Top 6 Barriers to a Feminine, Firm, and Fit Body…And How to Avoid Them

Let’s face it, losing weight and keeping it off is tough.  Millions of Americans struggle with their weight; so much so that frustration often leads to giving up altogether.  This loss of hope only perpetuates the problem.

There are many things that lead to a lack of weight loss success, and every individual is different.  However, in my 15 years as a fitness professional, I have noticed 6 barriers that are holding most people back from losing weight and looking great.  And the good news is they can all be changed today!

1.)  Skipping Meals-Skipping meals leads to a decrease in metabolism.  When you go too long between meals the body believes it’s starving and begins to hoard fat.  This is a survival response from the brain that is uncontrollable.  As a result, the next meal you eat will be stored as fat and not used as energy.  Eating a small meal, beginning with breakfast, every three hours is a sure fire way to boost your metabolism and keep it going all day long.  Just make sure the meals are healthy and well balanced.

2.)  Cutting Calories-In an effort to lose weight, many people join weight loss centers, go on diet plans, or read diet books.  A large number of these diet plans/books teach you to cut your calories and the weight will disappear.  Sure, cutting calories will make the scale go down.  The problem is that the weight loss is made up mostly of lean muscle and water.  Burning lean muscle leads to a decrease in metabolism as muscle is the best fat burner the body possesses.  Lose too much lean muscle and it will be very difficult for your body to burn fat.  Losing lean muscle also prevents you from having that fit, toned look you may be striving for.

Cutting calories too low is unsustainable for a long period of time.  Eventually, your body will succumb to the perceived starvation and begin to crave unhealthy foods.  This leads to binge eating.  Binge eating will cause you to put back on any body fat that was burned and then some.  Unfortunately, the muscle does not come back.

Instead of focusing on calories, try to eat 5-6 small meals a day.  As often as possible, try to get a lean protein source and complex carbohydrate with each meal.  Be sure to keep you portions small as well.  A good rule of thumb is to keep your portion sizes no bigger than your balled fist.

3.)  Lack of Resistance Training-Resistance training can be in the form of body weight, dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls, etc.  Resistance training breaks down lean muscle causing it to build back leaner, stronger, and more beautiful.  As stated above, lean muscle is the body’s best fat burner.  If you are serious about burning fat, if you want to wear form fitting dresses and sleeveless shirts, resistance training is a must.  When I speak of lean muscle don’t be confused.  I do not mean big, bulky, “manly” muscles.  Resistance training for a woman will create that sleek, toned, feminine look instead.  Add three days a week of resistance training to your exercise routine and you will see body changing results fast.

4.)  Too Much Cardio-Cardio is great and it should be done…in moderation.  Just like cutting calories, doing too much cardio will burn away lean muscle causing your metabolism to slow down.  It is very difficult to achieve a lean, toned look with cardio alone.  Instead, a mix of moderate cardio and resistance training is the right formula.  Moderate cardio is simply 30-40 minutes of jogging, fast walking, swimming, elliptical, biking, or any other cardiovascular activity.  Do this three times a week in conjunction with three days of resistance training and you will be on your way to the body of your dreams.

5.)  Lack of Rest/Sleep-A lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, increased stress, and many other health issues.  If you are not getting enough sleep, achieving a great physique will be tough.  Failure to get enough sleep alters hormone levels which makes it difficult for the body to burn fat.  It also makes it difficult to recover from your workouts making muscle soreness last longer than it should.

Losing sleep also weakens the immune system making you more susceptible illness.  It’s not easy to maintain an exercise program and healthy eating plan when you are under the weather.  Get sick and your weight loss plans will be temporarily derailed.  Most sleep experts recommend 6 ½ -7 ½ hours a night to be healthy and avoid these pitfalls.

6.)  Lack of Accountability-Accountability can come from a friend, family member, co-worker, personal trainer, boot camp instructor, etc.  The important thing is that you have somebody depending on you to get off of the couch and exercise.  It is too easy for us to rationalize why we “shouldn’t” or “can’t” exercise.  When you have someone else relying on you those excuses won’t cut it.  It is human nature to not want to let people down.  Use that to your advantage when it comes to weight loss.  Pick up the phone and call a friend, family member, personal trainer, or join a fitness boot camp today.

Breaking through these barriers may not be easy, but if you do, amazing results lie ahead.  Here’s to your health!