You’re going to the gym, you’re eating your leafy greens, and you gave up pizza for the week. What more does your body want from you?
Are you working out regularly, eating healthy, and still not seeing the results you want?
You're not alone.
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Building muscle, losing weight, and getting lean can be hard, even when you think you're doing all the right things.
To better understand why, BuzzFeed Life interviewed two experts: Will Lanier, CrossFit coach and general manager of BRICK New York, and Albert Matheny, C.S.C.S., co-founder of Soho Strength Lab and advisor at Naked Nutrition. They pointed out these 12 possible reasons you may not be achieving your health and fitness goals, despite all your hard work.
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First, you need to make sure you're eating enough.
You probably know that if you want to lose weight, you should be burning more calories than you're eating. But skipping meals isn't a smart way to do this. "Your body needs fuel, period," Lanier tells BuzzFeed Life.
If your goal is to build muscle and get lean, you need to take in more fuel. If you're looking to lose weight, you have to take in the right kind of fuel. If you don't eat enough of the right stuff, when you work out, your body will have to take energy from your muscles, which hurts your metabolism.
Do this: Instead of cutting meals and eating like a bird, pay more attention to the TYPE of calories you're eating. For example, your body turns unused carbs into fat, so try sticking to a low-carb diet on the days you know you won't be exercising.
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Know that cardio is not the holy grail of getting lean.
"If you just do cardio [such as steady-state bicycling or running], you're not going to build muscle," Matheny says. "While cardio will burn calories, it won't increase your resting metabolic rate the way having more muscle does. Basically, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you'll burn naturally each day."
Do this: Add a few days of weightlifting and bodyweight exercises into your fitness routine. Here are 11 dumbbell moves you should know to start lifting weights.
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