I just finished reading 8 Evil habits that Hijack Your Progress and Snuff Out Your Motivation by my friend Marc David and it got me thinking. It is an article you definitely want to read, but I realized there are 5 more evil habits that could be included.
- Constantly changing their eating habits. It is pretty clear to me that most people fail at the fat loss game because they don't stick it out long enough. They change things up too often because they don't see the results they expect right away. I can tell you that by sticking to the same plan for enough time that it can take effect, you can safely evaluate your progress. Only make changes to nutrition: (a) when it isn't working; or (b) when you are going into contest preparation.
- Not working hard enough in the gym. Changes to your body requires you to work harder and harder. Each time you go to the gym you should beat what you did there previously. Most people just take it too easy. They get satisfied with the way things are and don't push themselves hard enough. This type of mistake is costly because not only do you fail to see results, but you cannot get back the time you wasted.
- Underestimating the importance of cardio. Like Marc's point about gurus, too many of us underestimate the importance of cardio exercise. We read that we can burn fat in just 10 minutes a session, so naturally we go for the easy path. I can tell you from experience that I only get great results when I do at least an hour of cardio each day. Do not underestimate how important cardio exercise is.
- Underestimating the importance of carbs. Somwehere along the way people turned carbs into something that is evil. They work hard to keep carbs low at all times. This could really be stalling their progress. I only saw serious fat loss after increasing my carbs.
- Thinking you can make up a workout. Many people find nothing wrong with skipping a workout only to “make it up” later. You can't make up a scheduled workout. Once you miss it, it is gone forever. Make sure you stick to your training schedule.
If you relate to anything above, think about how you will fix the problem. Make the proper change and you will see a change in your results.
