7 Reasons You Aren't Losing Weight

In a high tech world, there’s a whole slew of ways to determine whether you’re losing body fat on your diet and exercise regimen. The favorite traditional methods of measuring body fat include underwater weighing and skin calipers. The newest rage is a specialized bathroom scale that sends infrared beams through your body to determine how much of your body weight is actually fat and how much is lean body mass; muscle and bones. (How fat are your feet, anyway?)

Still, the most tried and true device, and possibly the most accurate way to determine if your dieting efforts are working – is the old fashion bathroom scale! If you’re losing weight on the scale, you’re also losing fat. Sure, if you’re dropping more than 3 pounds per week or your energy levels are waning, you’re likely to be shedding some valuable muscle also along the way.

However, if you’re losing 1-2 pounds every 1-3 weeks, and your energy and strength levels are stable, you’re likely shedding almost exclusively fat. That said; let’s explore the top reasons why people fail to see the body trimming results they hope to achieve.

The 7 roadblocks that keep many frustrated are outlined below. Fix or avoid most of these troublesome 7, and your fat loss will be so smooth.

1) Too Many Carbohydrates.
I’m no fan of strict low carb diets, but any additional carbs above and beyond those needed to saturate your muscles with glycogen have a good probability of being stored as body fat. While bodybuilding training requires a high carb intake, many novices and intermediate trainees simply do not train hard enough to justify a massive carb intake. Depending on your size and level of training intensity, split your carb intake into 5 servings per day and aim for 30-60 grams of carbs per meal to shed fat. Start at a higher intake such as 60 grams of carbs per meal. If you lose weight, continue with 60 grams per meal. If you fail to lose, drop to 50 grams per meal.

2) Too Much Protein.
Surprise! This factoid is tied to carbohydrate restriction. When dieting to lean down, carbohydrates ought to be slowly reduced. However, many dieters take an overly aggressive approach in hopes of making miracle-type progress and cut back too far in the carb department.

When you restrict carbs, your protein intake should increase. But – and this is a big one – over compensating by eating too much protein can also prevent fat loss by contributing to a calorie surplus. As a rule, shoot for .74 to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day while trying to add weight and muscle. When ripping up, start chopping away at your carbs and increase the protein to 1.25 to 1.50 grams per pound of body weight. Anything more- will just be stored as fat.

3) Skip The Late Night Carbs.
Don’t believe the conflicting research. The fact remains, carbs eaten at night are less likely to be burned off as fuel and are more likely be stored as body fat. That means; forego the pasta, potato or rice at meal 5 (your final meal of the day) for lean proteins like fowl or fish, along with a side dish of veggies. Or enjoy a Whey Science™ or a Soy Protein Science™ protein shake which provides quality muscle building whey protein without a lot of carbohydrates. You don’t need the carbs at night anyway. Go to the NZ Nutrition Store to get your protein today.

4) Wrong Breakfast.
Want to get lean and eat a lot? Chow down at breakfast. Of your 5 daily meals, the one that is least likely to end up on your hips, thighs and lower back is the first one. In the morning, muscle glycogen stores are lower than during any other part of the day. When glycogen stores are low, your body’s capacity to take carbohydrates and store them as body fat is hampered. So pack in the carbs at breakfast –along with 20-40 grams of high quality protein to jump-start your day. And don’t worry about getting fat.

5) Too Much Cardio.
What happens to the guy or gal who performs 1-2 hours of cardio a day? (We know you’re out there!) They send their body into a tailspin, a state where the "starvation hormones" secreted by the body skyrocket (it’s your body’s survival mechanism, a response to too much exercise!) causing fat cells to try to hoard their energy! Moderate cardio is the way to go. Four to five 20-40 minutes sessions per week is all that it takes. Any more than that and you run the risk of losing precious muscle tissue, which negatively affects your metabolic rate and your ability to train.

6) Never "Cheating" on Your Diet.
Once in a while you should let loose and give yourself a break from the rigors of dieting and scale watching. In fact, it’s helpful in losing weight. That’s because continual dieting eventually leads to roadblocks where the body responds by slowing its metabolic rate. Strict dieting also takes its toll on you mentally, and can leave you feeling deprived. That’s a bad combination! Taking in a couple of high calorie meals once every 7-10 days not only provides a mental break from dieting, but helps you side-step roadblocks by preventing the body from entering a starvation state where the metabolic rate slows.

