, so it’s easy to lose motivation .The best thing to do is to break the one big goal into multiple smaller goals which I call a “goal journey”. If your aim is to lose 20kg of body fat, instead make it into 4 goals of 5kg or any other increment. You could have 20 goals of 1kg if need be. Once you reach the first goal, you feel good about yourself as there is the feeling of accomplishment. Chances are you’ll be even more motivated for the next goal as you’ve proven to yourself that its possible when you break it down into baby steps!

• Personal training

If you are really finding it hard to push yourself or struggle for direction when training, a personal trainer can be the perfect injection of motivation. They’ll push you to the limits you didn’t think was possible, all the while making sure you are exercising safely. Having someone there to encourage you to go that little bit heavier, longer or faster can really make the difference between success and failure.

Personal trainers can also help you set realistic goals and help you track them through various methods such as measureing body fat percetage and performance in the gym. It will keep you accountable as you’ve made an appointment you HAVE to go to as no one likes wasting money.

• Have pictures

Did you know that being able to visibly see something can help you to understand and comprehend it 400% better than just writing it down (you do write down your goals?….. don’t you?).  If there is an ideal body type you are looking to achieve, try and find a picture of it and put it somewhere where you will see it constantly. This might be at your desk, on the back of the toilet door or even on fridge door so you see it when feel like snacking!

With picture up, you will constantly be reminded of your goals and it will help you to stay motivated. If you are trying to get back to a body shape you used to have, keep a picture of your old (soon to be new) body to remind you how could you can/will look if you keep at it. You can even take pictures of yourself every month and see the gradual changes. This in itself is like a goal journey.

• Training partner

Having a training partner can be great as you can help to push each other and keep each other accountable. If you agree to meet someone at the gym at a certain time, you will feel guilty if you don’t turn up. You’ll be letting both you and him/her down. Its good to have a training partner who is around the same fitness level as you, but it’s even better if they are slightly fitter and motivated. You always want to surround yourself with people who will pull you up, not drag you down.

• A new program

Training can get stale and stagnant if you keep the same program for too long. As you keep doing the same training program over and over, the progressions you make will start to slow and you may get to the point where you plateau!  This is dangerous for your motivation and attitude towards fitness as you may be disheartened at the lack of results and stop training all together !

• Have a rest week

As I write this I am currently having a rest week. I have one every 8-12 weeks. The last week or so I’ve had sore and aching joints and my energy levels in the gym have not been great. These are signs that its time for a break.  It allows my body to rest and get rid of any niggling injuries. Dont worry about losing all of your gains in your rest week. Sometimes I even come back stronger as my body is fully rested and fresh. By the end of a rest week, I’m itching to get back into it again.

If you would like some more information on how PerFit Health and Wellness can help you with your goals, visit www.perfit.com.au and book in for a free consultation to find out about our training packages.

Yours in good health and wellness,

Julian Gaylor

Owner of PerFit Health and Wellness

Coffee: Go Ahead and Have a Java Jolt!

Over the years, we have heard to stay away from caffeine, especially coffee because it was being classified as a drug. “Say no to drugs” has been our world-wide motto and this campaign was affecting the coffee bean industry; however, there has never been a study or test that has proven coffee or caffeine has a connection to a heart condition or any other medical problem. Drinking about 2 cups of coffee could possibly cause a rapid heart beat in a small percentage of people and could temporarily raise their body temperature.

Some weight loss clients have been advised to drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning before a workout to help reduce body fat. How this works is that the client will awake with an empty stomach, drink the 2 cups of coffee and proceed to workout. The caffeine in the coffee will boost their endurance by prolonging fatigue and help the client burn just body fat. What many people do wrong is they eat a meal right before a workout, usually high carbohydrates or no meal at all and wonder why they crash during a workout. Unfortunately, you will only maintain your current weight and body fat instead of tapping into your excess body fat storage.

Some other benefits to drinking coffee are:
• improvements to long term memory

• stimulates the bowels

• natural diuretic
Of course, plenty of clear liquids should be taken in to flush out toxins no matter how much coffee is consumed.
The only proven negative effect of coffee is that unfiltered coffee beans have compounds that could possibly
raise your blood cholesterol as much as 20 points. Basically, stay away from coffee made in a French press. Many people claim the flavor is better but obviously not healthy for the body. Therefore, drink only
filtered coffee!!

A couple of tidbits of information about caffeine:

• 1 shot of espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee

• 1 cup of tea has more caffeine than regular coffee

• 1 cup of coffee can enhance your alertness

So, go ahead and have a java jolt and enjoy! Take advantage of the benefits a hot cup of coffee can do for you. One short, skinny latte to go could add amazing results to your life!!

Coffee: Go Ahead and Have a Java Jolt!

8 REASONS YOU’RE NOT SEEING RESULTS AT THE GYM

If you are finding that you are not getting the results that you would like, maybe it’s due to one (or more) of the reasons below.

