Why You're Not Losing The Weight You're Expecting to Lose

Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon (flickr.com)

You've read all the success stories online. A 300-pound person turned his or her life for the better and is now weighing somewhere between 90 and 120 pounds. You then ask yourself why you can't lose a mere 10 kilos when the success stories you've read on the internet claims those people have lost at least 8 kilos a week. The answer is simple. They have a lot of pounds to shed that their weight reduction is almost exponential. Add to that the fact that they are in the right state of mind. If you are just under 200lbs, and have been so for a while, you may be losing weight at about the same rate, but you are not as overweight as the people you've read about. The important thing is, you're continually losing weight!

If you really need an explanation, let's take a look at a few factors. Your metabolism is one. Notice how some people eat more than you do and they don't gain weight at all while you almost starve yourself to death and don't lose weight. Either they're eating healthier and are working out more, or they just have better metabolism than you do.

As weight loss is pretty much achievable by diet and exercise, your diet may be faulty. It's not that you cheat, but the foods you eat may be taken the wrong way by your body. That being said, if you want to increase the rate you're losing weight, you may want to visit your doctor.

On the exercise side of things, you may be thinking that you're working out regularly but are not losing any weight or gaining any muscle. One possible reason for this is you've hit what most people call a "workout plateau." Simply put, the workout repetitions that you have put in before may not be having any effect on your body.

The solution to this is simple: add repetitions to your workout regimen or at least add variety to them. The aim is to feel the same soreness when you exercised for the first time, and doing that for a few weeks until it's your new "normal," in which case you can increase the reps again.

Finally, don't count your pounds. Just keep doing what you're doing. Some people can lose up to fifteen pounds in one month with Amazonia acai while others can do so in two weeks without them. If you feel envious of a friend who's losing eight kilos a week when you're losing only one, don't. It may take longer, but in due time you will be as fit and as healthy as anyone you know. The important thing is you're on the right track.

Related Links:

How to Stay Fit With a 24/7 Work Week (huffingtonpost.com)

Military wife drops more than 100 pounds to surprise husband (edition.cnn.com)

Getting In Shape is Needs as Much of a Mental Effort as Physical Effort

Photo Credit: TipsTimesAdmin (flickr.com)

Weight loss can be attained by following a few key steps. It's the following part that we usually have a problem with. You may not be able to lift a 5kg dumbbell for twenty reps now, but you will surely be able to after a few weeks. The problem is losing the will to do so or even to begin at all. That being said, getting in shape takes as much mental effort as it does with physical effort.

One of the things that we most commonly see in weight-loss success stories is how formerly-plump people have gone through a bad moment in their lives; only to realize something important and changed their habits for better. This isn't really far from what commonly happens. If you get stressed, say, after experiencing a breakup, you either eat more or eat less to cope with your heartbreak.

Stress is actually a very powerful mental state that can make or break your will to lose weight. It doesn't matter if you have built a home gym. If you come home too stressed out from work, chances are you won't even get to use the home gym equipment you've prepared. Heightened stress to the point of depression can cause people to eat more than they should.

Stress is also linked to several physical disorders in addition to mental ones. PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, makes it hard for women to regulate their insulin levels. This puts them at risk for other various ailments such as diabetes in addition to having fertility problems. Due to them having insulin problems, they also struggle with their weight-loss attempts as well.

That being said, stress alleviation is important for you to lose weight. Not only will you avoid binging, you can also put yourself in the right state of mind for you to be able to properly lose weight. It's worth noting an irony here; that stress can lead to people to skip exercise and yet exercise is an excellent way to relieve stress.

Relieving stress can be as simple as changing your outlook in life. Stress is a reaction to challenges thrown at you. You can either look at them negatively and be depressed or take them as a challenge for you to overcome. Once you've mastered the positive outlook, you can then apply this to your workout regimen. For instance, you can want to feel the aching muscles that you get only through working out; which consequently will make you want to work out more.

If you're still having trouble getting the jumpstart on your weight-loss plan, consider getting the help of some supplements out there. A good way to start is with milder supplements, such as Xtend. You can take a look at Nutrition Warehouse for more details. Only use supplements once you get the mental state in order. Otherwise, the supplements will only do more harm than good as they are designed to be used for working out.

Related Links:

You Won't Lose Any Weight Unless You Makeover Your Mind First (huffingtonpost.com)

Weight loss: 6 strategies for success (edition.cnn.com)

Starting Your Own Home Gym

Doing your work out at home has numerous advantages.

Faithful gym-goers may disagree with this statement but consider this – the money you save from a year of paying gym-related fees is usually enough to buy you some good equipment for your home. Moreover, this can also be an advantage if you often have a busy schedule and dropping by the local gym is already becoming harder and harder.

Getting Started

Of course, this option will only be possible for you if you have sufficient space. Some mistakenly believe that working out can only be done in one’s personal room but this doesn’t always have to be the case. For example, feel free to use the garage. This is possible as long as you organize things properly.

Next, you need to have your own weight set. When buying one, checking the quality of the material is a must. It is strongly recommended that you go for a 300-pound weight set. Having a durable bench is equally important. Dumbbells and curl bars are other must-have equipment as you begin to establish a home gym.

Other Basic Things You Need

Comfortable clothing is very important. While you do not have to wear gym clothes all the time, make sure that you do feel relaxed with what you put on. Having a good heating system or a fan also plays a big role.

Putting a mirror on the wall is a good idea not only so you can admire your muscle growth but most importantly, to see if you using improper posture during your routines. Speaking of growth, you may also utilize a white board (or at least a notebook) to record your progress. This is highly effective in terms of checking your improvement.

Great Advantages of Working out at Home

If you prefer training alone, then your home can be the best place. This way, you wouldn’t have to worry about sharing equipment with other gym clients. You can proceed with your workout according to your own pace.

Another great thing here is that you wouldn’t have to endure bad music played at the gym. You don’t have to bear with never-ending boy band songs or any other cheesy workout music. You can listen to your favorite rock or rap music anytime you want.    

Those working out after office hours do not have to rush to the gym anymore. Reducing driving time is another obvious benefit here. The convenience of having your own equipment is really amazing. You won’t have to worry about closing hours because you can always exercise during your free time – regardless if that is 6:00 PM or 10:00 PM!

Food and beverage are always within easy reach as well so it really wouldn’t be a problem in case you need to have a quick snack or Muscle Milk during or after your training.