7) Paying Attention to the scale only.
Ok this may sound contradictory, but the scale is not the "end-all" measurement of progress. You also monitor a couple of other things, primarily energy and strength. If you’re losing weight and you have plenty of energy and strength, you’re losing body fat – guaranteed. On the flip side, if you’re losing weight yet feeling really tired or are seeing constant drops in the weights you use during your workouts, then you’re likely also burning off muscle tissue. If no energy and a loss in strength is the case, then you’re likely violating several of the above tips and will need to rectify them to get back on track.

And there you have it. Avoid these obstacles to losing weight and enjoy your new lean body!

Should I Eat Before or After Workout?

Never sit down to a full meal immediately before or after a workout. That doesn't mean you should eat nothing, just make it light. You don't want a lot of food in your stomach when you are trying to work out. Afterwards, you want to give your body ample time to recover before you consume a full meal. If you are trying to digest a big meal, both your stomach and muscles will be fighting for blood supply. The end result is that your heart will be working twice as hard to send nutrients to the muscles and the stomach. If you eat too heavily before, you experience the unpleasant sensation of indigestion or may end up sick. You are better off training on a somewhat empty stomach. Try a piece of fruit or half a bagel for energy. Remember, it isn't what you ate an hour before that sustains your energy level. It's what and how you have been eating or drinking the previous few days.

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Definitions Of Common Nutritional Terms

FAT FREE - Product has less than 1/2 (0.5) grams of fat per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

99 FAT FREE - Every 100 grams of food will have 1 gram or less of fat.

LOW FAT - Product has 3 grams of fat or less per serving.

REDUCED FAT - Fat has been reduced by at least 25 percent (compared to a similar food).

LIGHT (LITE) - Product has 33 fewer calories or 50 less fat per serving than a comparable product.

LEAN - For meat and poultry only. Product has less than 10 grams fat, less than 4 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per serving.

LOW CALORIE - Product has 40 calories or less per serving.

SATURATED FAT FREE - Product has less than 0.5 grams saturated fat per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

LOW IN SATURATED FAT - Product has one gram or less saturated fat per serving.

CHOLESTEROL FREE - Product has less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

LOW CHOLESTEROL - Product has 20 milligrams or less cholesterol and two grams or less of saturated fat per serving.

SODIUM FREE - Product has less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

VERY LOW SODIUM - Product has 35 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.

LOW SODIUM - Product has 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.

GOOD SOURCE - Used for fiber, protein, vitamins, or minerals. Product has at least 10 of the Daily Value for the particular nutrient.

HIGH IN (EXCELLENT SOURCE) - Used for fiber, protein, vitamins, or minerals. Product has at least 20 of the Daily Value for the particular nutrient.

The Fit Kid Within

Remember when you were little and you "exercised" because it was fun? You never thought about how many calories you were burning in ballet class or how high you were getting your heart rate in the heat of a soccer game. That was never the point.

Now that you're out of grade school, exercise means something different. It's that thing you squeeze in after work or before dinner, feel guilty about skipping and therefore adding even more stress to your life. Somehow, the elliptical trainer or the treadmill doesn't inspire the anticipation and joy that the swimming pool once did.

So how do you reconnect with that long-lost sense of play? Going back to the activities you love. Just because you're an adult doesn't mean you can't do the things you enjoyed as a kid. After all, studies show that if you love the physical activity you're doing, you're likely to do it more often and for a longer period of time than if you don't. That's why I recommend getting in touch with your younger, fitter self as a way to recharge and reenergize yourself; I call it "Reaching for the Fit Kid Within". I ask people what they enjoyed during their childhood, early teen years and high school. Then I ask them if they would consider doing that again.

Starting with a 5 minutes meditation that would facilitate the connection between mind, body and soul, allowing yourself to reach within and accept the playful kid that you are.

Follow with 30 minutes high energy, fun drills and exercises that you use to enjoy when you were a kid. You can even involve your kids; they'll guide you, allow to be yourself, and allow them be the kids they are. I personally play soccer or simply chase my kids around the backyard. There is no limit to what we can actually do.

Finishing with a 5 minutes stretching program and cooling down with a 5 minutes relaxation techniques to come back to our adult world.

Why Do I Repeatedly Pull The Muscles In The Back Of My Thighs?

