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5 Habits That May Be Sabotaging Your Fitness Goals

By on April 4, 2014
no excuses

By Karen Gallagher

 

Did you know that these 5 habits might be sabotaging your fitness and health goals? 

Focus on these 5 triggers over the next two weeks and you will start seeing progression towards your fitness desires.  Want to obtain that summer physique sooner? Check back in two weeks to learn 5 more habits you can tackle to help achieve your ideal health and body!

 

1. Your Nutrition 

 

Real food doesn’t come in a box, have a shelf life, or have a long list of ingredients you can’t pronounce. If you are on a diet that is mainly sourced from pre-packaged foods then you need to change your eating habits.

Consistently dieting and not fueling properly can sabotage your weight loss progression. Start eating the right foods in the right amounts and you’ll realize the best way past a sluggish metabolism is to ignite it with clean, healthy and close to nature foods.  Start thinking of food as your fuel and be sure to feed your engine well.

 

2. You Aren’t Pushing Beyond Your Comfort Zone

 

Do you find that you are spending more time chatting then you are working out? Do you ease through a workout without even breaking a sweat or feeling a good muscle fatigue?  If so, then you probably aren’t getting the results you want.  The only way to get more athletic and keep the body you want involves doing things you may not necessarily love.  I always tell a client “If you don’t love training a specific muscle group then it is a sign that you need to be training it!”.  Step out of your comfort zone and push your self with each rep, set and workout, it will deliver the best results with increased muscle definition and more calories burned!

 

3. You’re Not Lifting Weights Or You’re Not Lifting Heavy Enough

 

The famous words I hear most often are; “I don’t want to bulk up”. First off, no one accidentally bulks up. Bulking up and adding muscle tissue takes precise training and nutrition.  Just because you progress from a five-pound dumbbell to a ten-pound dumbbell, does not mean that you will bulk up and turn into the hulk over night. Increasing your muscle mass will in fact increase your metabolism which will therefore increase your overall fat burning. You can keep doing the same cardio routine and get the same results, or you can lift heavier weights, put on a couple of pounds of lean muscle tissue, and start burning more calories at rest and continue to get leaner.

 

4. You Don’t Hydrate Properly

 

Nothing leads to exhaustion more quickly than not fueling properly with clean foods and water. 75% of your muscle tissue and 10% of your fat tissue is comprised of water, so it’s important to replenish it frequently. When you factor in variables such as intensity of exercise and temperature, your body requires water every ten to twenty minutes during exercise.  Always carry water with you and drink up!

 

5. You Drink Too Much Alcohol

 

If you’re dissatisfied with your fitness level or your body, you have two choices; either continue to drink wine every day or have the body you desire- but not both! Alcohol contains empty calories, meaning it’s a simple sugar and is metabolized in the body as fat.  That right, it is almost immediately stored as body fat! Alcohol can also interfere with your recovery as well as your exercise performance. Limit alcohol to your cheat day or weekends.

 

Karen-M-Gallagher_1210093Karen Gallagher is a leading fitness professional with an elite athletic background combined with over 18 years of knowledge and experience. Along with fitness competitions, Karen’s main focus these days are her businesses Fit 4 Her personal training, Butt Slayer Boot Camps and Sport Performance Coaching. She supports her clients with motivation, goal setting and nutritional programs to best suit their needs and goals and has helped hundreds of people to experience profound life transformations. Learn more at www.karen-gallagher.com

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