5 Things You're Doing That Prevent You From Reaching Your Fitness Goals

Today, everywhere we look, there is some fitness fad that has everyone believing that they will achieve quick results with minimal efforts. I'm sure you don't need to hear someone tell you that most likely you're being scammed. So why is it that people everywhere are still buying into these marketing manipulations and not just staying the course to real health, and personal improvement? Training your body is just as important as training your mind. Here's a list of 5 things you can do to improve your results and make fitness, eating right, and working out more tolerable, and dare I say, FUN.

Pretending You Don't Have Time

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No matter what your job's schedule is, or your responsibilities after work, we make time for the things we care about and prioritize accordingly. No one is expecting you to be in the gym pumping iron for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week, especially in the beginning. Find ways to workout in the time you do have. If you really hate being in the gym, do something outside then. Go for a walk with your girlfriend. Get involved in a sports league or join a boxing gym. The most important thing to keep in mind is DON'T MAKE IT A CHORE! If you need a little inspiration or motivation, checking out some #fitspo

Eating Too Little or The Wrong Things

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Nutrition is the most important factor in fitness. You get out of working out only what you put in (into your body, in particular). Abs are built in the kitchen. Skipping meals won't make you happy. Eating a bland salad probably won't either. No one says you need to be sacrificing flavor for nutrition. It's 2014, yet many people still think that eating healthy has to equate to food tasting like cardboard. Go to the gym, bust your butt for an hour, and have a post-workout meal of something you enjoy. Eat for fuel. There are recipes all over the internet to satisfy your sweet tooth but to keep it healthy. We all know right from wrong, and making conscious efforts everyday to switch out just one bad meal with one good meal can start to motivate you to do it more.

Thinking You Know It All or Have No Game Plan

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Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to our personal health. Not everyone will benefit and see improvements the same way from the same things , but going into the gym with a blind eye can not only lead to non-existent results, but even serious injuries. Ask for help. Work with a trainer. Join a gym or fitness center where you feel comfortable. Form is incredibly important. Make sure you dedicate each day to a separate muscle group. This is a very important tip that some people, women especially, will overlook. For a while, whenever I went to the gym, I would do a full body workout every time and totally burn myself out, and wasn't seeing serious improvements where I wanted them. When I took the time to put my "I know what I'm doing" pride and ego aside, and asked for help and did my research, and I found out that separating your gym days into different muscle groups was the smartest and most efficient way to get where I wanted to be. When working a body part, your glutes for example, and you are doing squats but really don't feel a burn in your butt, that means your form is wrong. Watch yourself in the mirror. Make sure your feet are even and the weights are balanced. Bad Form = Bad Results.

Not Setting Goals/Expecting Results Overnight

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You don't expect to achieve your dream job after a month as an intern, so why do we expect to have our dream body after a week. It's important to set realistic goals for yourself to keep yourself pushing forward. Go into the gym with a plan and stay the course. This is a slow process, but it takes even longer when you skip days and don't focus 100%. Go after what you want but learn how to discipline yourself.

Not Committing To A Change

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Why is it a preconceived notion that change is a bad thing? Life changes. Circumstances change. Relationships change. So why are we condemned for wanting to change ourselves? It's only natural to grow as a person and want to improve. Make fitness a new part of your life moving forward. Give it a chance. It's important to stay focused, but also stay realistic about your expectations. Skinny, muscular, chubby, it's all sexy, as long as you're healthy.