WHY YOU AREN'T LOSING WEIGHT

WHAT YOU ARE DOING WRONG

Chances are if you clicked on this post, it's because your gains have come to a halt and you're wondering why. This is normal. With the Health and Fitness industry going completely digital, thousands of influencers online displaying "new" exercises & the latest supplement or diet, it is easy to feel like you’re missing out on the newest trend. If your looking at those convoluted upside down burpee crunches on Tik Tok, or that special shake that makes you drop 13 pounds in 12 hours I'm here to tell you, that ain't it chief.

Fortunately for you, the fitness industry has completely transformed, but the human body hasn't changed much the last few thousand years.  

We need proper sleep, a well-rounded meal, proper hydration, and physical movement/exercise. So why complicate it? That won't change.

Why continue to look for the shortcut when you aren't picking all the low hanging fruit?

The reasons why you're not progressing are right under your nose! Make sure you are executing the essentials perfectly before you look anywhere else. Here's how. 

PROPER HYDRATION

 The first thing you should be doing in the morning is drinking 16-32 oz of water. As soon as your feet hit the floor, down that water. If you slept 6-8 hours, your body hasn't had a sip of water in that time either meaning it needs to be replenished. This kick starts your metabolism, sending your digestive system to work, flushing the belly.

Apart from being hydrated, it's been proven, if you drink more water, you will eat less. So next time you are feeling hungry after you JUST ate, you're probably thirsty, not hungry.

Drink anywhere from 0.8-1 Oz of water per pound of bodyweight. Do not exceed 1.5 gallons. I guarantee if you have not been implementing this in your regimen, it will do wonders for your weight loss. Water is what keeps the ship moving baby!

FUEL

When we talk about nutrition and "eating right" it all comes down to your goals. When someone says, "Coach I want to lose weight", I always say wittingly, "Stop eating" because in theory they WILL lose weight. We just don't know how much. 

This idea of losing weight with no exact goal in mind is the number one reason why people aren't where they want to be. You may lose a pound or two but if you don't know what the goal is, then where are we going? How do you hold yourself accountable? How do you know what steps you need to take?

If you currently weigh 200 pounds and want to be 180, that's a start, now we have goal numbers and something tangible we can measure. The next step is identifying how MUCH fuel your body needs. Stop the guesswork, that's why you're overeating.

You can determine your caloric needs by doing your homework, based on your height/weight, age, activity level, body fat percentage, and goal weight., Alternatively you can seek a reputable nutritionist, such as myself (not a plug).

The goal is to eat wholesome foods, nothing processed, if it didn't walk, swim, or crawl we don't want it. Keep your plate colorful and your gut will thank you. Eat in a caloric deficit, adjust every 2 weeks. Whey supplements and meal replacements drinks should be kept to a minimum. Simple. Eat like a caveman. They didn't have chip and cereal sections.

My approach with my athletes is always "Eat to meet your goals, do not eat for pleasure." This in turn gives you a bigger margin for error, if you eat in accordance with your nutritional plan, every now and then that cookie won't hurt. The idea is to be consistent and live the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time you eat properly, the other 20% you can treat yourself. Do not deviate from the plan. Nutrition is king.

SLEEP

If sleep was a supplement on the market, it would probably be banned for all the potential benefits it offers athletes. Simply think of how you feel when you don't sleep well-- tired, irritable, hungry. Your body needs sleep to regenerate, to feel refreshed and alert the next morning. Your hormone levels (cortisol, the hormone in charge of hunger specifically) will have a better chance of being normal when you are rested. You tend to eat less, and don't experience the overeating effect most experience when tired. Lack of sleep can significantly decrease your cognitive ability in the workplace or anywhere else you need it. 

To ensure you’re getting the most out of your slumber, aim to get 7-9 hours a night ( a lot I know ), avoid caffeine at least 5 hours before you go to bed, make it cold in the house, and stay off your phone close to bed time!

Better sleep is more attainable and more essential than you think, make it a priority. Quality sleep will better your physical and mental health without a doubt and get you on the fast track to your goals!

EXERCISE

Don't waste your time running endless miles in hopes of losing weight and getting shredded. Weight training is key.

 To LOSE weight and build an injury resilient body you need to LIFT weights.

At GOEFIT, we have an 8-week training method we use with our athletes trying to lose weight:

The first 4 weeks we do full body lifts, 3 times a week, taxing each muscle group with moderate to heavy compound movements, including a 10-minute warmup and cool down on a cardio machine of choice. On off days we include active rest activities such as walking, swimming, cycling for about 30-60 minutes at steady state. 3 days of intense activity, 2 days of low steady state cardio, 1 workout solely dedicated to our flexibility and mobility, and 1 full rest day we like to call "Brain Gain" day. The GOEFIT method follows the "Stimulate, don't annihilate" ideology. Instead of blasting your body every single day leaving you drained for the next training session, and more probable to miss a session later in the week, we take fatigue into consideration, covering every aspect of the system.

The next 4 weeks we implement what is called Interval weight training. A grinding/ballistic lift paired with fat torching cardio sprints. We run similar routines keeping the same structure, and by the end of the 8 weeks you have a leaner, stronger, more conditioned body. The concept is simple, the work is hard. 

BOTTOM LINE

Take the methods used above and implement them in your life. Take a look at each individual aspect of your daily routine. Are you drinking enough water? Are you getting to bed at a decent time? What are you putting in your body as fuel? Quality of exercise?

You can't workout in a dehydrated state, you will never outwork a bad diet, and if you are waking up early to get a workout in, after only 4 hours of sleep, then you are stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. Exercise is important, yes, but it will never be as important as fulfilling your body's necessities. 

Improve each one of these elements and watch the fat melt off your body.  A healthy body is a culmination of all these things. There is no magic supplement or workout routine. Stay consistent in your approach and you will be satisfied with your results. Gains Over Everything.

Written by Mateo Gomez