Working out is one thing, seeing results is another. Think of it as the whole process of planting a tree. You’ve sown the seed alright, but you need to water, fertilize and groom the plant for it to grow and bear fruits. Working your body out is just like that. There are additional steps you have to take to ensure that you get the best results out of your workout. Unfortunately, some of the steps we take are the wrong ones. Nothing comes easy, especially a fit and healthy body. It’s very easy for us to be misled by labels and bad guidance. Today I’m going to expose those bad steps that are counter-productive to the workout process. Please pay attention.
1. Falling for the Low-Fat Foods. You read that right, LOW-FAT. Because if it says low-fat, then it’s packed with all sort of chemicals and toxins that are even worse for your body. These supposedly low-fat foods contain various sugars that give you a full feeling that quickly fades and leaves you craving another fast sugar rush. This just leads to a vicious sugar-munching cycle. A better choice is eating nutritious meals in the right quantities and filling up on healthy natural foods.
2. Going all out on the Healthy Food Ride. You heard that avocados are packed with all kinds of yummy nutrients, so you bought 5 and ate them all at once. Or maybe you found out that snacking on nuts is great alternative to KFC at noon, so you ate a 500g can of peanuts in 2 days. Bad, bad choices. Like always, moderation is key. As much as the foods are healthy choices, over-indulging can counter the effect of your workout because you’re still consuming calories. Rather than filling up on these foods, focus on controlling your portions and measuring your calorie intake like you should.
3. Overdoing it on the coffee. My dad once told me that instead of having a sandwich or a portion of pasta for lunch, I can save the heavy eating for breakfast and have a cup of coffee instead. This is good advice, if followed properly. Most Nigerians like their coffee with 2 sugars and a shower drizzle of milk. Some of us even go ahead and make our own double chocolate latte. This is just as good as drinking 1 litre of Coco-Cola (I have nothing against Coca-Cola, believe me). It is important that we remember that everything we consume is considered when measuring our calorie intake, everything including drinks; coffee, tea, soda and water(which is calorie free). Don’t over do it with the drinks.
4. Repetition. I have touched on this in a previous post. I’m going to say it again because it’s very important that we understand how our bodies work. Doing the same routine over and over again is no good. Just the way your mind gets bored, your body gets bored as well. You reach a point where you’re no longer working your muscles out, you’re literally just taking a stroll. Switch up your routine every 4-8 weeks by introducing speed, distance and resistance. You can even change it up altogether. This way you keep your body guessing and your muscles challenged.
5. Going to the gym daily. Don’t stress your body. You can injure yourself. I think that says it all. Even the fittest of persons take a break. Workout on alternate days, and take time to rest, or at least tone it down while keeping activity. All work and no play makes Jack a sore guy.
