Ten Reasons You're Not Seeing Results At The Gym

You drag yourself to the gym everyday, hop on your favorite treadmill - the one directly in front of the TV set for the channel with your favorite show. You key in your settings for the usual level at a slight incline at the customary 60 minutes. Only to lose 5 lbs after 4 weeks. Worst of all, you don't look any different than you did on January first, when you vowed 2015 would be the year you get that physique to die for. By now, you're ready to eat a red velvelt  cupcake and indulge in a latte del grande. What do you do? Do you accept the fact that you weren't "meant" to be "skinny" and throw in the towel? May it never be! Now is the time to make some adjustments.

Here are the top 10 reasons you are probably not seeing results and how you can fix them:

1. Exercise monotony. If you do the same old routine day after day, your body gets used to it and no longer responds. Muscles don't grow, fat doesn't get released. Try mixing it up a bit. I do three days cardio, three days weights, alternating between the two. 

2. Too much cardio causes your body to go into a caloric deficit and in times of need, your body would much rather burn muscle than fat. Sure, the scale may move in the “right” direction, but you will losing valuable muscle and your body will still look the same.

3. Passing up on the weights. Building lean muscle will rev your metabolism and the beautiful thing is, muscle takes up a lot less room than fat - an look nicer too. And please don’t subscribe to the old wive’s tale that you will begin to look a man. you don’t have enough testosterone. As long as you’re not “bulking” or eating protein by the tons, your muscles will never grow so huge.

4. Eating too little. You need your protein to feed those muscles you worked so hard developing at the gym. Also, don’t be a afraid of carbs. Complex carbs (those from fruits, veggies and whole grains) will give you the energy you need.

5. Not drinking enough water. Water helps aid in your weight loss goals on so many levels. It boosts your metabolism. It helps curb your cravings. Water is an energy boost. It restores vital nutrients, which helps all your organs maintain their peak performance. Best of all, water flushes out toxins.

6. Stress. When we are under too much stress, our bodies release a surplus of cortisol, a hormone that regulates stress. Cortisol helps us maintain a layer of fat around our middle. Exercise and meditation helps to relieve us of stress.

7. Not enough sleep. Without the proper amount of sleep, cortisol levels will be high. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night if you can. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, so your body gets into a routine.

8. Sedentary Job. Try to get a little extra exercise in throughout your workday. Get up from your desk every so often and stretch. If you can, go for a walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk instead of ride. Park far away from the door at the supermarket. Be a good samaritan and walk your cart back to the cart bank when you’ve finished shopping.

9. Caffeine and sugar substitutes. Both caffeine and sugar substitutes have an adverse effect on your fitness goals. Both help trigger a hefty release of insulin. They may give you boost, but they cause your energy level to crash and leave you wanting more caffeine and sugar and more food.

10. Neglecting to cleanse. A deep cleansing that flushes impurities from your body twice a month will help you lose unwanted fat. Cleansing helps liver function and all your organs perform at their peak. It also helps restore antioxidants, which block and destroy free radicals. Cleansing also helps reduce unhealthy cravings.