by Thomas Baskin

Created on: September 20, 2010

Most people think that if they just exercise a lot, they will automatically start dropping weight. While one may drop a few pounds, it will not have the desired effect that most people desire. When you plan to lose weight, exercising is only one part of a whole that you need to do. Let’s explore a few reasons why people don’t lose weight just by exercising.

Poor eating habits are the number one reason why people don’t lose weight just exercising. After a good workout, you can’t mess it up by thinking “since I exercised, I can get away with a little more of this or that.”  You don’t have to become a vegetarian, but you do have to eat more of the things that are healthier for your body such as fruits and vegetables. Portion control can go a long way in helping you lose weight as well as not eating late at night.

No intensity during workouts. When you work out for weight loss, the goal is to get your metabolism rate up so that your body will burn more calories. If you are not getting your intensity levels high, you won’t have the dramatic loss in weight you are looking for. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to work out for long periods of time to achieve high intensity, you just have to push your body to it.

Drink more water. If you drink more water and less juice and soft drinks, your body will get rid of the excess sugar that is stored in your body resulting in weight loss. Water is very important to the body and will help maintain not only a healthy weight but also your sugar level.

Change up your routine. It’s great that you are exercising but if you continue with the same exercise not only will it stop being effective, you will also be more prone to injure yourself. Not changing up your routine will result in that dreadful phrase in the fitness world known “hitting the plateau.” Remember that to lose the most weight, you have to exercise the whole body not just a portion.

Get a good night’s rest. A lot of people overlook this but getting a good nights sleep is important to your health. You should be getting between 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Believe it or not, getting the right amount of sleep will help suppress your appetite.

Losing weight is more than just exercising. It entails taking care of the body as whole. Just like anything else in life, how much care you put into maintain a healthy weight is what you’re going to get out.

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