Losing body fat isn’t rocket science; it’s pretty straightforward body mathematics, right?
Well, this is pretty much correct, but the one thing so many people forget when starting a fat loss journey is actually working out their starting point, learning where their body is currently at. If you take the time to learn where your metabolism is at and work from there, you’ll have far more success than just guessing.
Jay Geraghty, aka The Physique Geek, has created a 90 Day SMT program to inspire and educate as many people as he can on nutrition and fuelling their bodies with the right foods to get them lean, healthy and strong without going hungry. He’s on a mission to save people from struggling with low calorie, crash diets that don’t work and instead providing them with a sustainable, tailored program to transform their lives. Here are his eight top points that are preventing you from losing body fat…
1 YOU ARE EATING TOO MANY CALORIES
It couldn’t be any more black and white. If you are not losing weight (or even putting weight on), the chances are you’re eating more than you think.
Knowing what you’re eating requires discipline, but so does anything worth having. This is, in my opinion, the main reason why most people look for an easier option but, unfortunately, the easy option doesn’t exist. The sooner you realise there’s no easy road to long-term success, you’ll begin making progress towards your goals.
2 YOU ARE NOT EATING ENOUGH CALORIES
I hear people saying ‘I’m eating 1000 calories a day and I’m not losing weight.’ Well, I’m here to tell you, there is a way that will work for everyone, and that way is the right way! Your body needs a certain amount of calories to survive, to function day to day. Your body, your organs, your body’s daily processes to wake you up etc, all require energy, and that energy comes from the calories in what you eat and drink.
Now, the amount people need to cover their functions depends on a number of variables; age, height, weight, lifestyle, job etc. Eating way below this amount will eventually slow down the functionality of the thyroid, making fat loss slow down and eventually grind to a halt. The road back can be a long one, so ensure you’re eating enough food.
3 NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER
Water is the most underrated element when it comes to fat loss. 60-70% of your body is made up of water. Most food you consume is made up of water. Nearly every bodily function that takes place occurs in water. If you’re not drinking enough water, these processes slow down, making you feel tired, lethargic and so on. So, what process also needs water to take place? Fat metabolisation, stay hydrated.
4 LOOKING FOR A QUICK FIX
A quick fix just won’t work long term for 99% of people. It may work for a little while, but at what expense? 99% of people looking for a quick fix will undoubtedly rebound; putting all the weight they lost back on, in lightening time.
Look at it like this. You spend 30 days on a fad shake diet starving yourself, but you get to day 30 and you’ve lost a stone. You then go back to eating as you normally would, and that stone is back on you in 7 days. You’ve put yourself through 30 days of hell, only to put it all back on in a quarter of the time. What was the point?
The only thing that ever works is a lifestyle change. Eating healthy has to become habitual.
5 YOU’RE DOING TOO MUCH CARDIO
There is a time and a place for cardio, but overdoing it could be your downfall.
For example, if you’re eating 1900 calories a day and doing cardio 7 days a week for 1 hour, you lose weight, but at what cost? Your body will adjust to consuming 1900 calories and doing 7 days of low intensity cardio, and your metabolism will have adjusted to your intake (1900 calories a day) and output (7 days a week cardio).
You stop doing cardio which was burning 500 calories and continue to consume 1900 calories, what do you think is going to happen? Yes, weight gain. You want to do the least amount of cardio while still getting consistent results week in, week out.
6 YOU’RE NOT DOING ANY HIIT (high intensity interval training)
HIIT workouts are not only more effective at burning body fat, they are completed in a fraction of the time compared to any other form of cardio, making it a time saving, fat burning winner.
You’re pushing yourself to your upper limits of your heart rate followed by a rest period and repeated for 12-20 minutes – there is no need for the long boring runs. The afterburn effect of HIIT post workout increases your metabolic rate for up to 24 hours, sometimes even 48 hours. Not only is it calorie burning during the session, you continue to burn fat for hours after.
7 SCARED OF TRYING NEW THINGS
I see time and time again, women walk into the weights area, see all the guys in there and walk straight out and jump on the treadmill!
Weight training is a winner all round for both men and women. When you work out with resistance, it tells your body that it needs to hold on to your current muscle mass (which essentially is your metabolism).
See muscle is an active tissue, which means it needs calories, even at rest, to survive. So the more lean tissue you have the more calories you’ll be burning watching your favourite program on Netflix.
8 NOT STICKING TO THE PROGRAM
There is a 100% proven path that works for everyone out there. You just have to stick to it for long enough to see results happen.
So many people jump on the hype, stick to it for several weeks, don’t see themselves turn into that man or woman they idolise on Instagram and give up.
Consistency is crucial, patience is your friend. Believe in yourself and the process, and the results will come.
Those athletes on Facebook and Instagram all have the same things in common.When it comes to losing body fat for them, they’re all:
- Consistent
- Patient
- They believe in the process
- They know their starting points
- They burn more calories than intake
- They weight train
- They do some form of HIIT
- They don’t look for a quick fix
- They aren’t scared of trying new things
- THEY GET RESULTS!
About the author
Jay Geraghty of The Physique Geek is an online nutrition coach and the creator of the 90-day SMT program. He creates tailored fat loss programs, which take into account intolerances, allergies and food preferences to transform the bodies and lives of his clients forever, without changing their normal routines.
Jay has created his program to help cut through the fad-diet noise and to give his clients the delicious, easy to prepare meals, tools and expert advice they need to start improving their health and transform into the best shape of their life. www.thephysiquegeek.com