How many times have you dieted down, and then all of the sudden it seems like you just hit a brick wall? Don’t worry it happens to all of us. Your body is resistant to change, and sometimes we have to look a bit deeper into our diets, and what we might be doing wrong. Now some people take the approach of working out even more. I mean if you lost the first 20-30 lbs. by working out for an hour each day, then you surely working out for two hours a day will produce even better results, right? WRONG! More is definitely not better, especially when it comes to working out. Despite what many people think, if you overtrain you could quite possibly end up looking much worse!
So if working out more is not going to do the trick, then what do you need to do? Well 99% of the time it revolves around your diet. I know, I know, you have been watching everything you eat. For the first time in your life you have actually stuck to your diet plan, and haven’t even as much as thought about stopping by the nearest drive-thru. Your diet is spot on, but the weight just isn’t coming off. I’m here to tell you that it’s still your diet. You may think your diet is perfect, but let’s take a closer look.
You’re probably getting tired of eating your morning egg whites, and the only way you have found that allows you to choke them down is to throw some salsa on top. Well that’s fine when you first begin your diet, because just cleaning up the foods you eat has allowed you to lose a lot of weight. But now that your body has stopped responding to your diet and exercise program, something has got to change. We have to do something to trick your body into losing even more weight. Unfortunately that means the food is about to get even blander that it already is (just what you wanted to hear). Hey if it were easy everybody would have six pack abs!
Let’s assume your diet as it pertains to macronutrient breakdown is on point. There is no need to make a huge overhaul to your diet plan. Let’s also assume for the sake of this article that your workouts are intense, you’re consistent and never miss a day, and you are doing everything that needs to be done while you’re in the gym. It’s time to drop the condiments out of your diet, and begin eating even more cleanly than you already are. We all do it. We get so sick of the same boring foods that we add some flavoring to make it more palatable. We add ketchup or bbq sauce to our chicken and turkey, we add salsa to our egg whites, we marinate our meat in some delicious marinades we found at the store, or we use steak sauce to our lean and flavorless steaks. Therein lies your problem!!!
Most of the condiments mentioned above are mostly sugar. Even though you read the label carefully, and convinced yourself that it’s “not that bad”, it is. These condiments are keeping you from achieving the physique you have been working so hard towards. All the sugar in these items adds up!! Sugar is your absolute enemy when dieting. Fat is not the enemy, complex carbs aren’t the enemy, and protein is not the enemy. Sugar is your ultimate enemy when you’re dieting. Now that you have reached a plateau it is time to get rid of them to lose that last little bit of stubborn fat. Certain spices and rubs are fine, but be very careful of what you are putting on your foods. When I diet I tend to use a lot of fresh ground pepper. I know it’s that the best way to season food, but it’s better than nothing.
Condiments to watch out for (but not all):
- Ketchup (yes even “low carb” or “low sugar”)
- Salsa
- Salad Dressings
- Steak Sauces
- Marinades
- Certain “fancy” Mustards
- Low Fat Mayonnaise/Miracle Whip
Items to season with:
- Black Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Rubs
- Mrs. Dash
- Salt Substitutes (potassium chloride)
- Garlic (actual garlic, not garlic salt)