6 ways you’re making weight loss even harder

All the junk food is out of the house. You’re in the gym 3, 4 or 5 days per week. But the damn scale won’t budge and you’re seeing the same reflection in the mirror.

Here’s what could be going on:

1. You cheat before even knowing the rules yet

Grabbing a beer here, eating a small piece of cake there, nibbling on a little this and a little of that actually adds up. It takes a while to learn what works and doesn’t work for your body. And until you’ve gotten that formula figured out, it’s best to stay away from the “cheat meals” for the time-being. Check out this comprehensive piece on intuitive eating for lean muscle and how to get your body there.

2. You’re starving your body

Huge mistake, and actually very common. Think if you eat less you’ll lose weight? You actually will, but you’ll also lose a huge percentage of muscle that you have. The result? Skinny-fat. You’re still fat, but just a smaller version of it. To successfully lose weight, you need to eat, and do it properly. Check out the intuitive eating piece mentioned above for a comprehensive analysis of diet.

3. You workout, but you don’t WORKOUT

Similarly to the above, you can’t really cheat until you’ve got it all figured out. But this also holds true for the gym and your workouts. You can’t be doggin’ it in there. Chances are you can do 1-2 more reps than you think you can. Going through the motions without passion and determination will hold you back. If you’re routines seem a bit flat, check out these 7 training techniques that produce insane muscular pumps.

4. Your consistency sucks

We’re not talking about missing a session here and there. Well, we are. But this actually pertains to longer-term consistency as well. If you train like an animal for 3 weeks, but flake out for the next 3 and want to get back into it, you’re really making it hard on yourself. Building the human body takes time and a lot of effort, if you’re not ready to make a realistic investment of focus and energy into it, then you need to be prepared to accept results that might not be what you want. Check out this piece on how to always have your best possible workout.

5. You run too damn much

Running is great exercise. And so is rowing and biking and swimming. But, but, but, believe it or not, too much cardio could be working against you. When your goal is to lose weight, you want to lose fat, not just weight. Too much cardio and it can eat away at muscle. If you’re doing tons of cardio and not seeing any progress, start prioritizing the resistance training 3-4 days per weeks, 1 shorter run and 1 longer run in a week. Check out the Redemption plan for a good combo of weight and easy cardio.

6. You stress out like a nut

Your head plays more of a role in the weight loss game than people like to give credit. If you’re freaking out over work, a bad relationship, or whatever—it’s going to impact your physical body. Without getting overly complicated, stress makes you want to eat, and eat more. Enough said.