When All Else Fails, Listen To Your Body

When you bust your gut working out, you're eating right and still you're not getting results, it's time to listen to your body.

We need to understand that the diets we experiment with or the workout plans we read in books do not always work because we are not a one-size-fits-all people. We have different builds and different metabolisms, which means our bodies have different needs.

Here are a few tips on what your body could be telling you:

• Are your muscles to tired to get through your workout? Try eating two hours before your workout. Be sure to include carbs and protein: the carbs are for your glycogen stores now and the protein in your system for later in the workout, especially if the workout is more than an hour long.

• Are you lifting hard and taking your protein shakes, and wondering why your body fat is still 20 percent? Remember that protein is hard to digest. By taking in more protein than your body can digest in a 24-hour period, it can cause you to put on weight by storing as fat.

• Are you lifting weights and getting stronger, but don't seem to gain muscle size? My guess is that your stuck in the 3-10 state of mind (three sets of 10 reps). It's time to break out of that mold and try some new lifting techniques.

• Are you eating more because of your new workout routine? Don't make the mistake of eating a huge meal after your workout because you're hungry. Teach yourself how to eat smaller meals during the day. That way you aren't hungry during the day and you still maintain a daily suitable calorie intake.

• Keep a journal of your workouts and your food intake. When you review it every week, compare your goals to your results. This will give you greater insight into your calorie expenditure vs. calorie intake. Compare this to any noticeable changes in your physique or scale weight, then make adjustments accordingly.

Learn to listen to your body, you will thank it later.