3 every day items that could be stopping you from losing weight...

When it comes to optimal fat loss, or indeed optimal athletic performance, I'm a real advocate of dotting every i. From macronutrient timing through to ensuring socks are on smoothly and laces tied right, taking care of the little things day to day will ensure that you get the most out of your training and dietary endeavours.

However, for most people, there is no point sweating the small stuff if there are some huge obstacles in the way of your fat loss progress. These may not seem all that obvious, but most people will still be partaking in at least one of the following fat blocking activities on a daily basis... here's 3 of the most common daily items I see that just arn't helping you lose weight, and why...

1) Computers. Sadly pretty much everyone spends too much time in front of their PC, which often results in postural compromises such as kyphosis (rounding of the upper back), short hip flexors and quadriceps, forward head position. These in turn lead to head, neck and shoulder tension and pain, lower back pain, improper breathing patterns, nerve compression, and increased potential for disc herniation and even arthritis. Needless to say none of the forementioned are particularly conducive to efficient movement or increased caloric expenditure.



2) High Heels. Ok guys, most of you can skip this one ;) Ladies, I know when it comes to fashion there's an element of 'no pain no gain', but wearing sky scrapers on a regular basis is really quite bad for your body.. studies show that teetering around in stilettos can place up to 26% more pressure on the medial (inside) of your knee, prompting degeneration and arthritic onset. Wearing high heels might make your calves look better, but they can also leave them in a permanently shortened state which can in turn lead to foot, knee and hip pain. Finally, wearing high heels shifts your body's natural alignment out of whack, tilting your pelvis forward and increasing the likelihood of lower back pain... (this is made worse if you carry a lot of weight on your chest).. and if you're in pain, it's unlikely that you're going to want to train, and if you do, you won't move as effectively as you would if you were pain free.. The only pain I consider to be 'good' in terms of losing fat is that resulting from muscular overload.. anything else will slow you down and needs to be addressed...



3) Microwaving food. There are a multitude of reasons why microwaves are bad for your health, and if something is bad for your health the chances are it's not going to be good for your fat loss goal either. Microwaves heat food by causing water moelcules in it to resonate at very high frequencies and eventually turn to steam, which in turn heats your food. Unfortunately, this also changes the chemical structure of your food, causing it to lose much of its nutritional value. Another problem with microwaving is that it can often lead to leaching of carcinogenic toxins from plastic and paper containers into your food. A toxic body is often a fat body.. so avoid the microwave where possible and if you absolutely have to use it opt for a low frequency setting.