Posted on April 19, 2013 by Jenny Cromack

 

 

  1. Vitamin D deficient– Research has shown that a deficiency in Vitamin D is associated with greater fat mass in all ages, races and genders. A recent study examining vitamin D and weight loss established that when vitamin D was introduced into their normal diet the group lost 2.7kg more fat than the other group. Vitamin D deficiency is normally observed in the winter and spring due to the lack of sunlight, so its always wise to supplement during this time.

 

  1. Not restricting carbohydrates enough– It is now well documented that low carbohydrate high protein diets are very effective for fat loss, however each individual has a different level of sensitivity to carbohydrates, this means that while one person can reduce their weekly carb intake  to 90g a day and still loose weight, another person may need to reduce their carbohydrate intake to 20g per day. For the best results aim for 50g a day and get these from mainly vegetables (NOT POTATOES) , Eliminate ALL grains!

 

  1. Stress– Many people fail to realise the effect chronic stress has on the body. Although the mechanisms are complicated essentially the increase in stress causes an increase in cortisol secretion, cortisol primary function is to increase blood sugar (which causes an insulin spike) so you have enough energy to get through the stressful situation.  If this becomes chronic you suffer from inflammation of the hypothalamic pituitary axis, this essentially means the body isn’t working correctly and you’re not going to loose weight effectively. If your interested in this id recommend why zebras don’t get ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky

 

  1. Incorrect training or too much cardio– Steady state cardio at low intensity’s is simply ineffective for fat loss, and if done excessively can lead to a fat storing hormone response. Similarly if you are having casual resistance training sessions or having too long rest periods fat loss will not occur. In general use a load at around 70-85% of your 1 rep max and rest for 30-60s between sets for fat loss, keep the volume high and embrace the burn. Incorporate sprint interval program see our previous article http://www.m8north.co.uk/community/?p=309

 

  1. Food intolerances– A food intolerance can inhibit fat loss because it can cause inflammation of the gut, a critical component of metabolism. To establish if you have a food intolerance give one of the personal trainers at Motive8 North a call.