Healthy and fit body is what most of us aim for! Ask anybody, and 9 out of 10 will say “I’m trying,” or “I’m on a diet,” or “I’d like to lose a few pounds.”We all know what we need to do to get fit: more vegetables, more movement, less junk food, fewer calories on average, and a healthy exercise routine. A lot of people talk about how they want to get in shape. They prepare diet plans in excruciating detail. They make New Year’s resolutions and start exercising for a couple of hours every day. And yet, despite all this planning, they fail or struggle hard to get in better shape.

Not following a proper sleep routine: Staying up too late makes weight loss and weight maintenance difficult. Many hormones are affected by sleep and it could affect your appetite – you eat but don’t feel full or satisfied, Ultimately affecting your metabolism.

Be consistent with your workout routine: It’s not about how perfect your plan is or whether you do yoga, strength training, etc. Half the work to getting in shape is to just show up each and every day. Whether it is for five minutes or an hour, just set aside the time each day and be there.

Workout mistakes: Skipping your warm-up may cause you to fatigue early, preventing you from realizing your potential. Furthermore, leaning on the stair climber or elliptical trainer may allow you to stay on longer, but it drastically reduces the challenge to your lower body as well as the number of calories you burn.

Exercising too much: If you exercise too much, the body sometimes responds by decreasing the number of calories you burn during the rest of your day. Try to take rest between the hardcore exercises; If you don’t rest enough between hard cardio or strength workouts, you’ll stop making progress and may even lose some of the fitness you’ve gained.

You follow the same workout every day: If you do the same routine over and over, your muscles will simply adapt; you’re likely to hit a plateau because each exercise stimulates only a limited number of muscle fibers. Try something completely different at least one day a week. Anything new can jumpstart your body into weight loss.

Incorporate strength training into your workout routine: A  proper exercise plan includes cardio and strength training. If you’re just doing cardio, then you will be burning calories and strengthen your cardiovascular system. You need strength training to change your body composition by building more muscle.

You are not working hard enough: In order to get results from exercise, you have to regularly push yourself beyond your fitness comfort zone. Whether you increase the frequency, intensity, or duration of your workouts, you have to switch it up.

Too much sitting: Sitting all day and staying relaxed can be bad for our health and our waistlines—even if you exercise during the day. Sure, you work out regularly, but what you do the rest of the day matters, too!

Proper eating: Proper nutrition fuels your workouts, but eat too much and you could gain weight (or hurt your weight-loss efforts), and eat too little, and you won’t have enough energy to exercise. Our body requires everything in proportion – protein, fats, and carbs. It’s very important to eat foods that would get you the required calorie to maintain your weight(BMR- Basal metabolic rate)

Find a healthy balance: Instead of cutting out foods you enjoy, try watching your portion sizes. You shouldn’t punish yourself by cutting out foods you enjoy just because you’d like to lose weight …enjoying delicious food is one of the pleasures in life. The trick is to plan your indulgences so that you can have some fun while staying on track with your weight loss goals. Like, If you want pizza or your favorite ice cream, eat a lighter lunch and maybe do a little more activity. That way you can really enjoy your favorite treats.

Too much sugar: Eating too much sugar is linked to weight gain and various diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. If you want to stay fit and optimize your health, you should do your best to avoid foods that contain added sugars. But how much is too much? The maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day:

• Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons)
• Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons)

Not enough protein: A high protein intake boosts metabolism, reduces appetite and changes several weight-regulating hormones. It helps in burning more calories. Eating plenty of protein can help prevent muscle loss when you lose weight. When it comes to getting a fit and better looking body, protein is the king of nutrients.

Drink enough water: How much water you should be actually drinking? About one-half of your body weight in ounces every day, especially if you’re exercising. If you eat more of fibrous food, Increase your water intake- adding 8 to 16 ounces. Else, it may cause constipation.

Try to stress less: Stress and weight gain, or lack of weight loss go hand in hand. Excessive stress causes fat to be stored in the abdominal area, where weight is harder to lose, slows down your metabolic activity, alters your appetite(increased craving for junk foods or carbs)

Be careful before joining any fitness plan or training: There are nutrition and fitness experts out there who truly want to help you. But there are also salesmen out there that just want to take your money. One cares about your health, nutrition, and physique; the other doesn’t. It’s wise to do a proper research, and make sure you’re buying professional help and quality products/training, not quackery.

Medical conditions: Some health problems and common medications can cause weight gain or weight loss-  altering your fitness goal:

• Thyroid conditions
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Diabetes medications
• Corticosteroids
• Some antidepressants(Depression medications)
• Certain medications for High blood pressure
• Hormonal change.
• Birth control pills.

If you’ve been struggling to reach your fitness goals despite following a proper diet, workout and healthy routine, maybe it is time to get yourself checked for some health conditions that could derail your best efforts.

Fitness is a complex process involving a variety of factors we control, such as diet, exercise, activity levels, stress and sleep habits and some we can’t control, such as genes, gender, hormones, age and body type. We should learn to accept our body and be positive of the efforts we put in. Staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can benefit in different other ways than just getting the desired body. Being optimistic and motivated can help us go a long way!

I would really appreciate your suggestions and views on my post. Have an awesome life and stay happy!