You go to the gym all the time, (some of you) you watch what you eat more often than not, (some of you) and do every thing you can to lose weight. In your own mind you’ve hung in there and followed the plan to a tee! Or have you?

There is nothing more frustrating than putting in the work and not achieving the results we want. So why is this happening!? Is the world against you? Is someone sabotaging your diet? Are you just genetically big boned? In today’s blog I’m going to cite 7 reasons why you may still be holding on to that unsightly body fat in those wonderful places like your gut, love handles, lower back or legs. Let take a look!

1) You ‘ve Cut Carbs.

I see this all to often. Contrary to popular belief avoiding carbs impairs physical performance and hinders fat loss. Now you may ask yourself, “why do I hear all these bad things about carbs making you fat?’. Well in short, that statement can be accurate. Carbs can and will make you fat if you’re taking them in from the wrong sources, at the wrong times,and incorrect portion sizes. Very low-no carb diets can produce rapid weight loss. No doubt. But a rule of thumb to remember as it pertains to dieting is if you lose it fast, you’ll gain it back fast. Carb restrictive diets are not sustainable and as soon as the dieter introduces carbs back into their diet, BOOM, all that weight comes back aggressively, leaving you fatter, bloated, and more depressed than before! To promote fat loss ensure you’re taking in carbs from optimal sources and ALWAYS practice proper portion control.

2) You’re Not Drinking Enough Water

Water is not only nature’s most abundant resource but it’s also a marquee piece of the obligatory weight loss puzzle. If you didn’t change a thing about your diet, regardless of how poor it was, simply drinking more water on a daily basis will help you begin to lose weight. The more water we drink, the less our bodies retain. Some other benefits of water are increased energy levels, flushes out toxins, improves your skins complexion, and aides in the digestion process. Which brings us to the next thing….

3) You Are Not Taking a Digestive Enzyme

What if I told you there was a pill that you can take that would ensure your body uses more of the nutrients you put in it, and breaks down and digests anything extra it didn’t require decreasing the probability of residual calories being stored as body fat? Well there is! Enzymes are one of the most essential elements in the body. They are as important as the air we breathe and are responsible for constructing, synthesizing, carrying, dispensing, delivering, and eliminating many ingredients and chemicals our bodies utilize in its daily business of living. You need this. Trust me.

4) You’re Eating “Healthy” Foods That Aren’t Healthy

Sadly, not all food claiming to be “healthy” are healthy. Many companies will use very clever marketing and psychological tactics to convince you you’re making a solid decision by eating their product. I noticed recently when walking the cereal aisle that Cocoa Pebbles (my favorite thing ever) is now Gluten-Free! What it failed to mention was the hefty 10 grams of sugar present in a measly ½ cup serving! Things like potato chips with labels glorifying the fact they have “0 Trans Fat”, trail mix, smoothies, juices, frozen diet entrees, and energy bars often have more fat and/or sugar than large candy bars and an entire can of soda! As much as we all want to believe we can get away with eating these things and still look phenomenal naked, the reality is it’s never going to happen. Embrace this fact and move on.

5) You Snack On Fruit

This is a common issue I come across with my weight loss clients. Yes, fruit is healthy in the sense it has vitamins, fiber, and anti-oxidants, all of which are essential components to ones health, but also is very dense in sugar and carbohydrates. If you aspire to lose that repulsive body fat in those stubborn areas, you need to view sugar as the Osama Bin-Laden of foods! Fruit can be ok when utilized in lieu of a traditional carbohydrate with a meal, preferably earlier in the day to provide ample time for your body to burn it off, but snacking in between meals on sugar and carbs certainly is not conducive to ones fat loss journey. You should never eat just to eat.

6) You Think Cardio Is Your Eat Like Sh*t And Get Out Of Jail Free Card

Well, it’s not. Cardio is an important part of the fat loss game, but the fact is traditional cardio sucks for fat loss. The issue here is we tend to not push ourselves out of our comfort zone while engaging in cardio, and simply coast along at a leisurely pace, rarely burning even close to enough calories to support our goals let alone out train a bad diet! Instead of the mundane, casual walk through the park pace you’ve grown accustomed to, instead try interval training. This will help you burn more calories in less time, and keep your body burning fat hours after the conclusion of your workout. If you’re able to talk on the phone, text, BS with the person on the machine next to you, or take selfies during your high interval periods, you are not pushing yourself hard enough. The more sweat and more out of breath you are, the better!

7) You Are Too Stressed!

So you’re stressed because you’re fat, and fat because you’re stressed. Stress on both a physical and mental level limits fat loss because it drastically elevates your bodies’ levels of cortisol. High cortisol levels reduce muscle growth and promote fat gains! (Especially in the mid-section) You mandatorily need to take time to relax, unplug, and decompress from life’s daily stressors. Keep in mind, there are terminally ill children and paraplegics out there who would love to have your problems instead of theirs. Act and think accordingly.