It's the little things that matter...

It’s almost an everyday occurrence that you can read (on Facebook) or you will hear someone say: “I have been exercising for X long, but I see no results.”  Then when you see what they eat and learn about the rest of their diet and hear how many times a week they go out night clubbing or bar -hopping you know exactly why most people are not meeting their long-term and short-term weight loss/gain goals.  Now, we are all humans and we cannot always be on a strict diet of eating healthy and not cheating; because the temptations are always there, but it’s also the little things that might be holding you back. A real life scenario would be women at the gym - only doing cardio, that’s a good start; but to enhance your weight loss goal and achieve the body you’re hoping and dreaming for you’re going to have to add resistance/weight training into your regimen. If they go out three or four times a week to the bars and drink excessively, that’s a big NO-NO if they’re seriously trying to obtain a fit body.  It is completely all right to go out once in a while and have a drink and a good time, but there should be a limit to what you consume; one glass of wine daily is acceptable for the antioxidants and other heart healthy benefits it entails but alcohol inhibits any weight loss you’re trying to obtain. Don’t worry so much about the calories on the nutritional label but do pay attention to the Total Fat, Sodium, Carbohydrates, and Protein numbers. Take the time to jot down the numbers of Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrates in your daily diet. If your carbohydrates are double your proteins you might want to re-evaluate a bit to take out some of your high carbohydrate meals. If the fat is sky high (over 60g in a day) those foods are not helping you in your goals either. Lastly, the amount of sleep (at minimum 7-8 hours a night) you get will help your body recover from your time in the gym and all the other stresses you encounter at work, school and so on… Any questions/ comments? Please leave them below and I’ll be more than happy to answer. Born and raised in New Jersey, Chris H is a 25 year old student going for a Network Management Degree who loves the bodybuilding and fitness industry. He is also a competitive bodybuilder and recently just competed in his first competition. His ultimate Goal is to become a Professional Bodybuilder in the OCB / IFPA.