Tag: Motivation
8 Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight
Reasons Why You Aren’t Shedding Weight
Many people get a gym membership to lose weight but quit shortly after when they don’t see any progress. Some people join a gym with the expectation that they’ll lose weight automatically after they go to the gym for a couple of weeks.
Losing weight isn’t as easy as said. Getting a few things wrong can halt your progress and make you a victim of self-doubt. If you’ve been training for a while but don’t see the scale budging, you’ve come to the right place.
Mixing of Goals
Some people join a gym with the goal of losing weight but are soon lured into bodybuilding after watching the buff dudes in the gym throwing around weights. People make things harder for themselves by deciding they want to lose fat and build muscle at the same time.
You’re better off going after a single goal at a time. Losing weight is hard enough, and you shouldn’t add to it by trying to build muscle at the same time. Focus on one goal and then move to the next.
Doing Too Little Cardio
Many people come to the gym on a tight schedule and only have a few minutes to spare. You can’t expect to lose weight if you do a 10-15 minute cardio session a day. Follow a tried and tested program to save yourself from wasting your efforts in the gym.
If you want to lose weight, you should be doing two cardio sessions a day. The first one should be a 30-45 minute low-intensity session while the second should be a 10-15 minute HIIT cardio.
Not Following a Diet
You can’t expect to lose weight if you’re not following the right diet. For most people, they’ll need to be in a calorie deficit state to shed the extra kilos. Many people make the mistake of overlooking their diet thinking doing cardio in isolation is enough to lose weight.
Lack of Recovery
If you want to shed weight, you need to give your body enough time to recover from your workouts. Your body undergoes changes while you’re sleeping. You need to sleep for 7-8 hours a day in order to recover and recuperate optimally.
Indiscipline
Once you’re on a calorie deficit diet, you need to be training as per your program. You can’t afford to miss a single training session. Follow your workouts with military-like discipline and you’ll see the scale budging in the right direction.
Giving In To Cravings
Many people are prone to giving in to their cravings as they can’t stay away from their favorite food for too long. Having a single unplanned cheat meal can throw your entire progress out of the window and get you back at the starting line.
No Resistance Training
Most of the people who join a gym stay away from weight training as they think lifting weights will add muscle to the fat which will make it harder to lose weight. Contrary to this belief, resistance training can help you lose weight by toning your muscles.
Jumping Ships Too Often
Losing weight or building muscle mass is a slow process. Many people lose patience too early and start experimenting with different training programs and diets. Since they jump ships too often, none of the programs give them the desired results.
Are you training to build muscle or lose weight? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
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10 Ways To Boost Motivation For Your Workouts
How To Boost Your Motivation For Training
Following a fit lifestyle is not easy. Transforming your physique requires you to follow a strict training, diet, and recovery program. Faulting on a single parameter can set you back on your progress.
You need to be perpetually motivated to transform your body and let’s accept the fact that it can be hard. There will be days when you won’t feel like hitting the gym or eating the same meal for the fifth day in a row. We have put together this article to help you get through it.
Start with the Why
Most people lose motivation because they don’t have a solid reason to stick to working out. If you have body-insecurities or are dealing with inferiority complexes, you need to remember it every time you hit the gym.
Quick Fixes
Watching a motivation video or listening to a podcast can be incredibly effective in pumping you up for your workout. There are tonnes of 2-3 minute podcasts and videos on YouTube that can do the job.
Have a Plan
Waking up without a plan can make you feel lethargic. You can maintain and build on your motivation if you sketch a roadmap with a detailed plan of what you’ll do on a given day. Having a To-Do list will eliminate the laziness and give you solid action steps.
Set an Alarm
Many people skip their training sessions because they get busy binge-watching their favorite Netflix series. Setting an alarm to get ready for the gym can be the nudge that can make all the difference.
Polish Your Strengths
Sometimes people can lose the motivation to train when they don’t see the desired progress. Rather than skipping training a weak muscle group, you should hit your stronger muscles.
Prepare For War
For some people hitting the gym becomes a chore. Have you ever seen someone getting psyched for doing their chores? You need to change this psychology. You should prepare for a workout as a soldier prepares for war.
Repeat a Mantra
Quotes and mantras can help you feel powerful and ready to kill a workout. Grab a screenshot of a quote you see on social media that hits home or repeat a favorite quote before you head out for a training session.
Be Accountable
Since bodybuilding is not a team sport, it’s very easy for people to drop out without drawing a lot of attention. If you’re serious about your transformation, you should share your goals, aspirations, and deadlines with someone and be accountable to them.
Switch It Up
If you are like most people, you’re likely to hit a plateau sooner or later. When it feels as though progress has stalled or isn’t going great, finding success in other areas can give you a unique challenge to motivate your workout.
Create a Playlist
Several studies have shown that listening to music can improve the quality of your workouts. Make a playlist of your favorite tracks that get you going for your workouts. Music services like Spotify and Apple Music have dedicated workout playlists.
How do you pump yourself up for your workouts? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.