Hamstring injuries are common and are susceptible to re-injury. In most people, the quadriceps or muscle in front of the thigh, is stronger than the hamstrings. The imbalance can cause-injury. Another reason this area can be a problem is that many people simply have tight hamstrings. My advice is that if they are a problem, pay special attention to working the hamstrings in your training program. Maybe set aside a special session just for them or at least train them first in your leg workout. My other suggestion is to incorporate stretching into your workout. Stretch after each set you do and again at the completion of your leg workout.

Won't Weight Training Make Me Less Flexible?

On the contrary, it will make you more flexible, if you are doing it correctly. If you are lifting incorrectly strains and pulls will negatively impact your joints. With some initial instruction and monitoring, weight training is not difficult to master. People in their 90s use resistance training as part of their fitness programs. As long as you perform the full range of motion in your weight lifting movements, you will add to flexibility. Include a regular stretching routine in your regime and you'll double your flexibility.

I Just Want to Tone. I Don't Want To Turn Into a Muscle Man

The word "tone" is misleading. Pure and simple, when you tone a muscle, you are building it up. The hormone testosterone is responsible for massive muscles. On the average, men have 10 times as much of the guy stuff as women. It is nearly impossible for women to achieve that bulked muscle look unless they are taking anabolic steroids.

Don't Let Weight Gain Ruin Your Vacation

Attitude determines altitude.
- Anonymous

A summer trip is easily one of the most anticipated events of the year-the chance to get away from work and to relax with your loved ones is priceless.

With all of the excitement, it's not surprising that most people unknowingly end up gaining a pound each day of their vacation. And if you're going on a cruise then your weight gain may be closer to two pounds each day.

But wait, your summer vacation doesn't have to end in weight gain. Keep the following tips in mind as you embark on your summer adventure and you may come home fitter than when you left.

Tip One: Have a Plan
Vacations are the perfect place to gain weight since it's the last thing on your mind. Your best line of defense is to keep your fitness goals at the forefront of your mind. Before you leave for your trip sit down and set a goal.

A realistic goal is to maintain your current weight or to lose a pound or two. Get the whole family on board and keep each other accountable throughout the trip.

Tip Two: Make Exercise a Must
So often exercise is looked at as a chore, but vacations are the perfect time to really enjoy a good workout. You won't be rushing home from work trying to squeeze in a few minutes at the gym, rather the vacation workout can be a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Virtually every hotel these days has some type of workout room equipped with cardio machines, dumbbells and a universal machine. If you are taking a cruise then you are in for a real treat – most workout facilities on cruise ships have huge windows that look out onto the ocean.

Vacations are also a great time to take your workout outdoors; take a run on the beach or do sprints, pushups and crunches on a grassy field. If you want more ideas of workouts you can do using just your body weight then give me a call or send me an email.

Tip Three: Maintain your Metabolism
When traveling it is easy to go for hours without a meal-between flights and long drives food sometimes isn't readily available. The problem here it two fold. First your metabolism slows from the long absence of food. Secondly you are more likely to indulge in a high calorie meal when you get around to eating next.

Avoid this yo-yo of starvation and overindulgence by carrying healthy snacks with you and eating something every three hours. A handful of almonds, a piece of fruit or a small protein bar are fantastic options to keep on hand.

Tip Four: Eat Smart
While we all know that eating in is usually healthier than eating out, on the road you simply don't have a choice – all of your vacations meals will be eaten out. So take the time to order with your health conscious mind, and not simply your taste buds. Watch out for extra large portions-don't be afraid to take a doggie bag back to your room (assuming of course that you have a refrigerator).

Another thing to keep in mind is to keep fried food consumption to a minimum. Fried foods contain more fat and calories than other options, they are also likely to give you heartburn and indigestion-two things you don't need spoiling your vacation. Stick with dishes that contain veggies, lean meats and whole grains.

Enjoy your vacation! And when you get back into town call or email me for a fitness and fat loss consultation and I'll show you a step-by-step plan for getting you the body that you deserve – in less time than you think.

How Long Should A Weight Training Session Be?

Unless you are training for competition or a Sylvester Stallone movie, a typical workout is 30 to 60 minutes. When done correctly, a 30-minute session can be very effective. If you are lifting incorrectly or standing around talking, you might as well go home.

TV Interview with Nordine

In this interview, I explain the theory behing my book Mind Over Body.