If you’ve upped your diet and training regimens these past few months but still aren’t satisfied with the results you’re seeing, now’s the time to iron out the kinks. Skirting the obvious—changing your workouts consistently, adopting better sleep hygiene, staying hydrated, and keeping cheat meals to an absolute minimum—these eight things can also hinder your goals of getting as shredded as possible.
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You’re Doing Too Much Cardio
Cadio isn’t necessary for weight loss. To lose weight you simply have to burn more calories than you consume. So if you’ve tightened the screws on your diet and you’re still killing it on the treadmill, you could be burning muscle instead of fat. This is when keeping a food and training log can be a crucial component that removes guesswork about what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be tweaked.
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Hidden Sugars Are Infiltrating Your Diet
Sugar should make up five percent of a person’s daily calorie consumption, according to the World Health Organization. Currently the national average is about 18 percent. You’re probably stricter with your sugar intake than the masses go ahead and pat yourself on the back—but your gains (or losses) can still be hindered by eating too many foods with hidden sugar.
For example, salad and chicken are great food choices, until you drown the ruffage in high-calorie salad dressing or bathe your bird in sugary sauce. “Those hidden sources of sugar add up quickly, stalling fat loss,” says nutritionist JJ Virgin, author of The Virgin Diet Cookbook. “Even if they don’t taste sweet, the food still might contain fructose and other sugars.”
Try dipping the tines of your fork into the dressing instead of dumping it onto your salad. With chicken, replace molasses or sugar-laden sauces (like BBQ sauce) with vinegar-based hot sauce.
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You Have Low T
Testosterone is known as the “male hormone,” and it’s essentially what makes a dude a dude. It enables guys to grow hair on their chests, faces, and, uh, down there. It’s also responsible for libido. A few things associated with low T include fatigue, depleted energy levels, reduced strength and muscle mass, and an increase in abdominal fat. Basically, a whole lot of awful for someone looking to get ripped.
“I have a vast number of patients with thyroid disorders, or men with low testosterone, who need to have their medical issues addressed before they can achieve their goals with respect to their ideal body,” explained Dr. Damon Raskin. “Once these hormone deficiencies are corrected, changes can happen fast.”
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You Skip Post-workout Stretches
Whether or not stretching is beneficial when it comes to reducing muscle soreness is a hotly debated subject, but a post-workout stretch can improve flexibility and range of motion (ROM). Why is that important? Because being more flexible and increasing your ROM can help your muscles, joints, and connective tissue remain healthy, enhance athletic performance and reduce risk of injury so you can level up your workouts and achieve greater results.
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You’re Consuming Too Much “Clean” Food
Obviously filling up on fruits and veggies is better for you than feasting on Skittles and Funyons. But no food is “free.” Meaning, portions must be in concert with the amount of calories your body requires to yield a desired result, like losing weight or packing on muscle. That said, whether it’s junk food or health food, if consuming it edges you to the point where you’re taking in more calories than you’re burning, those excess calories will be stored as fat.
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You’re Mismanaging Stress
Chronic stress can cause an increase in appetite, weight gain, loss of muscle mass, and perhaps worst of all, a diminished sex drive. “If changes to your exercise routine aren’t having a positive affect on your weight, take a look at your emotional health,” says weight-management coach Linda Spangle, RN, MA, author of Life is Hard, Food is Easy. “Plan to get a massage or do some relaxation exercises to help calm your body as well as your mind.”
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Your Medications Are in the Way
One in 10 Americans is on antidepressant medications, and some mood meds like Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft have been linked to weight gain. “I have a number of patients who are on medications, including anti-depressants, who need to change their medications before they can reach their desired body type,” said Dr. Damon Raskin.
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You’re Relying on Crash Diets
A crash diet can make you appear slimmer in the short term, but don’t be fooled—you’re not actually losing fat. And you’re not doing your body any favors. Fasting or detoxing to induce rapid weight loss can lead to nutrient deficiencies, a slow metabolism, negatively impact your heart health, and even trigger weight gain.
