Five Things That Can Sabotage Your Fitness Goals

Working out is important in today’s world where many of us spend our days sitting at a desk in front of a computer. We all want to be healthy, and most of us wouldn’t mind shedding a few pounds, but just because you hit the gym doesn’t mean you are going to reach your fitness goals.

Unfortunately, you can go to the gym every day and not see a difference in how you look or feel. Your workout probably isn’t to blame. Instead, you’re probably sabotaging your fitness goals without even knowing it.

Drug and Alcohol Use

It’s obvious that illegal drugs aren’t going to help you on your fitness journey. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that legal drugs aren’t a big deal simply because it isn’t against the law to do them.

For example, the THC in marijuana has more than doubled since 1993, which leads to higher rates of addiction. If you’re addicted, you’re likely to spend more time thinking about getting high than getting some exercise. Not to mention, long-term use can increase your heart rate and create chronic coughing, which can both make exercising extremely uncomfortable.

Drinking isn’t a good idea either. Even if you drink casually, you’re ingesting empty calories, which leads to weight gain. Instead, you should treat alcohol like you do other desserts, which means drinking sparingly.

You Aren’t Eating Right

You probably already know that what you eat can affect your weight loss goals. Eating high amounts of sweets and greasy foods can leave you feeling sluggish, which can make exercising difficult, but they are also full of calories, which means you’ll likely eat way more than you should.

However, you can experience just as many problems if you swing too far the other way. If you are restricting calories, and you’re restricting them a little too severely, you aren’t going to have the energy to work out!

Dieting doesn’t work in the long-term. Instead, you should start adjusting your diet so you eat more of the right things while cutting out the wrong things—no counting calories needed.

If you’re still struggling, it’s a good idea to speak with a nutritionist or a personal trainer. They can make sure you’re eating the right foods to reach your goals.

You Have a Toxic Mindset

Our minds and bodies are linked. If you have a toxic mindset, you will unconsciously sabotage yourself when you’re working out. The wrong mindset can make it difficult to feel motivated to work out, and it can cause you to drop your workout routine, only to have to try and find the motivation to pick it up again months or years down the road.

Common thoughts that can sabotage your workout goals include:

• Spending too much time comparing yourself to others
• Focusing on short-term success
• Thinking you have to do workouts you don’t like to reach your goals

Instead, take the time to see how far you’ve come, create a workout routine you can maintain in the long-term, and choose workouts you actually like to do!

You Get Poor Sleep

Not getting enough sleep can affect nearly every area of your life. That includes your time in the gym.

If you didn’t get enough sleep the night before and you feel exhausted, skip your workout for the day. Not only does it have the potential to make you even more tired, your body will struggle to repair muscle fibers, which makes working out pointless.

If you don’t get around eight hours of sleep regularly, it’s time to rethink your bedtime routine. If you are chronically sleep deprived, no amount of exercise is going to get the job done.

You Work Out Too Hard Every Day

A good workout makes you feel uncomfortable, and it can leave you kind of sore after it’s over. That doesn’t mean you should work out at as hard as you can every day of the week.

Your body needs rest to rebuild those muscles you’re working so hard to develop. Not to mention, stretching and down time can keep you flexible and prevent injuries in the future.

That doesn’t mean you should get too lazy! Our bodies were made to move, so make sure you go on a walk or do another light form of exercise on your off days.

Don’t assume that because you spend an hour in the gym every day that you will reach your fitness goals. Knowing how you could be sabotaging yourself is the first step to getting the body and health that you want.