1. You don’t have a specific goal

We all go to the gym for a reason. Common reasons include “To lose weight”, “To get fitter/stronger” or “To build more muscle”. If you are serious about getting results, these goals are not specific enough. Give yourself a deadline.  For example, if your aim is to change your body weight, make it specific by saying “I want to gain/lose ×kgs in the next 6 weeks”

2. You don’t keep a training journal

A training journal is your roadmap to results. If you don’t keep one, you don’t know where you’re going or how fast you are getting there. A training journal can be a program sheet written up by a trainer or your own gym diary. You need to fill this out every session. Write down what exercises you did, how many sets, reps and the weight lifted. For cardio sessions, depending on the machine you use, write down the time, speed , distance , incline or resistance. Because you are documenting your sessions, you know exactly what you have done in each workout and therefore, can try and improve each session.

3. You undo all your good work by not eating well

So many people sweat it out in the gym and give it their all but then go and sabotage themselves by eating badly. The most common problem is with those trying lose weight. If you come to the gym and work hard, but then leave the gym only to continue on with your poor diet, sure the exercise might help a little but if you are still making poor nutritional choices and eating WAY too much, chances are your weight will stay the same or even continue to rise! The worst part is, not only do some people not change their diet, but because they are working so hard in the gym they feel the need to reward themselves with a little treat in the form of fast food, chocolate, cake, alcohol etc. Chances are this “little treat” is a calorie bomb which has more calories than they actually burn in the gym (possibly in the whole week!) which more than counteracts all the hard work they do in the gym.

4. You’re doing the same workout you were doing 2 months ago

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result- It’s an old adage that’s been beaten to death but is still relevant. You may not realise it but our bodies are smart and lazy machines. If you do the same exercises repeatedly, the body will find the most efficient way of completing them. This is bad news because it means when our bodies become more efficient it will be harder to lose weight or gain muscle, strength, and cardiovascular fitness.  Keep your body guessing by starting a new program or even doing your program in the opposite order.  If you do 30 mins on the treadmill, do 25 mins at a higher speed or use a different machine altogether!

5. You’re not consistent with your training

It’s not about what you do SOME of the time, it’s what you do MOST of the time. Missing a rare session here and there is OK but when you start to miss sessions every week, you are seriously hindering your ability to make progress. Let’s do some quick math here- There are twenty-four hours in a day. Yes? OK, so if there are seven days in a week that’s a total of one hundred and sixty-eight hours. Still following? Good.  Doing three- one hour session a week is a whopping 1.78% of your whole week. Is that too much to spare?

6. You’re exercising too much

Here’s the opposite of #5. They say too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Exercise is no different. Training too hard, too often can actually hinder your ability to make progress. When training in the gym, you put your body under a lot of stress (good stress). When weightlifting you actually damage your muscles and make micro-tears in them. When you are resting, the muscles repair and rebuild bigger and stronger so in actual fact, you don’t get bigger and stronger in the gym, you get bigger and stronger when you are resting. This means if you don’t rest enough, you don’t give your muscles enough time to repair and recover which leaves you prone to injury and can make you smaller and weaker! Even when you train different body parts each day, it still taxes your body as a whole so it still needs time to recover.

The same can be said for cardio training. When putting in a hard cardio session, it taxes your whole body. Among other things, your immune system becomes suppressed as all your body’s resources are trying to help you recover from the intense exercise. This really isn’t a big problem as your body returns to its normal state after time but if you continually put your body under intense stress and don’t allow for sufficient recovery time, you will gradually run yourself into the ground and exercise will become less productive and less enjoyable! I even take a whole week off from training every 8- 12 weeks. I find I come back more motivated and stronger as I’ve let my body fully rest and recover!

7. You’re not pushing yourself hard enough

As with everything in life, if you want to truly succeed you need to get out of your comfort zone. It’s no different in the gym. If you want to see results, you must challenge your body and give it a reason to change! Now with that said, I don’t want you to train so hard that you are at the point of literal exhaustion. That’s just dangerous and actually has adverse effects on your body. Chances are when you think you are working your hardest, you are actually nowhere near your maximum potential. The reason you think you couldn’t possibly put anymore effort in is because you’ve never tried to! Next time you are exercising, put the treadmill up an extra 0.5km/h or go for another 30 seconds. When weight training and you think you’re done try squeezing another one or two reps out. Dig deep! You might surprise yourself.

8. You’re weightlifting with your ego, not your brain.

Ever notice that the biggest guys in the gym or those with the best muscle tone don’t lift the heaviest weights? That’s because they lift smart and target the right muscles. In general, most people who lift weights do so with the intention of improving their lean muscle mass. Unfortunately, it is an all too frequent occurrence that people let their ego get in the way and get caught up in worrying more about the amount of weight they are lifting rather than the technique they use. When lifting with bad technique you usually bring other muscles into the movement which then takes all the stress off the desired muscles. For example, if someone is doing a bicep curl with too much weight, they will usually swing their upper body and bring the shoulders into the movement. This means that the muscles in the back and the deltoids (shoulder muscles) are doing a lot of the work rather than the biceps.

You’ll get better results lifting a lighter weight with good form that really targets the desired muscles than a heavier weight with bad form. Remember- it’s not how much you lift, it’s how much you look like you can lift!

If you have any questions about this article or would like some help in other areas, feel free to schedule a free consultation at the top of the page- Kind Regards, Julian

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