"I've tried everything. I exercise all the time. I eat healthy. I know what I'm doing." These are constant sentences I hear on a daily basis from clients, friends, family, associates and even current colleagues. But yet, something is still amiss. Do you say these things on the regular to others? A lot of the time, our natural pride (especially with males) takes over and we hit plateaus; then stubbornly decide to instead of asking for help, we depend on internet research, diet pills and supplement gimmicks to find our solutions. Most of the time, not even realizing that the solution has been in front of us the entire time.
Being a male in a very competitive industry, I have to reality check myself frequently-or my wife does it for me :) Coming from a long family line of substance abuse users, I starved as a child for attention from my family-thinking that my athletic performance and constant achievements would draw their attention towards me and away from their favorite addictions. I always had to be the best at EVERYTHING....yes, EVERYTHING. This is a constant battle in my life and I faced a more recent battle of pride in early 2017 when I had to return to the basics of nutrition and what it actually does for individuals, down to a cellular level and why it actually helps people achieve greater results in their performance than constantly relying on supplements and other gimmick products. This is possibly a fantastic topic for a future blog so if you would like to read a topic like that, please comment below and let Taz Fitness know your views :)
Needless to say, I do in fact know what you are going through when you face these struggles. I've been there and done that. I've been on my health journey since 2010 and I'm still constantly learning new things about this wide open wellness industry. Obviously, this health blog could be rather long with every possible situation that is slowing you down from achieving your goals. Some dishonorable mentions are...
1. Not counting calories daily or having consistent knowledge of the macronutrients (protein, fat & carbs) you are putting in your mouth. Also, not having a clue on the amount of macronutrients your body actually needs daily to perform at 100%. If you haven't already, I highly recommend getting with your doctor and requesting a blood test for nutrient imbalances and/or food sensitivity concerns. If you have zero idea on where to start when it comes to calorie and macro amounts to have daily, please comment below and we will be in touch to help.
2. Underlying issues such as lack of sleep, lack of consistency, chronic stress, eating or drinking back all of your calories in one cheat night which eliminates your entire week of hard work in just a few hours. I personally have dear friends of mine that will do 30 minutes of low to moderate paced cardio exercise twice to three times a week (which may burn just a few hundred calories at best) then go out one Saturday night to a bar or restaurant, then wonder why they are feeling poorly. Weight loss is about calories in Vs. calories out in a particular time period.
3. Relying on too much exercise. Yes, we love to boast that we do 2 or 3 workouts a day because we are beasts and yes, you are burning more calories but this isn't always the long term healthiest approach to weight loss. Like I've stated in previous health blogs on CoachTaz.com, we are human beings (homo sapiens) and that means that our bodies hate sudden and dramatic change. Most of the time, individuals are so motivated, they go from one extreme to the other. From sitting on a couch to doing several workouts a day or doing a drastic calorie cut. Slow progress is still progress. Being patient and losing weight slowly will help prevent both-acute or chronic injuries and help prevent the rebound effect from happening (sudden weight gain that returns.) Always remember, results appear when you are out of the gym, not in it.
4. Not eating as healthy as you think you are. Many times, I will sit down with people and ask them, what are your daily eating habits like? And most of the time, the responses are these..."I eat fruit. I eat whole grain cereal. I eat turkey sandwiches. I only go to healthy fast food like Chik-fil-a or Chipotle. I'm a vegan or vegetarian." Needless to say, if you cannot tell me what your daily caloric consumption or macronutrient balance is, I'm going to assume that you are just playing baseball and taking random swings at the ball that's being thrown to you. Just because you might be a vegan (a huge increase this year) doesn't necessarily mean you are healthy as a horse either. If it comes in a box, a can, a plastic bag, a bottle or a wrapper of some kind, I guarantee that you are consuming some form of preservatives and/or artificial ingredients or colors and these will in fact sabotage your health goals. Also, labels can be incredibly deceiving. Just because a cereal box says "whole grains," a bag of chicken breasts says "no hormones," or a tasty snack says "low fat," doesn't mean it is a healthier option.
These are topics that I could spend hours discussing in a nutrition workshop so I will leave you with this final tip...if you are trying to lose weight, remember that it is all about calories in vs. calories out. Eat nutrient dense foods and don't binge, eat when you are hungry and between meals, keep water consumption high to keep yourself hydrated and keep your digestive system happy. Keep the majority of your nutrition plant based; meaning keep whole grains, natural oils, fruit and vegetable intake a priority. Every single day, I make a physical note to myself on my calendar that I had a daily helping of natural nuts or seeds like almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc. and had several helpings of fruits and vegetables.
As always, I hope this has helped answer some of your questions if you are experiencing a plateau in your weight loss progress. Of course, there could be other underlying issues that could be discussed so if you are still having trouble, please comment below and never hesitate to reach out to me. Nutrition consultations are available and for brand new potential members, a free 30 minute Personal Training consultation is also available. Leave the excuses and pride at the door and become a member of Taz Fitness today! Visit CoachTaz.com/book-online for more information.
God Bless,
Taylor R aka Coach Taz
CoachTaz24@gmail.com
Meal Prep 101: