Why your workouts aren't working out

It is so hard for many of us to be disciplined enough to even make it to the gym on a regular basis. When we do get to the gym, we just about kill ourselves, thinking we can make a difference with one really intense workout every now and then. News flash: you are likely wasting your time. It doesn’t matter if you have 5 insane workouts a week, if you are not eating right you are not going to get the results you deserve to for putting your body through hell. In fact, you may just be doing more harm to your body that good. Americans have a problem with overeating. This doesn't mean we are ingesting everything our body needs. On the other side of the spectrum many people who go to the gym are conscious about what they eat, but have been misinformed and therefore are just cutting portion size and not getting enough of the right nutrients. So what does this have to do with your workout? Everything! Let me ask you this. When you are exercising, do you feel the burn? When you are feeling this burn, does it feel something like a runner's high or more like all of the energy in your body has been depleted? Most gym-goers mistake that "bad burn" for a "good burn." Are bodies are starving for good nutrition. The most important component of our diet that helps manage our weight and lean body mass is Protein. Protein is essential to build and repair muscle tissue. Protein allows muscles to contract, gain in size, and increase in strength. If we are not eating enough protein our body will experience that "bad burn" and instead of building muscle we are damaging the muscle we do have. We have to match our protein intake to the type and intensity of workout we are doing. Over consumption of protein can actually lead to an increase in fat mass. You ever see those guys who get pretty big from lifting a lot of heavy weights yet they don't have much definition? This is likely a result of too much protein and they are gaining fat along with the muscle they are packing on under it. So how do we use protein to help us lose weight? The fewer calories we consume, the more should come from protein. Protein intake needs to be spread out throughout the day for sustained energy and the ability to gain fat-burning muscle all day. Iron and fluid intake are also important elements of our diet. Iron allows for oxygen to be carried through our blood. Due to all of the water we lose during a workout we have to refuel. Water helps move nutrients throughout the body and helps remove waste from the body. If we don't replace the fluid the workout is pretty much null. Thanks for reading friends!